Plant clonal lines and plants having elevated secondary metabolite levels
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts Medical Center, a Massachusetts Corporation
InventorKalidas Shetty
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Abstract
A method for selecting plants and plant tissue cultures that contain elevated levels of phenolic secondary metabolites is disclosed. The method uses clonal organogenic tissue culture lines, the cultures being derived from meristematic tissue of a member of the Lamiaceae family. Cultured tissue propagules are cultured in the presence of at least one compound that increases the flux through the proline biosynthesis and breakdown pathways. Those clonal lines exhibiting tolerance to the compound have elevated levels of phenolic secondary metabolites. Cultured tissue from such lines can be regenerated into plants, which are used to more efficiently produce essential oils for food and medicinal purposes.
Claims35
A method for producing a clonal plant line containing an elevated level of a secondary metabolite, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) culturing a first propagule of a Lamiaceae clonal line in the presence of a compound that stimulates proline metabolic flux;
- and
- b) comparing the level of said secondary metabolite in said first propagule to the level of said secondary metabolite in a second propagule of said clonal line cultured in the absence of said compound;
- and
- c) using said comparison to determine whether said propagule has an elevated level of said secondary metabolite relative to said level in said second propagule, and if so, using said first propagule to produce the clonal plant line.
A Lamiaceae plant produced by:
- a) culturing a propagule of a Lamiaceae clonal line in the presence of a compound that stimulates proline metabolic flux;
- and
- b) regenerating said plant from said propagule, said propagule surviving said culturing.
A method for producing a plant containing an elevated level of a secondary metabolite, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) culturing propagules from a plurality of Lamiaceae clonal lines in the presence of a proline flux-stimulating compound;
- b) selecting propagules from at least one line that is tolerant of said compound, said selected propagules containing an elevated level of said secondary metabolite relative to the corresponding secondary metabolite level in control propagules of said selected line cultured in the absence of said compound;
- and
- c) regenerating at least one plant from said selected propagules.
A method for producing an elevated level of a secondary metabolite in a Lamiaceae plant, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) obtaining a Lamiaceae plant selected for tolerance to a proline flux-stimulating compound;
- b) contacting said plant with said compound;
- and
- c) growing said plant for a time sufficient to produce an elevated level of said secondary metabolite.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.