Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Molecular Biology, Institute 'Ruđer Bošković', Zagreb, Croatia.
Biotechnol Adv. 2020 Jan-Feb;38:107316. doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.11.005. Epub 2018 Nov 17.
Plants, fungi, and microorganisms are equipped with biosynthesis machinery for producing thousands of secondary metabolites. These compounds have important functions in nature as a defence against predators or competitors as well as other ecological significances. The full utilization of these compounds for food, medicine, and other purposes requires a thorough understanding of their structures and the distinct biochemical pathways of their production in cellular systems. In this review, flavonoids as classical examples of secondary metabolites are employed to highlight recent advances in understanding how valuable compounds can be regulated at various levels. With extensive diversity in their chemistry and pharmacology, understanding the metabolic engineering of flavonoids now allows us to fine-tune the eliciting of their production, accumulation, and extraction from living systems. More specifically, recent advances in the shikimic acid and acetate biosynthetic pathways of flavonoids production from metabolic engineering point of view, from genes expression to multiple principles of regulation, are addressed. Specific examples of plants and microorganisms as the sources of flavonoids-based compounds with particular emphasis on therapeutic applications are also discussed.
植物、真菌和微生物都配备了生物合成机制，用于生产数千种次生代谢产物。这些化合物在自然界中具有重要的功能，既是防御捕食者或竞争者的手段，也具有其他生态意义。为了将这些化合物充分应用于食品、医药和其他用途，我们需要深入了解它们的结构以及在细胞系统中产生这些化合物的独特生化途径。在这篇综述中，以黄酮类化合物为例，强调了在理解如何在各个层面上调节有价值的化合物方面的最新进展。黄酮类化合物在化学和药理学上具有广泛的多样性，了解其代谢工程现在使我们能够微调它们的生产、积累和从活系统中提取的方式。更具体地说，从代谢工程的角度讨论了黄酮类化合物生物合成途径中的莽草酸和乙酸盐生物合成途径的最新进展，包括基因表达和多种调控原理。还讨论了植物和微生物作为基于黄酮类化合物的化合物的来源的具体例子，特别强调了它们在治疗应用方面的作用。
