Plant UGTs: Functional diversity, catalytic mechanisms and rational design for metabolic engineering

Plant UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT), a crucial class of enzymes, plays a pivotal role in plant metabolic engineering. With the continuous advancement in metabolic engineering technologies and increasing insights into secondary metabolite biosynthesis, UGTs have garnered considerable attention for their remarkable functional diversity. This review outlines the research background of UGT applications in metabolic engineering, emphasizing their roles in plant metabolic networks and regulatory mechanisms. Functionally, UGTs catalyze glycosylation across a wide range of substrates and glycosylation patterns. Case studies highlight their potential in the synthesis of bioactive compounds and the improvement of agronomic traits. Nevertheless, several challenges remain, including low catalytic efficiency, limited substrate specificity, and potential disruption of host metabolic pathways. To overcome these limitations, rational design strategies, such as structure-guided design, computer-aided engineering, and directed evolution, have emerged as effective solutions. Overall, UGT research provides important strategies for advancing metabolic engineering and optimizing the production of plant secondary metabolites.