High Yield of Bioactive Abietane Diterpenes in Salvia sclarea Hairy Roots by Overexpressing Cyanobacterial DXS or DXR Genes.

Abietane diterpenoids, containing a quinone moiety, are synthesized in the roots of several species. Promising cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activities have been reported for these compounds in various cell and animal models. We have recently shown that aethiopinone, an o-naphto-quinone diterpene, produced in the roots of different species, is selectively cytotoxic against the A375 melanoma cell line.