Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering

Flavonoids are a diverse class of plant polyphenols with essential roles in development, defense, and environmental adaptation, as well as significant applications in medicine, nutrition, and cosmetics. However, their naturally low abundance in plant tissues poses a major barrier to large-scale util...

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Main Authors: Yuan Wang, Jiahong Chen, Genhe He, Li Yin, Yonghui Liao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1597007/full
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author Yuan Wang
Jiahong Chen
Genhe He
Li Yin
Yonghui Liao
author_facet Yuan Wang
Jiahong Chen
Genhe He
Li Yin
Yonghui Liao
author_sort Yuan Wang
collection DOAJ
description Flavonoids are a diverse class of plant polyphenols with essential roles in development, defense, and environmental adaptation, as well as significant applications in medicine, nutrition, and cosmetics. However, their naturally low abundance in plant tissues poses a major barrier to large-scale utilization. This review provides a comprehensive and forward-looking synthesis of flavonoid biosynthesis, regulation, transport, and yield enhancement strategies. We highlight key advances in understanding transcriptional and epigenetic control of flavonoid pathways, focusing on the roles of MYB, bHLH, and WD40 transcription factors and chromatin modifications. We also examine flavonoid transport mechanisms at cellular and tissue levels, supported by emerging spatial metabolomics data. Distinct from conventional reviews, this review explores how plant cell factories, genome editing, environmental optimization, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven metabolic engineering can be integrated to boost flavonoid production. By bridging foundational plant science with synthetic biology and digital tools, this review outlines a novel roadmap for sustainable, high-yield flavonoid production with broad relevance to both research and industry.
format Article
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institution DOAJ
issn 1664-462X
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Plant Science
spelling doaj-art-2b01a9ddbd3e4d139139de6839202ba22025-08-20T03:12:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-05-011610.3389/fpls.2025.15970071597007Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineeringYuan Wang0Jiahong Chen1Genhe He2Li Yin3Yonghui Liao4Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Functional Biology and Pollution Control in Red Soil Regions, School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaKey Laboratory of Grain Crop Genetic Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center, Shanghai, ChinaKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Functional Biology and Pollution Control in Red Soil Regions, School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Functional Biology and Pollution Control in Red Soil Regions, School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaKey Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Functional Biology and Pollution Control in Red Soil Regions, School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaFlavonoids are a diverse class of plant polyphenols with essential roles in development, defense, and environmental adaptation, as well as significant applications in medicine, nutrition, and cosmetics. However, their naturally low abundance in plant tissues poses a major barrier to large-scale utilization. This review provides a comprehensive and forward-looking synthesis of flavonoid biosynthesis, regulation, transport, and yield enhancement strategies. We highlight key advances in understanding transcriptional and epigenetic control of flavonoid pathways, focusing on the roles of MYB, bHLH, and WD40 transcription factors and chromatin modifications. We also examine flavonoid transport mechanisms at cellular and tissue levels, supported by emerging spatial metabolomics data. Distinct from conventional reviews, this review explores how plant cell factories, genome editing, environmental optimization, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven metabolic engineering can be integrated to boost flavonoid production. By bridging foundational plant science with synthetic biology and digital tools, this review outlines a novel roadmap for sustainable, high-yield flavonoid production with broad relevance to both research and industry.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1597007/fullflavonoid biosynthesistranscriptional regulationplant cell factorymetabolic engineeringartificial intelligence
spellingShingle Yuan Wang
Jiahong Chen
Genhe He
Li Yin
Yonghui Liao
Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
Frontiers in Plant Science
flavonoid biosynthesis
transcriptional regulation
plant cell factory
metabolic engineering
artificial intelligence
title Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
title_full Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
title_fullStr Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
title_full_unstemmed Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
title_short Unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
title_sort unlocking the potential of flavonoid biosynthesis through integrated metabolic engineering
topic flavonoid biosynthesis
transcriptional regulation
plant cell factory
metabolic engineering
artificial intelligence
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1597007/full
work_keys_str_mv AT yuanwang unlockingthepotentialofflavonoidbiosynthesisthroughintegratedmetabolicengineering
AT jiahongchen unlockingthepotentialofflavonoidbiosynthesisthroughintegratedmetabolicengineering
AT genhehe unlockingthepotentialofflavonoidbiosynthesisthroughintegratedmetabolicengineering
AT liyin unlockingthepotentialofflavonoidbiosynthesisthroughintegratedmetabolicengineering
AT yonghuiliao unlockingthepotentialofflavonoidbiosynthesisthroughintegratedmetabolicengineering