phenylpropanoid-pathway
The phenylpropanoid pathway is a major plant metabolic route that converts the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine into a vast array of aromatic compounds, including lignins, flavonoids, coumarins, and isoflavonoids. This pathway is fundamental to plant biology because its products serve critical roles in structural support, UV protection, defense against pathogens and herbivores, and signaling. Understanding and manipulating the phenylpropanoid pathway has broad implications for crop improvement, biofuel production, and the development of plant-derived pharmaceuticals.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-05-01
Scientists identified a gene in tobacco — NtMYB308 — that acts as a molecular brake on the plant's ability to make protective pigments (anthocyanins) and structural woody compounds (lignin). Knocking out this gene with CRISPR boosted both defenses and improved the plant's ability to resist fungal infection.
NtMYB308 carries a specialized repression domain (EAR motif) that physically shuts off genes for both anthocyanin pigment and lignin production in the same pathway
Virus-induced silencing of NtMYB308 confirmed it suppresses the phenylpropanoid pathway, the shared factory that produces pigments, lignin, and many other plant defenses
CRISPR/Cas9 knockout tobacco plants lacking NtMYB308 showed elevated anthocyanin and lignin levels alongside measurably improved resistance to fungal pathogens
