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Paclitaxel (PTX) and its derivatives are diterpene alkaloids widely used as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of various types of cancer. Due to the scarcity of PTX in nature, its production in cell cultures and plant organs is a major challenge for plant biotechnology. Although significant advances have been made in this field through the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology techniques, production levels remain insufficient to meet the current market demand for these powerful anticancer drugs. A key stumbling block is the difficulty of genetically transforming the gymnosperm Taxus spp. This review focuses on the progress made in improving taxane production through genetic engineering techniques. These include the overexpression of limiting genes in the taxane biosynthetic pathway and transcription factors involved in its regulation in Taxus spp. cell cultures and transformed roots, as well as the development and optimization of transformation techniques. Attempts to produce taxanes in heterologous organisms such as bacteria and yeasts are also described. Although promising results have been reported, the transfer of the entire PTX metabolic route has not been possible to date, and taxane biosynthesis is still restricted to Taxus cells and some endophytic fungi. The development of a synthetic organism other than Taxus cells capable of biotechnologically producing PTX will probably have to wait until the complete elucidation of its metabolic pathway.

Plant cell cultures of various yew species are a profitable source of taxoids (taxane diterpenoids) with antitumor activity. So far, despite intensive studies, the principles of the formation of different groups of taxoids in cultured in vitro plant cells have not been fully revealed. In this study, the qualitative composition of taxoids of different structural groups was assessed in callus and suspension cell cultures of three yew species (Taxus baccata, T. canadensis, and T. wallichiana) and two T. × media hybrids. For the first time, 14-hydroxylated taxoids were isolated from the biomass of the suspension culture of T. baccata cells, and their structures were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy as 7β-hydroxy-taxuyunnanin C, sinenxane C, taxuyunnanine C, 2α,5α,9α,10β,14β-pentaacetoxy-4(20), 11-taxadiene, and yunnanxane. UPLC–ESI-MS screening of taxoids was performed in more than 20 callus and suspension cell lines originating from different explants and grown in over 20 formulations of nutrient media. Regardless of the species, cell line origin, and conditions, most of the investigated cell cultures retained the ability to form taxane diterpenoids. Nonpolar 14-hydroxylated taxoids (in the form of polyesters) were predominant under in vitro culture conditions in all cell lines. These results, together with the literature data, suggest that dedifferentiated cell cultures of various yew species retain the ability to synthesize taxoids, but predominantly of the 14-OH taxoid group compared to the 13-OH taxoids found in plants.

Cancer is undeniably a major health risk factor that is growing rapidly globally despite promising medicinal and pharmaceutical development. Treatment of cancer remains an issue due to financial constrains in most of the developing countries. The majority of today’s medicines are derived from medicinal plants, as we all know. Taxol is such a plant-based chemotherapeutic agent which has blown the anticancer research field. The extinction of Taxus spp., which is the main natural source of taxol synthesis, required the development of novel alternative approaches in the oncology field. Many novel discoveries have been in trend in which endophytic microbial fermentation process is more focused as this area is cost-efficacious, less time consumable, and eco-friendly. Endophytes are one of another alternative approach for the taxol production, preserving the natural resources of Taxus plants worldwide. Endophytic microorganisms can be exploited in the taxol industry because most of the endophytic microbes have yet to be explored for the eco-friendly and economical production of this wonder drug. The aim of this review article is to cover everything from the discovery of taxol through the development of new natural resource-based biotechnology techniques. Furthermore, the current review has emphasised the use of taxol in fields other than anti-cancer properties, as well as pointing to some future opportunities.

The genus Taxus (yew) is a source of a number of high-value medicinal substances, particularly, paclitaxel (taxol)—a complex diterpenoid compound with a powerful antitumor action (trade name of Taxol®). Paclitaxel is one of the most efficient drugs in chemotherapy owing to its specific ability to suppress proliferation of tumor cells via stabilization of their microtubules. The world-wide demand for taxol is 800–1000 kg a year and these figures annually rise by 20%. The growing need for paclitaxel and its derivatives and the shortage of plant resources necessary for their production made compounds of the taxane group one of the most important objects for development of biotechnological methods of their production. Out of all the possible ways of taxol production (isolation from wild or plantation trees, total chemical synthesis or semisynthesis, use of yew cell cultures, techniques of metabolic engineering, and use of yew endophytic fungi), the most promising is industrial cultivation of Taxus spp. cell cultures. This review examines the papers dealing with investigation of secondary metabolism in dedifferentiated cells in vitro of various yew species and feasibility of industrial use of cell cultures for production of taxoids. We revealed a number of specificity of Taxus spp. cell cultures: (1) from a cytophysiological aspect—difficult initiation of cell cultures, their low growth characteristics, specific media and culturing conditions; (2) from a phytochemical aspect—distinction from intact plants in qualitative composition and content of secondary metabolites accounted for by specificity of cell culture as a biological system; predominant formation of С14-hydroxylated rather than of С13-hydroxylated taxoids; an opportunity for elevation of the content of taxoids—including commercially valuable ones (paclitaxel and baccatin III) with the aid of different tools (elicitation, stress exposures, two-phase cultivation and some others); (3) from a biotechnological aspect—possibility of industrial cultivation of yew cell cultures; existence of several successful industries (Germany and the Republic of Korea).

The genus Taxus comprises a unique group of gymnosperms known for their botanical longevity, cultural significance, and exceptional pharmacological potential. This review explores the multifaceted profile of Taxus species, with a focus on their morphological traits, phytochemical composition, traditional uses, and therapeutic applications. Particular attention is given to taxanes, especially paclitaxel, which have revolutionized cancer treatment through microtubule-stabilizing mechanisms. In addition to well-established uses of the bark and leaves, the review synthesizes emerging research on the aril, a non-toxic and antioxidant-rich plant part, suggesting novel biomedical applications. By integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with contemporary pharmacological insights, this work underscores the enduring relevance of Taxus in traditional medicine while emphasizing its evolving role in modern drug discovery. The findings advocate for intensified interdisciplinary research and sustainable exploitation strategies to fully harness the genus’s therapeutic potential without compromising biodiversity.

The study presents five fatal cases of poisoning with Taxus spp., all of which were suicides of young people aged between 16 and 26 years. Yew leaves were consumed in four fatalities, whereas a mash from Taxus was ingested in one case. No relevant concentrations of alcohol, narcotic drugs, and pharmaceuticals were determined in postmortem toxicological screening. At forensic autopsy, a widely dilated pupil was found in two decedents. Furthermore, autopsy showed unspecific findings of intoxication in all cases: acute blood congestion of lungs, liver, kidney, and brain as well as dilated cardiac ventricles. No signs of violence could be found in any of the fatalities. Yew leaves were identified in four cases in the stomach and duodenum. 3,5-Dimethoxyphenol, the aglycon of the Taxus ingredient taxicatine, was determined as toxicological evidence for the absorption of yew ingredients. Taxus intoxication could be confirmed by 3,5-dimethoxyphenol concentrations in cardiac blood between 31 and 528 ng/ml for all cases. 3,5-Dimethoxyphenol was also detected in stomach contents as well as in urine, liver, kidneys, and brain samples. Based on the different concentrations of 3,5-dimethoxyphenol determined in the cardiac blood samples, it was concluded that the form of ingestion plays a decisive role in the process of poisoning. Finally, a toxic range for Taxus poisoning based on 3,5-dimethoxyphenol as marker substance is proposed as orientation.

Endophytic fungi represent an under explored resource of novel lead compounds and have the capacity to produce diverse classes of plant secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the endophytic fungal diversity of taxol-producing endophytes from Taxus baccata L. ssp. wallichiana (Zucc.) Pilger and also tested the antimitogenic effect of fungal taxol using potato disc tumor assay. A total of 60 fungal endophytes were isolated from the inner bark (phloem-cambium) of T. baccata ssp. wallichiana, collected from different locations of the northern Himalayan region. Two key genes, DBAT (10-deacetylbaccatin III-10-O-acetyl transferase) and BAPT (C-13 phenylpropanoid side chain-CoA acyltransferase), involved in taxol biosynthesis were used as molecular markers for the screening of taxol-producing strains. Five representative species gave positive amplification hits by molecular marker screening with the bapt gene. These fungi were characterized and identified based on morphological and molecular identification. The taxol-producing capability of these endophytic fungi was validated by HPLC-MS. Among the five taxol-producing fungi, the highest yield of taxol was found to be 66.25 μg/l by Fusarium redolens compared with those of the other four strains.