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Akter S, Castaneda-Méndez O, Beltrán J. Synthetic reprogramming of plant developmental and biochemical pathways. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103139. [PMID: 38691988 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Plant synthetic biology (Plant SynBio) is an emerging field with the potential to enhance agriculture, human health, and sustainability. Integrating genetic tools and engineering principles, Plant SynBio aims to manipulate cellular functions and construct novel biochemical pathways to develop plants with new phenotypic traits, enhanced yield, and be able to produce natural products and pharmaceuticals. This review compiles research efforts in reprogramming plant developmental and biochemical pathways. We highlight studies leveraging new gene expression toolkits to alter plant architecture for improved performance in model and crop systems and to produce useful metabolites in plant tissues. Furthermore, we provide insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of Plant SynBio in addressing complex issues impacting agriculture and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shammi Akter
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Oscar Castaneda-Méndez
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Jesús Beltrán
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA; Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE 19713, USA.
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2
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Sadre R. Plant synthetic biology for human health: advances in producing medicines in heterologous expression systems. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103142. [PMID: 38735192 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Plant synthetic biology has the capability to provide solutions to global challenges in the production and supply of medicines. Recent advances in 'omics' technologies have accelerated gene discoveries in medicinal plant research so that even multistep biosynthetic pathways for bioactive plant natural products with high structural complexity can be reconstituted in heterologous plant expression systems more rapidly. This review provides an overview of concept and strategies used to produce high-value plant natural products in heterologous plant systems and highlights recent successes in engineering the biosynthesis of conventional and new medicines in alternative plant hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radin Sadre
- Pelotonia Research Center, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, the Ohio State University, 2255 Kenny Rd, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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3
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Menconi J, Perata P, Gonzali S. In pursuit of purple: anthocyanin biosynthesis in fruits of the tomato clade. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:589-604. [PMID: 38177013 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Over the past decade, progress has been made in the characterization of anthocyanin synthesis in fruits of plants belonging to the tomato clade. The genomic elements underlying the activation of the process were identified, providing the basis for understanding how the pathway works in these species. In this review we explore the genetic mechanisms that have been characterized to date, and detail the various wild relatives of the tomato, which have been crucial for recovering ancestral traits that were probably lost during evolution from green-purple to yellow and red tomatoes. This knowledge should help developing strategies to further enhance the status of the commercial tomato lines on sale, based on both genome editing and breeding techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Menconi
- PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 10, San Giuliano Terme, 56010, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierdomenico Perata
- PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 10, San Giuliano Terme, 56010, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Silvia Gonzali
- PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 10, San Giuliano Terme, 56010, Pisa, Italy.
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4
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Grützner R, König K, Horn C, Engler C, Laub A, Vogt T, Marillonnet S. A transient expression tool box for anthocyanin biosynthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:1238-1250. [PMID: 38124296 PMCID: PMC11022804 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana offers a robust platform for the rapid production of complex secondary metabolites. It has proven highly effective in helping identify genes associated with pathways responsible for synthesizing various valuable natural compounds. While this approach has seen considerable success, it has yet to be applied to uncovering genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways. This is because only a single anthocyanin, delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside, can be produced in N. benthamiana by activation of anthocyanin biosynthesis using transcription factors. The production of other anthocyanins would necessitate the suppression of certain endogenous flavonoid biosynthesis genes while transiently expressing others. In this work, we present a series of tools for the reconstitution of anthocyanin biosynthetic pathways in N. benthamiana leaves. These tools include constructs for the expression or silencing of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and a mutant N. benthamiana line generated using CRISPR. By infiltration of defined sets of constructs, the basic anthocyanins pelargonidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and delphinidin 3-O-glucoside could be obtained in high amounts in a few days. Additionally, co-infiltration of supplementary pathway genes enabled the synthesis of more complex anthocyanins. These tools should be useful to identify genes involved in the biosynthesis of complex anthocyanins. They also make it possible to produce novel anthocyanins not found in nature. As an example, we reconstituted the pathway for biosynthesis of Arabidopsis anthocyanin A5, a cyanidin derivative and achieved the biosynthesis of the pelargonidin and delphinidin variants of A5, pelargonidin A5 and delphinidin A5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Grützner
- Department of Cell and Metabolic BiologyLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
| | - Kristin König
- Department of Cell and Metabolic BiologyLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
| | - Claudia Horn
- Department of Cell and Metabolic BiologyLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
| | | | - Annegret Laub
- Department of Bioorganic ChemistryLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
| | - Thomas Vogt
- Department of Cell and Metabolic BiologyLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
| | - Sylvestre Marillonnet
- Department of Cell and Metabolic BiologyLeibniz Institute of Plant BiochemistryHalleGermany
