Transcriptional deregulation of stress-growth balance in Nicotiana benthamiana biofactories producing insect sex pheromones

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.941338
• Publication Date: 2022-10-26T15:10:35Z
• Authors: Mojca Juteršek; Marko Petek; Živa Ramšak; Elena Moreno-Giménez; Silvia Gianoglio; Rubén Mateos-Fern...; Diego Orzáez; Kristina Gruden; Špela Baebler
• Keywords: insect sex pheromone; feromoni žuželk; 0303 health sciences; growthstress tradeoffs; jasmonic acid; biotehnologija; biotehnologija, feromoni žuželk, zaščita rastlin, jasmonska kislina, giberelini; transcriptomics, plant biotechnology, jasmonic acid, growthstress tradeoffs, network analysis, growth penalty, insect sex pheromone; Plant culture; jasmonska kislina; plant biotechnology; Plant Science; 15. Life on land; growth-stress tradeoffs; SB1-1110; transcriptomics; 03 medical and health sciences; info:eu-repo/classification/udc/577; giberelini; Nicotiana benthamiana; zaščita rastlin; network analysis; growth penalty

Plant biofactories are a promising platform for sustainable production of high-value compounds, among which insect sex pheromones, green alternative to conventional insecticides in agriculture. Recently, we have constructed transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants (“Sexy Plants”, SxP) that successfully produce blend moth (Lepidoptera) pheromone compounds ( Z )-11-hexadecen-1-ol and )-11-hexadecenyl acetate. However, efficient biosynthesis pheromones resulted growth developmental penalty, diminishing the potential commercial use SxP biomanufacturing. To gain insight into underlying molecular responses, analysed whole-genome transcriptome evaluated it relation low- high-producing v1.0 v1.2 lines. In our study, SxPv1.2 accumulated highest amounts but still maintained better compared high producers. For an in-depth biological interpretation transcriptomic data, prepared comprehensive functional N. genome annotation as well gene translations Arabidopsis thaliana , enabling information transfer by using knowledge networks. Differential expression analysis, contrasting producers wild-type plants, revealed while only few genes were differentially regulated low-producing exhibited vast transcriptional reprogramming. They showed signs stress-like response, manifested downregulation photosynthesis-related significant differences hormonal signalling secondary metabolism-related genes, latter presumably leading previously reported volatilome changes. Further network analyses confirmed response with activation jasmonic acid gibberellic signalling, illuminating possibility observed penalty was not solely consequence higher metabolic burden imposed upon constitutive heterologous biosynthetic pathway, rather result pathway perturbation. Our work presents example disadvantageous stress biofactory could be applied other bioproduction systems.