Biosynthesis and Manipulation of Plant Products, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1993 Plant Biotechnology Series

Volumes I and 2 of this Plant Biotechnology series reviewed fundamental aspects of plant molecular biology and discussed production and analysis of the first generation of transgenic plants of potential use in agriculture and horticulture. These included plants resistant to insects, viruses and herbicides, which were produced by adding genes from other organisms. Realisation of the potential of plant breeding has led to a resurgence of interest in methods of altering the structure, composition and function of plant constituents, which represents an even greater challenge and offers scope for improving the quality of a wide range of agricultural products. This, in tum, has resulted in a re-evaluation of priorities and targets by industry. Volume 3 of this series considers the biochemical and gentic basis of the biosynthesis of plant products such as starch, lipids, carotenoids and cell walls, and evaluates the ways in which biosynthesis of these products can be modified for use in the food industries. Authors also cover the biosynthesis of rare secondary products and the function and application of proteins for plant protection and therapeutic use. The emphasis throughout is on the relationship between fundamen­ tal aspects of biosynthesis and structure-function relationships, and application of this knowledge to the redesigning and altering of plant products by molecular genetics.

1 Starch biosynthesis and the potential for its manipulation.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Occurrence of starch in plants.- 1.3 Structure and composition of starch.- 1.4 The pathway of starch synthesis.- 1.5 Regulation of starch synthesis.- 1.6 Potential for the genetic manipulation of starch.- References.- 2 Cell walls: structure, utilisation and manipulation.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Cell wall structure.- 2.3 Utilisation of cell wall polymers.- 2.4 Manipulation of cell wall structure.- References.- 3 Biochemistry and molecular biology of lipid biosynthesis in plants: potential for genetic manipulation.- 3.1 The nature of lipids.- 3.2 Biosynthesis of lipids.- 3.3 Molecular aspects of plant lipid biosynthesis.- 3.4 Potential manipulations of plant lipid biosynthesis.- References.- 4 Carotenoid biosynthesis and manipulation.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Structure and nomenclature of carotenoids.- 4.3 Distribution in higher plants.- 4.4 Biosynthetic pathways and enzymology.- 4.5 Carotenoid genes in bacteria and lower eukaryotes.- 4.6 Higher plant genes and their manipulation.- 4.7 Industrial production of carotenoids.- 4.8 Commercial utilisation of carotenoids.- 4.9 Conclusions and future studies.- References.- 5 Manipulating secondary metabolism in culture.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Transformed cultures.- 5.3 Manipulation of secondary metabolism.- 5.4 Genetic manipulation of secondary metabolism.- 5.5 Possible limitations to long-term stability in genetically manipulated culture lines.- 5.6 Conclusions and future prospects.- References.- 6 Structure, function and applications of ricin and related cytotoxic proteins.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Nomenclature and classification of RIPs.- 6.3 Distribution of RIPs.- 6.4 Structure and function of RIPs.- 6.5 Synthesis of RIPs.- 6.6 Entry of cytoxic lectins into cells.- 6.7 The action and specificities of RIPs on ribosomes.- 6.8 Antiviral properties of RIPs.- 6.9 Physiological roles of plant RIPs.- References.