植物维生素E基因工程研究进展

Progress in Genetic Engineering of Plant Vitamin E

维生素E(vitamin E,VE)是一类由光合生物合成的、人类饮食中必不可少的两种抗氧化物质,分为生育酚和生育三烯酚两大类。除了生育酚类物质所具有的抗氧化作用外,生育三烯酚还有很强的降胆固醇、预防糖尿病、促进骨吸收、抗癌和神经保护的作用,因此,VE被广泛应用于医药、食品、化妆品等行业中。本文主要综述了植物维生素E生物合成相关酶的研究进展以及利用基因工程手段提高植物维生素E活性的新策略。其中,多基因共转化、多基因操纵子及质体转化等方法为提高植物维生素E活性提供了新的思路。

Photosynthetic organisms synthesize the amphipathic antioxidant called vitamin E which are essential components of the human diet. Tocopherol and tocotrienol comprise the vitamin E class in plants. Besides the antioxidant properties, the tocotrienol forms of natural vitamin E also help to lower cholesterol, prevent diabetes, promote bone resorption and reduce the risk of cancer and neurological diseases. Thus vitamin E is widely used in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. In this review, current knowledge on vitamin E biosynthesis pathway and related enzymes was described. Moreover, recent studies on genetic engineering to enhance and alter vitamin E content and composition in plants were summarized. Co-expression of multiple genes in vitamin E biosynthesis pathway and plastid transformation by using synthetic multigene operons have provided new strategies to increase vitamin E production in plants.