Genetic engineering of saponin production in medicinal Maesa sp.

A method of Agrobacterium mediated transformation of Maesa lanceolata, M. perlarius, M. Balansae, and M. argentea has been developed. Thes plants will be transformed with an expression cassette driving the expression of β-amyrin sythase as well as hairpin constructs to reduce native gene expression. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of saponin production in these transgenic lines will be analysed.