Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
08:09
Annotation of Plant Gene Function via Combined Genomics, Metabolomics and Informatics
Published on: June 17, 2012
Seeing is believing: engineering anthocyanin and carotenoid biosynthetic pathways
Yoshikazu Tanaka1, Akemi Ohmiya
1Institute for Plant Science, Suntory, Ltd., 1-1-1 Wakayamadai, Shimamoto, Mishima, Osaka 618-8503, Japan. Yoshikazu_Tanaka@suntory.co.jp
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|April 15, 2008
Summary
Metabolic engineering can create new plant colors and health benefits by altering plant pathways. Optimizing gene expression is key to accumulating desired compounds and achieving specific plant colors.
Area of Science:
- Plant biotechnology
- Metabolic engineering
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Biosynthetic pathways for flavonoids and carotenoids are well-understood.
- Genes responsible for these pathways have been largely identified.
- Metabolic engineering offers tools for plant trait modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the application of metabolic engineering in plants.
- To demonstrate methods for achieving specific plant colors through compound accumulation.
- To highlight the importance of pathway regulation in metabolic engineering.
Main Methods:
- Review of established biosynthetic pathways for flavonoids and carotenoids.
- Discussion of gene isolation and metabolic engineering strategies.
- Emphasis on upregulating target pathways and downregulating competing ones.
Main Results:
- Metabolic engineering has successfully produced plants with novel colors and enhanced health benefits.
- Successful engineering requires precise control over gene expression.
- Achieving desired accumulation necessitates balancing pathway flux.
Conclusions:
- Metabolic engineering is a powerful tool for developing functional and visually distinct plants.
- Optimizing gene expression is crucial for successful metabolic engineering outcomes.
- Understanding and manipulating competing pathways is essential for targeted compound accumulation.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
02:55Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
02:00Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
01:46The Calvin Benson Cycle
Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...
01:29Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways
Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which provide...
01:26Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate light...