Unlocking the genetic potential: Strategies for enhancing secondary metabolite biosynthesis in plants

Abstract

The majority of secondary metabolites (SMs) are derived from plant defense, and they are crucial for the research and development of novel drugs. This article is an extensive investigation of the intricate link between genes and how those relationships affect a plant’s capacity to develop secondary metabolites. Genetics, transcriptional regulation, epigenetics the study of how genetic variation governs metabolite generation, and the identification of critical genes for improving the synthesis of secondary metabolites are all included in the research. This work highlights the role of state-of-the-art tools in genetics such as CRISPR/Cas9, RNA interference, and synthetic biology that are very important for site-specific gene alteration and metabolic engineering. On the other hand, transcriptional control and its consequences for secondary metabolism can be explained by referring to the importance of transcription factors as well as epigenetic changes. Methods of fine-tuning metabolic pathways genes to elevate metabolite yields are also highlighted in this study. The article illustrates successful genetic approaches, while at the same time discussing the challenges, environmental concerns, ethical dilemmas, barriers, and future research objectives within this fast-developing field of genetics.