Heterologous mogrosides biosynthesis in cucumber and tomato by genetic manipulation
Jingjing Liao, Tingyao Liu, Lei Xie, Changming Mo, Jing Qiao, Xiyang Huang, Shengrong Cui, Xunli Jia, Zuliang Luo, Xiaojun Ma
Abstract
Mogrosides are widely used as high-value natural zero-calorie sweeteners that exhibit an array of biological activities and allow for vegetable flavour breeding by modern molecular biotechnology. In this study, we developed an In-fusion based gene stacking strategy for transgene stacking and a multi-gene vector harbouring 6 mogrosides biosynthesis genes and transformed it into Cucumis sativus and Lycopersicon esculentum. Here we show that transgenic cucumber can produce mogroside V and siamenoside I at 587 ng/g FW and 113 ng/g FW, respectively, and cultivated transgenic tomato with mogroside III. This study provides a strategy for vegetable flavour improvement, paving the way for heterologous biosynthesis of mogrosides.