Glycosyltransferases(UGTs) are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of ginsenosides, which can catalyze the transfer of glycans from donor molecules to acceptor molecules, and form a variety of biologically active glycoside compounds. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, a large number of medicinal plant genome and transcriptome sequences have been catalyzed, while more and more UGT genes have been discovered and verified. The methods of discovering UGT genes include differential expression analysis, homologous sequence screening, gene cluster screening, chemical proteome screening. This paper summarized the research progress of UGT genes screening and functional verification of three valuable Panax medicinal materials P. notoginseng, P. ginseng, and P. quinquefolius, so as to provide a reference for the study of UGT genes in natural products.
Keywords: biosynthesis; gene screening; ginsenosides; glycosyltransferase.