Methanol production is enhanced by expression of an Aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase in tobacco cells.
Tobacco suspension culture cell (Nicotiana tabacum, BY2) was transformed with an Aspergillus niger pectin methylesterase (PME; EC 3.1.1.11) cDNA under the control of cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter. The transformant indicated a significant rise of PME and the level of methanol in the transformant increased by 28.7% compared to the vector control transformant. This is the first report of methanol overproduction in plant cells by means of genetic engineering.
Hasunuma
Tomohisa
T
Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamadaoka, Suita 565-0871, Japan.
Fukusaki
Ei-ichiro
E
Kobayashi
Akio
A
D001234:Aspergillus niger / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000502:physiology; D024861:Genetic Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D000432:Methanol / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C022323:pectinesterase; D000432:Methanol