To produce economically important indole alkaloids by cell cultures, we selected protoplastsderived clones (protoclones) of vinca (Catharanthus roseus) for high yields of catharanthine and ajmalicine. Protoplasts were enzymatically isolated from suspension-cultured cells. The highest plating efficiency (1%) was obtained when protoplasts were plated at a density of 1$ imes$105 protoplasts/ml in a culture medium solidified with 0.4% Seaplaque agarose. The growth rates of 40 protoclones subcultured on a solid medium varied over a wide range. Protoclone VPC-6, which had the highest growth rate, was observed to produce relatively high yields of catharanthine and ajmalicine when cultured in a liquid medium. Although the original cell line did not produce catharanthine at a detectable level by HPLC, protoclone VPC-10 produced it at a level of 5.9$mu extrm{g}$/g fresh weight of cells for 10 days of culture. Under the same conditions, protoclone VPC-15 produced ajmalicine at a level of 133.6$mu extrm{g}$/g, of which productivity was improved about ,3 times than that of the original cell line. The results indicate that differences in the growth rate and indole alkaloid yield among the protoclones reflect the somaclonal variation in suspnsion-cultured cells.