Biotechnological production of paclitaxelStudying the regulation of taxane biosynthesis

Résumé

Plant secondary metabolism generates a wide range of molecules, some of them with valuable pharmacological properties. Taxanes are a good example, as since their discovery no other compound has shown their specific pharmacological antineoplastic effect. The limited yield of taxanes from their natural source has stimulated the development of different biotechnological approaches to increase their production. The aim of the present work was to provide new insights into the regulation of taxane biosynthesis and generate new knowledge for application in future rational approaches to enhance taxane biosynthesis. The obtained results point out: (1) the regulator role of BAPT gene in taxane biosynthesis, (2) the methylation of the cis-regulatory element Y-patch as an epigenetic mechanism regulating plant secondary metabolism, (3) the relationship between the transcription factors TSAR2 and BIS2 with taxane-related genes expression, and (4) the TB506 enzyme as suitable candidate to perform the lateral chain hydroxylation step after its selection and in silico characterization.