METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF PLANT SECONDARY PRODUCTS

Plants interact with their environment by producing a diverse array of secondary metabolites. Many of these compounds are valued for their m edicinal, industrial or agricultural properties. Other secondary produ cts are toxic or otherwise undesirable and can reduce the commercial v alue of crops. Gene transfer technology offers new opportunities to mo dify directly plant secondary product synthesis through metabolic engi neering. This article reviews some of the strategies which have been u sed to increase or decrease the synthesis of specific plant metabolite s, as well as methods for expanding the biosynthetic capabilities of i ndividual species.