title: Characterization of plant functions using cultured plant cells, and biotechnological applications.
abstract: Plant cell cultures are widely used in the micro-propagation of clonal plants, especially virus-free plants, and in the production of useful metabolites such as paclitaxel. On the other hand, the use of plant cell cultures for the more basic characterization of plant functions is rather limited due to the difficulties associated with functional differentiation in cell cultures. In this review, I overview our experience with functionally differentiated cultured plant cells and their characteristics, especially with regard to photoautotrophism and secondary metabolism. I emphasize the high potential of functionally differentiated cell cultures, as well as some of the pitfalls, in the characterization of plant functions and biotechnological applications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Totipotency, Department of Plant Gene and Totipotency, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Japan. fsato@lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D052818:Autotrophic Processes / Q000502:physiology; D001709:Biotechnology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D039323:Coptis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology; D059828:Plant Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids