Application of Recombinant DNA Technology to Studies on Plant Secondary Metabolism

This review which is concerned with the application of recombinant DNA technology to studies on plant secondary metabolism, presents the more common plant transformation strategies and shows how these genetic approaches are being used in attempts to manipulate and increase the yield of secondary metabolites, both in cultures and in transformed plants. The different plant transformation strategies reviewed here are: infection with intact Agrobacteria; particle bombardment, vacuum infiltration and floral dip; viral vectors and finally protoplast fusion. The review continues with examples of the application of several of these transformation strategies in the manipulation of secondary metabolism. These are outlined under four subheadings which include developmentally regulated genes, addition of novel genes, down-regulation of specific genes and insertion of regulatory genes. Finally, under concluding remarks, reference is made to the advances achieved in the manipulation of plant secondary metabolism and how these approaches may impact on this new