Nature's laboratory: plant metabolic engineering methods using phenylpropanoids as a case study

Plant specialised metabolism generates a vast array of compounds with significant potential across agriculture, medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. A key challenge lies in optimising their production in the plant, as these compounds are often present in trace amounts in a complex metabolic cocktail. Given their high economic value, extensive efforts have been made to elucidate their biosynthetic pathways and pinpoint key regulatory and enzymatic targets. This knowledge has been applied for metabolic engineering to enhance the carbon flux towards metabolites of interest, thereby broadening the utility of plants as a source of high-value compounds. This review examines different metabolic engineering strategies employed today using the phenylpropanoid pathway as a case study and highlights the potential of integrating plant and microbial research to drive cross-disciplinary innovation.