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A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
Published on: October 4, 2019
Combinatorial biosynthesis in plants: a (p)review on its potential and future exploitation.
Jacob Pollier1, Tessa Moses, Alain Goossens
1Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Gent, Belgium.
Natural Product Reports
|September 29, 2011
Summary
Combinatorial biosynthesis creates novel plant compounds for drug discovery. This review explores methods like biotransformation and synthetic biology to unlock new therapeutic natural products.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Plants are a rich source of bioactive natural products with significant drug discovery potential.
- Combinatorial biosynthesis enables the creation of novel compounds by establishing new enzyme-substrate combinations in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of combinatorial biosynthesis methods for generating novel plant-derived molecules.
- To discuss the potential of these methods for advancing drug discovery.
Main Methods:
- Biotransformation
- Mutasynthesis
- Combinatorial metabolism in hybrids
- Activation of silent plant metabolism
- Synthetic biology in plants
Main Results:
- The review highlights progress and potential in various combinatorial biosynthesis strategies.
- Specific focus is given to terpenoid indole alkaloids and triterpene saponins for their therapeutic value.
Conclusions:
- Combinatorial biosynthesis offers significant opportunities for discovering new plant-derived natural products for drug development.
- Advancements in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are key to realizing this potential.
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