The Biotechnological “Provence” of the Future Provided by Antisense Oligoilators and Olinscides for Horticulturae

Abstract

Successful management of the synthesis of secondary metabolites of essential oil plants is the basis for the economic growth of the essential oil industry. Against the backdrop of a growing global population and a decrease in land available for cultivation, simple and effective ways to increase the content of certain components in essential oils are becoming increasingly important. Selection is no longer keeping pace with market needs, which stimulates the search for faster methods to control the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In this article, using the genera Lavandula and Mentha as examples, we consider the prospects for use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), oligoilators, to rapidly increase the concentration of valuable components in essential oil and its yield. This article discusses the use of unmodified ASOs as regulators of a plant’s secondary metabolism to increase the synthesis of individual valuable components, presenting a completely new way to increase the yield of valuable substances based on unique nucleotide sequences. The proposed approach is effective, affordable, safe, and significantly reduces the time needed to obtain plants that synthesize the required concentrations of target substances. Oligoilators can be used with oligonucleotide insecticides (olinscides) in complex formulations used for green agriculture. Further investigation is needed to determine maximum economic efficiency for this approach.