Planta Med 2011; 77 - PL108
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1282757

Biosynthesis of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites in Herbs

W Chen 1
  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 415, Fengyang Road, Shanghai, 200003, P. R. China; Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, No. 325, Guohe Road, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China

Plant secondary metabolites are the major source of bioactive compounds of Herb. Metabolic engineering has opened a new promising perspective for the improved production of these valuable secondary metabolites in plant cell factory. Apparently, the key to metabolic engineering is the detailed knowledge of pathways of interest. We have developed RACE (rapid amplication of cDNA ends) method for the isolation of genes involved in certain biosynthesis pathway or crucial regulation process [1], which prompted the possibility of a key gene-based metabolic engineering for the synthesis of active compounds. In addition, we have successfully developed several plant cell culture systems such as hairy root, suspension cell as well as Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures [2], which not only facilitated gene manipulation such as transformation and knockout, but also feasible for the industrial production of desired compounds in the near future. In our study, several metabolic engineering strategies have been successfully used to channel metabolites into pathways leading to desired products, including overexpression of rate-limiting enzyme genes, suppression or knockout of competitive enzyme genes, regulation of signal molecular pathway, and transformation of important transcription factors or transporters, etc [3]. Furthermore, for the unidentified secondary metabolite pathways, we are now using isotope tracing and 2-dimensional electrophoresis technology to explore them [4]. The identification and isolation of the enzymes involved will certainly help us to elucidate the whole biosynthesis pathway(s), and ultimately enable the possibility of metabolic engineering for the production of specific bioactive secondary metabolites in herbs.

Acknowledgement: This research was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (20572130, 30900786) and Modernization of traditional Chinese medicine foundation (08DZ1971502), Shanghai Science and Technology Committee.

References: 1. Xiao Y et al. (2009) Mol Biol Rep 36: 2019–2029.

2. Huang BB et al. (2011) Metabolomics 7: 134–146.

3. Xiao Y et al. (2009) Physiol Plantarum 137: 1–9.

4. Xiao Y et al. (2010) Biosci Rep 30: 33–40.