Metabolic engineering to increase isoflavone biosynthesis in soybean seed.
Isoflavone levels in Glycine max (soybean) were increased via metabolic engineering of the complex phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway. Phenylpropanoid pathway genes were activated by expression of the maize C1 and R transcription factors in soybean seed, which decreased genistein and increased the daidzein levels with a small overall increase in total isoflavone levels. Cosuppression of flavanone 3-hydroxylase to block the anthocyanin branch of the pathway, in conjunction with C1/R expression, resulted in higher levels of isoflavones. The combination of transcription factor-driven gene activation and suppression of a competing pathway provided a successful means of enhancing accumulation of isoflavones in soybean seed.
Yu
Oliver
O
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc., Crop Genetics, Experimental Station, PO Box 80402, Wilmington, DE 19880-0402, USA.
Shi
June
J
Hession
Aideen O
AO
Maxwell
Carl A
CA
McGonigle
Brian
B
Odell
Joan T
JT
D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010641:Phenotype; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013025:Glycine max / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D007529:Isoflavones; D014157:Transcription Factors