Identification of Nicotiana benthamiana candidate genes causing unwanted derivatization of monoterpene indole alkaloid pathway metabolites. Nicotiana benthamiana

The goal of this study was to reconstitute the monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis pathway to strictosidine from Catharanthus roseus in the model/industrial plant Nicotiana benthamiana. A previously identified possible bottleneck is unwanted derivatization (e.g. glycosylation and oxidation) of pathway intermediates. To identify candidate genes encoding the unwanted reactions, transcriptomes of uninfiltrated, GFP-infiltrated, and pathway infiltrated plants were compared. Knockout of some candidate genes altered the product profile of metabolites produced when reconsituting the pathway. This work expands the utility of N. benthamiana as a host plant for pathway reconstitution and metabolite production.