麻省理工学院的科学家发现一种新途径,通过基因工程改造植物生成天然化合物的变异产物来扩大植物药库。由Sarah O’Connor副教授领导的研究人员将细菌基因引入长春花植物中,使长春花能将卤素(如氯或溴)连接到通常由植物产生的生物碱上。很多生物碱具有药用活性,而卤素经常被加入到抗生素或其他药物中以增加药物疗效或体内滞留时间。这一研究结果于2010年11月3日在线发表于《Nature》杂志。 Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists have discovered a new way to expand plant pharmacies by genetically engineered plants to produce natural chemical compounds. Researchers led by Associate Professor Sarah O’Connor introduced bacterial genes into the plants of the genus Catharanthus so that Catharanthus rosea can attach halides, such as chlorine or bromine, to the alkaloids commonly produced by plants. Many alkaloids have medicinal activity, and halogens are often added to antibiotics or other drugs to increase drug efficacy or in vivo residence time. The research was published online in Nature on November 3, 2010.