Engineering Metabolism in Nicotiana Species: A Promising Future

Molecular farming uses crops as biofactories for high value-added compounds by applying a range of biotechnological and engineering tools. The nonfood status, high metabolic versatility, and high biomass production of the genus Nicotiana, specifically the species Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana benthamiana, make this plant genus one of the most promising 'chassis' for molecular farming. Tobacco is a rich source of pyridine alkaloids: analyzing the intermediates of the pathway in diverse species and in a temporally and spatially resolved manner will reveal which metabolite pools could serve as precursors for new high value-added compounds. Understanding the chemical diversity combined with recent technological advances in genome sequencing, and the development of NPBTs and synthetic biology tools will open new avenues for metabolic engineering in N. tabacum and N. benthamiana. Molecular farming intends to use crop plants as biofactories for high value-added compounds following application of a wide range of biotechnological tools. In particular, the conversion of nonfood crops into efficient biofactories is expected to be a strong asset in the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. The 'nonfood' status combined with the high metabolic versatility and the capacity of high-yield cultivation highlight the plant genus Nicotiana as one of the most appropriate 'chassis' for molecular farming. Nicotiana species are a rich source of valuable industrial, active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutritional compounds, synthesized from highly complex biosynthetic networks. Here, we review and discuss approaches currently used to design enriched Nicotiana species for molecular farming using new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs). Molecular farming intends to use crop plants as biofactories for high value-added compounds following application of a wide range of biotechnological tools. In particular, the conversion of nonfood crops into efficient biofactories is expected to be a strong asset in the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. The 'nonfood' status combined with the high metabolic versatility and the capacity of high-yield cultivation highlight the plant genus Nicotiana as one of the most appropriate 'chassis' for molecular farming. Nicotiana species are a rich source of valuable industrial, active pharmaceutical ingredients and nutritional compounds, synthesized from highly complex biosynthetic networks. Here, we review and discuss approaches currently used to design enriched Nicotiana species for molecular farming using new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs). comprises those parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources from land and sea, such as plant, animal, and microbial biomass, to produce food, materials, and energy. any system that produces useful amounts of biologically active compounds of economic interest. apparatus for growing cells or organisms (yeast, bacteria, plant, or animal cells) under controlled conditions; used in industrial processes to produce pharmaceuticals, vaccines, or antibodies. horticultural technique used to join parts from two or more plants so that they appear to grow as a single plant. In grafting, the upper part (scion) of one plant grows on the root system (rootstock) of another plant. organism suitable for studying specific traits or phenomena, often due to its short generation time and characterized genome, and whose biology is well known and accessible to laboratory studies. group of methods, including genome editing, cis- and intragenesis, transient expression and silencing, and grafting, that allows the development of new plant varieties with desired traits. functioning unit of DNA containing a cluster of genes under the control of a single promoter. the production of recombinant proteins (including pharmaceuticals and industrial proteins) and specialized metabolites, in plants. This involves the growing, harvesting, transport, storage, and downstream processing of extraction and purification of the protein or metabolite. Gram-negative soil bacterium occurring near plant roots and ultimately causing so-called 'hairy root syndrome' in the infected plant host. This syndrome involves nongeotropic branching root overgrowth at the infection site. programmable molecular tools for the recognition and modification of specific DNA sequences. SSNs include meganucleases, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and CRISPR/Cas. discipline aiming to apply engineering principles to plant biotechnology. plant that has been genetically engineered, a breeding approach that uses recombinant DNA techniques to create plants with new characteristics. temporary expression method in which plant cells are transiently transfected with a construct harboring a T-DNA without stable transformation. The genes carried by the episomal T-DNA are expressed for a short time (days) before degradation and will not be passed to future generations of the cell or plant. epidermal outgrowths that cover aerial tissues in a large number of higher plant species. They often are rich in secondary metabolites and protect plants from biotic and abiotic stresses. sequence-specific technique that exploits the natural defence mechanisms used by plants to protect themselves against viruses. For VIGS, viral vectors bearing a fragment of a target gene (i.e., nonviral insert) are used to silence that particular gene.