In conventional suspension cultures of Taxus chinensis, the accumulation of physiologically active taxuyunnanine C (Tc) in I I (working volume) airlift bioreactors was lower than in shake flasks. Elicitation by methyl jasmonate (MJA) or sucrose feeding could improve the taxane production in the bioreactors. A strategy of combining MJA elicitation and sucrose feeding was applied to cell cultures in bioreactors. Both the Tc production and productivity were significantly enhanced by combined addition of 100 muM MJA and 20 g l(-1) sucrose at day 7 and their maximum levels reached were 344 +/- 12 mg l(-1) (day 18) and 18.6 +/- 0.5 mg l(-1) day(-1) (until day 15), respectively. A further combination of MJA elicitation (at 100 muM), sucrose feeding (at 20 g l(-1)) and ethylene incorporation (at 18 ppm) in the inlet air improved the Tc productivity to 20.2 +/- 0.4 mg l(-1) day(-1) in the bioreactors. The results suggest that the above combination approach is a useful strategy for large-scale production of taxane diterpenes by plant cell cultures.