Genetic engineering of betalain pigments beyond plant species

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04453
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Horticultural science
• Research Institution: Iwate Biotechnology Research Center
• Principal Investigator: Nishihara Masahiro 公益財団法人岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 研究部長 (20390883)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高橋 秀行 公益財団法人岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 主任研究員 (00455247) ; 佐々木 伸大 公益財団法人岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 主任研究員 (80422088)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SASAKI Nobuhiro 東洋大学, 食環境科学部食環境科学科, 准教授 (80422088)
• Research Collaborator: Higuchi Atsumi 公益財団法人 岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 研究助手 ; FUJITA Kohei 公益財団法人 岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 研究助手 ; WATANABE Aiko 公益財団法人 岩手生物工学研究センター, 園芸資源研究部, 研究助手
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 植物色素 / 遺伝子組換え / 花色 / ゲノム編集 / べタレイン / 代謝工学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Betalains are plant pigments that specifically accumulate in plant species belonging to the Caryophyllales and they show from yellow to red-violet colors. There is a mutually exclusive nature between betalain and anthocyanin pigments in the plant kingdom. In this study, we attempted to produce betalain pigments, yellow betaxanthins and red-violet betacyanins, in non-betalain-synthesizing plant species by genetic transformation of betalain biosynthetic genes.
As the results, successful production of betalain pigments has been achieved in leaves, flowers, fruits and tubers in various plant species such as tobacco, torenia, tomato and potato. The established methods are useful for production of novel flower-colored plants lacking red and yellow colors. They are also useful for production of food crops benefic for the human health and studies of the biological roles of betalain pigments in higher plants in the future.

Free Research Field

植物分子育種学