Genetic Regulation and Modification of

Genetic Regulation and Modification of (Iso)flavonoid Biosynthesis Pathway in Plants

Ingrid van der Meer

Plant Research International

B.U. Bioscience

Wageningen, The Netherlands

The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway comprises a large and diverse group of plant compounds that can influence human health. Dietary flavonoids are believed to reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers, at least partly based on the fact that most flavonoids are powerful antioxidants able to scavenge a variety of damaging free radicals. On the other hand, some isoflavonoids, a specific class of flavonoids restricted to the Legumes, have phytoestrogen activity and are implicated in the prevention against major human diseases such as breast and prostate cancer, osteoporosis and also cardiovascular diseases.

Considering the antioxidant and phytoestrogen activities of flavonoids, we aim to study the genetic regulation of their biosynthesis in plants in order to increase the levels of presumed healthy (iso)flavonoids through genetic engineering By introducing and expressing genes encoding enzymes involved in specific biosynthesis steps or transcription factor genes regulating the entire flavonoid pathway, we are able to modify and up-regulate the synthesis of a range of flavonoids with strong antioxidant activities or phytoestrogen activity in several plant species like tomato and Medicago truncatula.

Dr. Ingrid van der Meer is working as a senior-researcher at Plant Research International (PRI) in Wageningen, which is the largest plant research institute in the Netherlands. She has experience for already more than 15 years as a molecular plant geneticist. She did her PhD on the molecular genetic regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Petunia hybrida at the Free University in Amsterdam. After a post-doc period at the University of Utrecht, where she worked on fructan biosynthesis, she got a permanent position at Plant Research International.

At PRI she worked on the genetic regulation of both primary metabolic pathways (such as fructan biosynthesis and essential amino acid biosynthesis), and secondary metabolic pathways, such as alkaloid and (iso)flavonoid biosynthesis.

At this moment she is project leader of several research groups with a focus on the biosynthesis, regulation, isolation and functional analysis of health-promoting and pharmaceutical interesting compounds from plants.