Root Cultures for the Production of Biologically Active Plant Secondary Metabolites

来自植物根部的次生代谢物(产品)是药物和农用化学品的未充分利用和未被开发的来源。菊科(向日葵科)植物的根中含有多种有价值的天然产物，包括杀菌、抗菌、抗病毒和杀线虫的聚乙炔。大多数这类化合物的合成和积累机制还知之甚少。PIs最近开发了来自不同茄科和菊科物种的快速生长的根培养物，这些根在被发根农杆菌感染后转化为“毛状根”。这些“毛状根”培养物的生长速度比正常根快，与未分化的细胞悬浮液相当；同时，它们继续产生根特有的次生代谢物。PI表明，该实验系统非常适合发展为大规模生产过程。将建造大型生物反应器，用于间歇、半连续或连续培养的根无性系生长。这项拨款申请是我们希望在工程局的生物技术计划中看到的跨学科建议的一个很好的例子。审查这项提议的跨学科小组评价为优秀，首席调查员被认为完全有资格开展拟议的研究。我建议根据订正预算为这项提议提供三年的资金。

Secondary metabolites (products) from plant roots are under- utilized and under-explored sources of pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals. Roots of the Asteraceae (Sunflower family) accumulate a wide range of valuable natural products including fungicidal, anti-bacterial, antiviral and nematicidal polyacetylenes. The mechanisms of synthesis and accumulation for most of these compounds are poorly understood. The PIs have recently developed fast-growing root cultures from various Solanceae and Asteraceae species which have been transformed into "hairy roots" following infection with the bacterium Agrobacterium rhizogenes. These "hairy root" cultures grow at rates faster than normal roots and comparable to those of undifferentiated cell suspensions; at the same time, they continue producing the secondary metabolites characteristic of roots. The PIs suggest that this experimental system is well suited for development into a large-scale production process. Large bioreactors will be built for the growth of root clones in batch, semi-continuous or continuous culture. This grant application is an excellent example of the type of crossdisciplinary proposal we wish to see in the Engineering Directorate's Biotechnology Program. It was rated excellent by the crossdisciplinary Panel reviewing this proposal and the Principal Investigators are considered well qualified to carry out the proposed research. I recommend funding of this proposal for three years in accordance with the revised budget.