Metabolic engineering in mint plants: increasing essential oil yield through genetic manipulation of biosynthetic pathways

该奖学金是一个绝佳的机会，可以成为国际全球挑战研究基金项目的一部分，以提高薄荷（薄荷）植物中高价值精油化合物的产量，从而生产出优质品种，供乌干达农村当地农业社区种植和商业开发。不同种类的薄荷已被证明优先积累特定的油成分，其中萜类化合物薄荷醇和香芹酮分别在薄荷（M. x piperita）和绿薄荷（M. spicata）中含量最多，这些化合物广泛用于各种食品，饮料，化妆品和医药产品中。其他精油化合物，如猫薄荷的活性成分荆芥内酯，是在密切相关的荆芥属中生产的，研究表明荆芥内酯具有良好的驱虫品质，使其成为开发低成本驱蚊剂以降低疟疾发病率的理想候选者。薄荷醇、香芹酮和荆芥内酯的生物合成途径已经很清楚，本项目将采用植物代谢工程技术，通过基因改造来提高精油中这些化合物的产量。利用先进的模块化DNA组装技术，如金门克隆系统，参与薄荷醇、香芹酮或荆芥内酯生物合成的关键酶将通过RNA干扰的过表达或下调来操纵，以优化转基因植物中这些化合物的生产和积累。这将涉及使用启动子、终止子和调节机制的不同组合来创建单基因和多基因结构，以确定基因修饰的最佳组合，从而最大限度地提高油类化合物的产量。石油成分将通过气相色谱-质谱分析，产生最佳石油剖面的生产线将被选择用于乌干达的生长试验。我们将把转基因品种送到乌干达的合作组织，这些品种的油将被提取出来并直接销售，或者用于开发当地的食品、饮料和化妆品。通过卡迪夫大学和马凯雷雷大学之间建立的伙伴关系，以及与我们当地的商业伙伴组织CEMPOP建立的伙伴关系，该项目将确保通过合作小组种植，收获和开发新的薄荷作物，主要为乌干达当地社区带来可持续的经济效益。该学生将加入一个充满活力的科学家团队，在BBSRC gcrf资助的项目中工作，并将由一位经验丰富的植物分子生物学家和一位世界级的生物化学家指导。

This studentship is an excellent opportunity to become part of an international Global Challenges Research Fundproject to enhance the yield of high-value essential oil compounds in Mentha (mint) plants in order to produce elitemint varieties for cultivation and commercial exploitation by local farming communities in rural Uganda. DifferentMentha species have been shown to preferentially accumulate particular oil components, with the terpenoidcompounds menthol and carvone being most abundant in peppermint (M. x piperita) and spearmint (M. spicata)respectively, and these are used extensively in a broad range of foodstuffs, beverages, cosmetics and medicinalproducts. Other essential oil compounds such as nepetalactone, the active ingredient in catnip, are produced in theclosely related Nepeta genus and research has shown that nepetalactone has good insect repellence qualities, makingit an excellent candidate for the developmental of low-cost mosquito repellents in order to reduce the incidence ofmalaria.The biosynthetic pathways for menthol, carvone and nepetalactone are well-understood, and this project will employplant metabolic engineering via genetic modification to enhance the yield of these compounds in the essential oils.Using advanced modular DNA assembly techniques such as the Golden Gate cloning system, key enzymes involved inthe biosynthesis of menthol, carvone or nepetalactone will be manipulated by overexpression or down-regulationusing RNA interference in order to optimise the production and accumulation of these compounds in transgenic plants.This will involve the creation of single and multi-gene constructs using different combinations of promoters,terminators and regulation mechanisms to identify the optimum combination of genetic modifications to maximise oilcompound yield. Oil composition will be analysed by GC-MS and lines producing optimum oil profiles will be selectedfor growth trials in Uganda.Transgenic lines sent to our partner organisations in Uganda will be cultivated and the oils extracted and sold directlyor used for the development of local food, beverage and cosmetic products. Through partnerships establishedbetween Cardiff and Makerere Universities and with our local business partner organisation CEMPOP, this project willensure that sustainable financial benefits accrue principally to local communities in Uganda, via cooperative groupsset up to grow, harvest and exploit new mint crops.The student will join a dynamic team of scientists working on the BBSRC GCRF-funded project and will be supervisedby a highly-experienced plant molecular biologist and a world-class biological chemist.