METABOLIC ENGINEERING OF α-TOCOTRIENOL THROUGH PTGS MECHANISMS AND ISOPRENOID/NON-MEVALONATE PATHWAYS IN PERENNIAL CROPS

α-tocotrienol provides effective neuro and cellular protection against oxidative stress and aging among vitamin E analogs. Therefore, consuming it through natural food resources become popular as concern is rising on the safety of ingesting it as a clinical supplement. The content of α-tocotrienol varies among plant species and various parts of the plant. Boosting the level of α-tocotrienol in perennial crops are an attractive way to consume. Therefore, perennial crops that are lacking in α-tocotrienol were identified. In this study, amaranth and leek was transiently transformed to produce α-tocotrienol through post transcriptional mechanisms (PTGS) and targeted metabolic engineering of isoprenoid and non-mevalonate pathway. We observed only α-tocopherol suppression in amaranth and leek leaves in plant infiltrated with p5b5 while α-tocopherol suppression followed by α-tocotrienol synthesis in plant infiltrated with p5d9. Our results revealed that shift in the pathway from isoprenoid to non mevalonate to produce α-tocotrienol occur once reduction in α-tocopherol at a maximum level was achieved. Hence, suggest that variations of α-tocochromanols composition can be manipulated by triggering post transcriptional mechanisms (PTGS) which leads to targeted metabolic engineering of isoprenoid and non-mevalonate pathway.