Improving production and quality of essential oil from aromatic plants by genetic engineeringProject reference: FAIR983628Funded under: FP4-FAIR

Improving production and quality of essential oil from aromatic plants by genetic engineering From 1998-04-01 to 2001-03-31

Project details

Total cost:

EUR 644 180

EU contribution:

EUR 549 844

Coordinated in:

Greece

Topic(s):

1.2 - The "green" chemical and polymer chain

Funding scheme:

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Objective

Plant secondary metabolites are extensively used as flavours, fragrances, pigments and medicines by the food and pharmaceutical industries. Even with contemporary advances in synthetic organic chemistry, plants are the main source of over 25X of all prescription medicines Availability and quality of raw material depend on climatic factors, sacristy of the species, and geography of the area of plant growth which can sometimes include remote and politically unstable regions. Clearly the cultivation of such species must be encouraged and this depends also on the existence of commercialy competitive genotypes. Secondary metabolite accumulation in tissue or cell cultures of most plant species is usually orders of magnitude lower than that in the intact plant. Transciptional inactivation of key regulatory genes of secondary metabolism has been postulated to take place in cultured tissues.

As long as the mechanism of inactivation remains unknown significant progress in the field of biotechnology for in vitro secondary metabolite production will be slow depending on accidental mutations resulting in overproducing somaclones. We have chosen rose essential oil production as our model system because of the relative simplicity of the biosynthetic pathway, the easy identification of the oil ingredients, and the commercial interest in this species. Rose oil contains monoterpenes used extensively in the cosmetics industry. Their synthesis, as well as that of other secondary metabolites, is affected by biotic and abiotic stresses. Potential second messengers, common to the signal transduction pathways of the various inducing treatments, are free radicals, lipid peroxides, and their derivatives.

Measurable objective. Objective 1: Improve rose essential oil yield by introducing overexpressed regulatory genes of terpenoid synthesis and by using antisense technology to down-regulate genes of the free radical and peroxide scavenging system. Higher oil yield is expected if availability of these signal transducing molecules is the limiting factor. Objective 2: Identify trans-acting factors activating regulatory genes of the monoterpene synthesis path. In a future step, Page 1 of 2

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altered, constitutively transcribed forms of trans-acting factor genes could uncouple gene expression from normal signal transduction path component requirements and result in unhindered terpenoid production in in vitro cultures as well as in field~grown plants.

Complying with the objectives of the Agriculture ant Flsherles programme Workplan. Section 12.1 of the 'green' chemical ant polymer chain subarea of area I of the Agriculture and Fisheries programme, covers proposals for genetically improving the quality and content of plant speciality products, including volatile oils, and devising economical methods to ensure their stability of supply and quality. Improved yield/quality, as well stable supply can be ensured by extensive cultivation of proper genotypes as well as by successful in vitro production. Also, section 4.3.1 of area 4 deals with speciality products and asks for the improvement of specific characteristics of aromatic plants. The proposal is relevant to both areas.

Coordinator

Alsyllion AgrokepionChania, Greece

Administrative contact: Yannis GOUNARISTel.: +30-28210-81152Fax: +30-28210-81154E-mail

Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania Greece

Participants

Saint Beauzire, France

Administrative contact: Jean-Yves BERTHONTel.: +33-473644345Fax: +33-473339132E-mail

Greentech SARL France

StrandLONDON, United Kingdom

Administrative contact: Barry Victor CHARLWOODTel.: +44-1713-334509Fax: +44-1713334500E-mail

King's College London United Kingdom

SubjectsBiotechnology - Environmental Protection

Last updated on 1999-06-03Retrieved on 2015-05-19

Permalink: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/48143_en.html European Union, 2015

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