Exploring Triterpene Diversity in Monocots

Descripción del proyecto

Desentrañando la síntesis del triterpeno en las plantas

Los triterpenos son un grupo versátil de ingredientes activos desde el punto de vista biológico que se encuentran en los fitoextractos. Producidos por las plantas como parte de su mecanismo de autodefensa, su uso es muy valorado en farmacéutica, agricultura y biotecnología. Hasta ahora, los estudios sobre la biosíntesis del triterpeno se han centrado en gran medida en las plantas eudicotas y se sabe muy poco sobre su biosíntesis en las monocotas. El proyecto EXTRIDIM, financiado con fondos europeos, investigará con más detalle los orígenes de la síntesis del triterpeno en monocotas, el mecanismo de diversificación metabólica en esas plantas. Se centrará la atención en los cereales, que son la comida cotidiana de más de la mitad de la población mundial. Comprender mejor de la biosíntesis del triterpeno en los cultivos de cereales importantes podría ayudar a encontrar nuevas formas de proteger las cosechas, garantizar la seguridad alimentaria y descubrir nuevos fármacos.

Objetivo

Triterpenes are one of the most diverse groups of plant natural products, with important roles in plant defense and wide use in medicine, food, and cosmetics. So far, studies on triterpene biosynthesis have largely focused on eudicot plants, while little is known about triterpene biosynthesis in monocots. Here, we seek to expand current knowledge of triterpene chemistry and biochemistry in monocots and to investigate mechanisms of metabolic diversification in this group of plants, and specifically in the cereals group, which together provides more than half of the global human caloric intake. Monocot genomes will be mined for identification of new triterpene-related genes and biosynthetic gene clusters. These will be utilized for biosynthesis of novel triterpene compounds via combinatorial recombinant expression in yeast and plant systems. Entire triterpene metabolic pathways will ultimately be introduced into the monocot model plant Brachypodium distachyon, and pathogen-tolerance of the engineered plants will be evaluated. This will serve as an important proof-of-concept for the possibility of introducing these pathways into agriculturally-important cereals and grasses. The recent publication of the common wheat genome, coupled with fears for re-emergence of devastating fungal wheat pathogens in Europe, indicate the timeliness and relevance of the proposed action. EXTRIDIM is a highly interdisciplinary project that will draw upon the synergistic combination of the expertise and well-established scientific approach of the host lab, together with the background and complementary skills of the researcher in plant molecular biology and metabolic engineering. The proposed research will greatly contribute to the researcher’s career development and strengthen the host lab, will advance our understanding of triterpene biosynthesis in the agriculturally-important cereal crops, and will potentially lead to new applications in plant protection and drug discovery.