Metabolic engineering of terpene biosynthesis in plants using a trichome‐specific transcription factor Ms YABBY 5 from spearmint ( Mentha spicata )
Summary In many aromatic plants including spearmint ( Mentha spicata ), the sites of secondary metabolite production are tiny specialized structures called peltate glandular trichomes ( PGT ). Having high commercial values, these secondary metabolites are exploited largely as flavours, fragrances an...
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Published in | Plant biotechnology journal Vol. 14; no. 7; pp. 1619 - 1632 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
01.07.2016
|
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Summary
In many aromatic plants including spearmint (
Mentha spicata
), the sites of secondary metabolite production are tiny specialized structures called peltate glandular trichomes (
PGT
). Having high commercial values, these secondary metabolites are exploited largely as flavours, fragrances and pharmaceuticals. But, knowledge about transcription factors (TFs) that regulate secondary metabolism in
PGT
remains elusive. Understanding the role of TFs in secondary metabolism pathway will aid in metabolic engineering for increased yield of secondary metabolites and also the development of new production techniques for valuable metabolites. Here, we isolated and functionally characterized a novel
Ms
YABBY
5
gene that is preferentially expressed in
PGT
of spearmint. We generated transgenic plants in which
Ms
YABBY
5
was either overexpressed or silenced using
RNA
interference (
RNA
i). Analysis of the transgenic lines showed that the reduced expression of
Ms
YABBY
5
led to increased levels of terpenes and that overexpression decreased terpene levels. Additionally, ectopic expression of
Ms
YABBY
5
in
Ocimum basilicum
and
Nicotiana sylvestris
decreased secondary metabolite production in them, suggesting that the encoded transcription factor is probably a repressor of secondary metabolism. |
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ISSN: | 1467-7644 1467-7652 |
DOI: | 10.1111/pbi.12525 |