Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research

ISSN 2736-1756

Advanced Journal of Microbiology Research Vol. 2006

Available online at http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ajmr

© 2005 International Scholars Journals

Review

Taxol synthesis

B.H. Guo1, G.Y. Kai1, H.B. Jin1 and K.X. Tang1,2,*

1Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China.

2State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan-SJTU-Nottingham Plant Biotechnology R&D Center, Morgan-Tan International Center for Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.

Accepted 4 October, 2005

Abstract

Being a complex diterpenoid, the potent anticancer drug, Taxol, requires complicated steps for its biosynthesis. In the present article, recent advances on Taxol biosynthesis pathway are reviewed, including many recently reported genes that regulate Taxol biosynthesis. To meet the urgent need of clinic and scientific research, besides Taxus supply, other approaches to obtain Taxol have also been discussed here.

Key words: biosynthesis pathway, cell culture, endophytic fungi, Taxol, Taxus.