Complex engineering of Solanum alkaloids structural diversity in Nicotiana benthamiana.

ABSTRACT: Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana offers a powerful and versatile platform for rapid production of complex specialized metabolites. Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) and steroidal saponins produced by members of the Solanaceae family are known for their diverse structures and activities including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. Attempts to reconstitute their complete biosynthetic pathway have been unsuccessful to date. In this study, we identified a different tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM2 (SlGAME2-NEW) enzyme as a xylosyltransferase in the penultimate step of α-tomatine and dehydrotomatine biosynthesis. The discovery of SlGAME2-NEW facilitated the engineering of tomato SGAs and steroidal saponin biosynthesis in N. benthamiana

SUBMITTER: Gharat SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854888 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature