Marchantia as a Synthetic Biology Platform for Valuable Compounds. Marchantia polymorpha a model plant with active research, has a life cycle that includes both sexual reproduction through spore formation and asexual reproduction through a unique organ called gemma. Since gemmae share the same genotype as the parent organism, introducing a gene for Avn synthesis into Marchantia could enable it to produce Avn, positioning it as a novel platform in synthetic biology for the production of valuable substances.

Avenanthramide (Avn) is a bioactive compound with potent antioxidant properties, making it a promising candidate for treating age-related disorders. However, its naturally low yield in oat (Avena sativa) bran limits large-scale production and commercial application. To overcome this challenge, we investigated the use of liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) as a synthetic biology platform for Avn biosynthesis. Liverwort, a bryophyte, has gained attention in plant biotechnology due to its haploid life cycle, rapid asexual reproduction, and well-established genetic transformation techniques, including Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. These characteristics make it a suitable host for metabolic engineering to enhance the production of valuable phytochemicals.

Avn biosynthesis involves a condensation reaction between hydroxyanthranilic acid and 4-coumaroyl-CoA, catalyzed by hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA N-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HHT), a key enzyme in the pathway. In this study, HHT genes from oats were cloned and introduced into liverwort to test its potential for Avn production. By engineering liverwort to express HHT, we aim to establish a novel biosynthetic platform for Avn, providing an alternative and scalable approach to producing this valuable compound. This research contributes to expanding the use of liverwort as a bioengineering tool and offers insights into alternative production strategies for pharmaceutical compounds.