“MICROMETABOLITE” – a Research Training Network on the Microbial Enhancement of Bioactive Secondary Metabolite Production in Plants
Context:
Plant-derived natural products or, more specifically, plant secondary metabolites are backbones of today’s pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industry. Plant-associated microorganisms have been playing an important role in sustaining plant growth and, through inducing or influencing synthesis pathways, in the production of plant secondary metabolites (SM).
Abiotic and biotic signals clearly affect the plant metabolome. Albeit plant SM are specific to their host plants, the mechanisms and stimuli inducing and affecting their biosynthesis are similar in a wide range of higher plants. Besides the well characterized effects of plant hormones, herbivores, pathogens, pathogen-derived elicitors, and abiotic stimuli, growing evidence suggests that plant-associated microorganisms have a remarkable impact on the chemical composition of their host plants. Moreover, endophytic bacteria and fungi themselves are producers of a number of SM. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and endophytic bacteria and fungi have shown strong growth-promoting and yield enhancing effects in different agricultural systems. Plant-associated microorganisms may promote plant performance via several activities such as nitrogen fixation, synthesis and modulation of plant hormones, hormone signalling, vitamin production, enhancement of nutrient uptake, and induction of increased stress resistance, leading to more stable yields in less favourable conditions.
Objectives:
MICROMETABOLITE aims at exploring the plant-associated microflora for improving the production of bioactive secondary plant metabolites that are of high value for industrial applications. The network will focus on members of the Boraginaceae plant family including Lithospermum and Alkanna species, which produce the naphtoquinones shikonin and alkannin derivatives (A/S). These plants are used for the production of several pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical preparations that are already on the market or in the final stages of development. Specifically, we will analyse relationships between the content of A/S or other SM, the plant genotype, and the plant-associated microflora. Further, we will explore in which ways microorganisms beneficially influence metabolite production, and we will establish novel production systems, enabling that raw materials for industrial applications can be cultivated under Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
The partnership:
MICROMETABOLITE is based on five universities, one SME and seven non-funded partner organizations that support 11 PhD students. The consortium joins teams in Austria, Greece, France, Germany and Belgium with two partners (University of Ghent and Université catholique de Louvain – hosting respectively BCCM/LMG and BCCM/MUCL).
The involvement:
The Laboratory of mycology and BCCM/MUCL will specifically focus on the fungal diversity associated with Alkanna tinctoria and Lithospermum erythrorhizon and their impact on plant growth and metabolites production. More specifically, we will
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assess arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and fungal endophytes diversity associated with A. tinctoria and L. erythrorhizon from the wild and in the field
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isolate, identify and preserve AMF and fungal endophytes from A. tinctoria and L. erythrorhizon and related plants
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test and evaluate the role of AMF and fungal endophytes for plant growth promotion and root colonization
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evaluate the role of AMF on plant metabolites production
The Laboratory of Microbiology and BCCM/LMG will specifically focus on the bacterial diversity associated with A. tinctoria and L. erythrorhizon and their impact on plant growth and metabolites production. More specifically, we will
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assess bacterial endophytes diversity associated with A. tinctoria and L. erythrorhizon from the wild and in the field
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isolate, identify and preserve bacterial endophytes from A. tinctoria and L. erythrorhizon and related plants
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test and evaluate the role of bacterial endophytes on plant metabolites production
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perform genome analysis on selected bacterial endophytes
More information is available on http://www.micrometabolite.eu/