Nicotiana benthamiana
From PlantUse English
Nicotiana benthamiana Domin
| Order | Solanales |
|---|---|
| Family | Solanaceae |
| Genus | Nicotiana |
2n = 38
Origin : Australia
wild and cultivated
| English | {{{english}}} |
|---|---|
| French | {{{french}}} |
Contents
Description
Popular names
Classification
Nicotiana benthamiana Domin (1929)
basionym:
- Nicotiana suaveolens Lehm. var. cordifolia Bentham (1868)
It is an old allotetraploid of the section Suaveolentes that formed from diploid parents from the section Sylvestres and the section Noctiflorae.
Cultivars
History
This plant indigenous of Australia has long been only a stimulant used by local people. It has become a major model plant for research, and a novel industrial plant. Sequencing its genome will help comparative genomics with such crops as tomato and potato.
Uses
- Stimulant. Previously used by aborigins in Australia. It contains nicotine and other alkaloids.
- Medicine. Nicotiana benthamiana is grown commercially for the production of therapeutic proteins. It has recently be engineered to produce artemisinic acid, a precursor of artemisinin, as an alternative to Artemisia annua.
- Research
- Gene source, for research in plant biology and as member of the tertiary genepool of tobacco.
- Test organism for crop diseases (viruses).
- A draft genome sequence has been released (see Solanaceae Genome Network).
References
- Herpen, Teun W. J. M. van, et al., 2010. Nicotiana benthamiana as a Production Platform for Artemisinin Precursors. PLoS One, 5(12): e14222. on line
