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The biosynthesis and genetic engineering of bioactive indole alkaloids in plants

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Abstract

Indole alkaloids are widely distributed secondary metabolites that exhibit a broad range of pharmacological activities. They are synthesized through plant biosynthetic pathways involving complex enzyme activities and regulatory strategies. Since many compounds of indole alkaloids are structurally too complex to be manufactured economically by chemical synthesis, they have to be isolated from naturally grown or cultivated plants. Therefore, the biotechnological production of high-value plant secondary metabolites in cultivated cells or transgenic plants is potentially an attractive alternative. The present review describes the regulation of indole alkaloids biosynthesis, as well as their pharmacological functions in plants such as anti-microbes, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor. Furthermore, it discusses different strategies by which the genetic engineering of indole alkaloids biosynthesis through the reconstruction of the pathway achieves high production of specific compounds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Fujian, 362000, China

    Yuxiang Huang, Zhiying Guo, Xunxun Wu, Qinglei Zhang & Yong Diao

  2. School of Pharmacy, Quanzhou Medical College, Fujian, 362000, China

    Yuxiang Huang

  3. School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Yuxiang Huang, Hexin Tan, Zhiying Guo, Xunxun Wu, Qinglei Zhang & Lei Zhang

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  1. Yuxiang Huang
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  2. Hexin Tan
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  3. Zhiying Guo
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  4. Xunxun Wu
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  5. Qinglei Zhang
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  6. Lei Zhang
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  7. Yong Diao
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Correspondence to Hexin Tan, Lei Zhang or Yong Diao.

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Huang, Y., Tan, H., Guo, Z. et al. The biosynthesis and genetic engineering of bioactive indole alkaloids in plants. J. Plant Biol. 59, 203–214 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-016-0032-5

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