Increasingly, as a result of recent biochemical work, there exists a realistic possibility
of taking a molecular genetic approach to the manipulation of alkaloid-producing pathways
in plant tissue cultures. In the pathways forming indole alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus, tropane alkaloids in Datura and Hyoscyamus species, and nicotine in Nicotiana species, recent studies have identified a number of key enzymes and at least some
of the factors that regulate their levels of activity. Such knowledge contributes
the basis upon which it has become feasible to design a strategy by which the flux
in these pathways may be enhanced at the genomic level. This review presents a summary
of the state-of-the-art pertaining to these pathways and discusses the strategy to
be adopted for a molecular approach to their manipulation, together with some of the
pitfalls that may arise when trying to alter their natural regulation.
Alkaloid production - genetic manipulation - indole alkaloids - over-expression -
plant cell cultures - secondary metabolism - tissue cultures - tropane alkaloids -
Catharanthus roseus
-
Datura species -
Hyoscyamus species -
Nicotiana species
