In this paper, Guoyin Kai and co-workers at Shanghai Normal University, PR China, investigated the possibility of improving the production of tropane alkaloids using metabolic engineering strategies.
By introducing two genes that encode two important enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of TAs, the team were able to engineer Anisodus acutangulus hairy roots that produced 4.49-fold higher amounts of TA, compared to control roots.
Read how they achieved this in the full paper:
Enhancing the production of tropane alkaloids in transgenic Anisodus acutangulus hairy root cultures by over-expressing tropinone reductase I and hyoscyamine-6β-hydroxylase
Guoyin Kai, Ang Zhang, Yingying Guo, Li Li, Lijie Cui, Xiuqin Luo, Cong Liu and Jianbo Xiao
DOI: 10.1039/C2MB25208B
