Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention provide methods of selecting a mutant plant cell that overproduces a compound that activates an estrogen receptor (ER) beta but does not activate an ER alpha.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method comprising: a) transforming cells from a selected plant with a vector comprising a gene encoding a heterologous target protein, to obtain transgenic primary plant cells, wherein the selected plant is from a species that produces activators or inhibitors of the heterologous target protein; b) mutagenizing an explant obtained from the transgenic primary plant cells to form mutagenized transgenic cells; and c) exposing the mutagenized transgenic cells to a compound, wherein mutagenized transgenic cells that overproduce one or more activators or inhibitors of the heterologous target protein, as compared to a non-mutant transgenic plant cell from the same species, survive; and wherein mutagenized transgenic cells that do not overproduce one or more activators or inhibitors of the heterologous target protein, as compared to a non-mutant transgenic plant cell from the same species, die.

Abstract: This invention provides materials and methods to manipulate the plant genome at the level of single plant cells in culture resulting in the ability to assign metabolic functionality to plant genes involved in the production of biologically active molecules and to create a means of product discovery based on the biosynthetic capacity of plants. The materials to create an activation mutagenesis include incorporation of enhancer sequences from a plant viral promoter at random places in the plant genome via Agrobacterium mediated DNA transfer (T-DNA). The usefulness is that genes in the immediate vicinity of the incorporation were activated which allows for immediate screening of the mutagenized plant cells. Additionally, the usefulness includes relevant areas of the genome were flanked by the inserted T-DNA which allows recovery of this area by standard molecular biology techniques.

Abstract: Methods for screening mutations that affect the synthesis of plant small molecules or compounds capable of activating a mammalian nuclear receptor protein and systems for rapidly assigning functionality to genes that regulate plant secondary metabolism are provided.