Harnessing endophytes and Multi-Omics for sustainable Colchicine biosynthesis

Area of Science:

• * Plant biology and microbial ecology
• * Natural product biosynthesis
• * Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering

Background:

• * Gloriosa superba is the primary source of colchicine, a crucial drug for inflammatory diseases, cancer, and gout.
• * Conventional extraction faces challenges of low yield, ecological impact, and conservation concerns.
• * Endophytic microorganisms significantly influence colchicine biosynthesis in G. superba.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To synthesize current knowledge on plant-microbe interactions in colchicine biosynthesis.
• * To explore the application of multi-omics and synthetic biology for sustainable colchicine production.
• * To establish a framework for eco-efficient, scalable biomanufacturing of colchicine.

Main Methods:

• * Review of systems-level synthesis integrating endophyte biology with multi-omics technologies.
• * Analysis of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data to resolve the colchicine pathway.
• * Examination of metabolic engineering, genome editing, and synthetic biology approaches.

Main Results:

• * Colchicine biosynthesis is a coordinated plant-microbe metabolic network, not solely plant-autonomous.
• * Endophytic fungi and bacteria enhance colchicine accumulation via specific mechanisms.
• * Key enzymes, regulatory nodes, and bottlenecks in the pathway have been identified.
• * Mechanistic insights facilitate rational metabolic engineering and synthetic pathway reconstruction.

Conclusions:

• * Understanding the plant-microbe metabolic network is key to optimizing colchicine production.
• * Multi-omics and synthetic biology offer powerful tools for developing sustainable biomanufacturing processes.
• * This research provides a framework for scalable, eco-efficient colchicine production while aiding G. superba conservation.