| Abstract Detail
Tobacco - Morning Sallaud, C [1], Rontein, D [1], Thoraval, S [1], Onillon, S [1], Giacalone, C [1], Jabčs, F [1], Besse, I [1], Tissier, A [1]. Tobacco engineering for terpenoid production. WE have developed molecular tools for the genetic engineering of tobacco secretory trichomes to produce terpenoids for industrial applications. Tobacco trichomes were chosen as targets for engineering because they naturally produce and excrete large amounts of hydroxylated diterpenes such as cembratrien-diol (CBT-diol) and cis-abienol (CAB) at the leaf surface (up to 16% w/w of the leaf dry weight). Our strategy relies on: (1) knocking out endogenous terpenoid production to make precursors available - this yields the “Source Lines” - and (2) directing the expression of introduced terpenoid biosynthesis genes under the control of strong trichome specific promoters. The engineering of sesquiterpene production in tobacco trichomes additionally requires the introduction of a farnesylpyrophosphate synthase gene. Several heterologous diterpene and sesquiterpene synthases were introduced into our Source Lines and corresponding terpenoids were produced at levels 100 to 500 fold higher than previously reported in plants. For example, transgenic plants having the taxadiene synthase coding sequence from taxus brevifolia (NID: U48796) under the control of a trichome specific promoter produce 25 to 50 µg/G FW-1 of taxadiene. This expression system is also highly efficient for the discovery of terpenoid pathway genes such as terpene synthases, hydroxylases, or acyltransferases. Several examples will be presented to illustrate our purpose.
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Librophyt
1 - Librophyt, Centre de cadarache, Bat.185, St Paul-Lez-Durance, 13115, France
Keywords:
trichomes
tobacco
terpene production
gene discovery.
Session: SAT03-8
Location: Hall of Ideas Room H/Monona Terrace
Date: Wednesday, July 26th, 2006
Time: 11:45 AM
Abstract ID:423 |