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He R, Liu K, Zhang S, Ju J, Hu Y, Li Y, Liu X, Liu H. Omics Analysis Unveils the Pathway Involved in the Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Tomato Seedling and Fruits. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108690. [PMID: 37240046 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The purple tomato variety 'Indigo Rose' (InR) is favored due to its bright appearance, abundant anthocyanins and outstanding antioxidant capacity. SlHY5 is associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in 'Indigo Rose' plants. However, residual anthocyanins still present in Slhy5 seedlings and fruit peel indicated there was an anthocyanin induction pathway that is independent of HY5 in plants. The molecular mechanism of anthocyanins formation in 'Indigo Rose' and Slhy5 mutants is unclear. In this study, we performed omics analysis to clarify the regulatory network underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in seedling and fruit peel of 'Indigo Rose' and Slhy5 mutant. Results showed that the total amount of anthocyanins in both seedling and fruit of InR was significantly higher than those in the Slhy5 mutant, and most genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis exhibited higher expression levels in InR, suggesting that SlHY5 play pivotal roles in flavonoid biosynthesis both in tomato seedlings and fruit. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) results revealed that SlBBX24 physically interacts with SlAN2-like and SlAN2, while SlWRKY44 could interact with SlAN11 protein. Unexpectedly, both SlPIF1 and SlPIF3 were found to interact with SlBBX24, SlAN1 and SlJAF13 by yeast two-hybrid assay. Suppression of SlBBX24 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) retarded the purple coloration of the fruit peel, indicating an important role of SlBBX24 in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation. These results deepen the understanding of purple color formation in tomato seedlings and fruits in an HY5-dependent or independent manner via excavating the genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis based on omics analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui He
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Kaizhe Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shuchang Zhang
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jun Ju
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Youzhi Hu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yamin Li
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaojuan Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Houcheng Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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Does Plant Breeding for Antioxidant-Rich Foods Have an Impact on Human Health? Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11040794. [PMID: 35453479 PMCID: PMC9024522 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11040794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the general beneficial effects of antioxidants-rich foods on human health and disease prevention, there is a continuous interest in plant secondary metabolites conferring attractive colors to fruits and grains and responsible, together with others, for nutraceutical properties. Cereals and Solanaceae are important components of the human diet, thus, they are the main targets for functional food development by exploitation of genetic resources and metabolic engineering. In this review, we focus on the impact of antioxidants-rich cereal and Solanaceae derived foods on human health by analyzing natural biodiversity and biotechnological strategies aiming at increasing the antioxidant level of grains and fruits, the impact of agronomic practices and food processing on antioxidant properties combined with a focus on the current state of pre-clinical and clinical studies. Despite the strong evidence in in vitro and animal studies supporting the beneficial effects of antioxidants-rich diets in preventing diseases, clinical studies are still not sufficient to prove the impact of antioxidant rich cereal and Solanaceae derived foods on human
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Faqir Napar WP, Kaleri AR, Ahmed A, Nabi F, Sajid S, Ćosić T, Yao Y, Liu J, Raspor M, Gao Y. The anthocyanin-rich tomato genotype LA-1996 displays superior efficiency of mechanisms of tolerance to salinity and drought. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 271:153662. [PMID: 35259587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tomato cultivation is affected by high soil salinity and drought stress, which cause major yield losses worldwide. In this work, we compare the efficiency of mechanisms of tolerance to salinity, and osmotic stress applied as mannitol or drought, in three tomato genotypes: LA-2838 (Ailsa Craig), LA-2662 (Saladette), and LA-1996 (Anthocyanin fruit - Aft), a genotype known for high anthocyanin content. Exposure to salinity or drought induced stress in all three genotypes, but the LA-1996 plants displayed superior tolerance to stress compared with the other two genotypes. They were more efficient in anthocyanin and proline accumulation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activity, and leaf Na+, K+, and Ca2+ homeostasis. In addition, they suffered lesser oxidative damage as measured by chlorophyll (Chl) loss and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and bioassays showed that they were less affected in terms of seed germination and root elongation. Exposure to stress induced the upregulation of stress-related genes SlNCED1, SlAREB1, SlABF4, SlWRKY8, and SlDREB2A more efficiently in LA-1996 than in the two susceptible genotypes. Conversely, the upregulation of the NADPH oxidase gene SlRBOH1 was more pronounced in LA-2838 and LA-2662. Principal component analysis showed obvious distinction between the tolerant genotype LA-1996 and the susceptible LA-2838 and LA-2662 in response to stress, and association of leaf and stem anthocyanin content with major stress tolerance traits. We suggest that anthocyanin accumulation can be considered as a marker of stress tolerance in tomato, and that LA-1996 can be considered for cultivation in salinity- or drought-affected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wado Photo Faqir Napar
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Abdul Rasheed Kaleri
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Awais Ahmed
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Farhan Nabi
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Sumbal Sajid
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Tatjana Ćosić
- Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11060, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Yinan Yao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China
| | - Jikai Liu
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China.
| | - Martin Raspor
- Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11060, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Yongfeng Gao
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, China.
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Albert NW, Lafferty DJ, Moss SMA, Davies KM. Flavonoids – flowers, fruit, forage and the future. J R Soc N Z 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2034654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick W. Albert
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Declan J. Lafferty
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Sarah M. A. Moss
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Kevin M. Davies
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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