Abstract
Carotenoids are red, yellow and orange pigments, which are widely distributed in nature and are especially abundant in yellow-orange fruits and vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables. Carotenoids are essential for photosynthesis and photoprotection in plant life and also have different beneficial effects in humans and animals (van den Berg et al. 2000). For example, β-carotene plays an essential role as the main dietary source of vitamin A. To obtain further insight into β-carotene biosynthesis in two important economic plant species, Lycium barbarum and Gentiana lutea L., and to investigate and prioritize potential genetic engineering targets in the pathway, the effects of five carotenogenic genes from these two species, encoding proteins including geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, phytoene synthase and δ-carotene desaturase gene, lycopene β-cyclase, lycopene ε-cyclase were functionally analyzed in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. All transgenic tobacco plants constitutively expressing these genes showed enhanced β-carotene contents in their leaves and flowers to different extents. The addictive effects of co-ordinate expression of double transgenes have also been investigated.
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This work was supported by three grants and the funding numbers are 06YFGZNC01700, 2006GB2A100013 and 04260.
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Ji, J., Wang, G., Wang, J. et al. Functional analysis of multiple carotenogenic genes from Lycium barbarum and Gentiana lutea L. for their effects on β-carotene production in transgenic tobacco. Biotechnol Lett 31, 305–312 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-008-9861-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-008-9861-8