Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
January 2010
ISB News Report January 2010
The Accumulation of Novel Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Transgenic Plants
Johnathan Napier, Noemi Ruiz-Lopez, Tianbi Li, Richard Haslam, Olga Sayanova
One promising area of research pertains to the production of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, the so called fish oils, in transgenic plants. The goal is not the direct replication of the fatty acid profile found in marine microbes or fish, but rather the nutritional enhancement of vegetable oils by the inclusion of specific marine fatty acids not normally synthesized by higher plants. In such a scenario, the dietary intake of these healthy fats would be achieved by consumption of omega-3 LC-PUFA-enhanced vegetable oils, without a need for increased consumption of fish or supplements.
Biofortification of Vitamin B6 in Seeds
Hao Chen, Liming Xiong
Animals need a continuous supply of vitamin B6 in their daily diet. Since plants are the major source of vitamin B6 for animals either directly or indirectly, it is of great interest to increase vitamin B6 levels in plants for improved nutrition value. By overexpressing PDX genes specifically in seeds using a seed-specific promoter, we increased the total vitamin B6 level three times over that of wild type. Our results indicate that the seed is a suitable target organ for engineering high levels of bio-available vitamin B6.
Iron Biofortification Of Rice By Targeted Genetic Engineering
Christof Sautter and Wilhelm Gruissem
Rice plants have been developed that contain six times more iron in polished rice kernels. To accomplish this, two plant genes were transferred into an existing rice variety. In the future, high-iron rice could help to reduce iron deficiency in human nutrition, especially in developing countries in Africa and Asia. Moreover, engineered plants will be useful to study the regulation of iron homeostasis in planta.
Feeding Future Populations With Nutritionally Complete Crops
Sonia Gomez-Galera, Shaista Naqvi, Gemma Farre , Georgina Sanahuja, Chao Bai, Teresa Capell, Changfu Zhu, and Paul Christou
Micronutrient deficiency diseases are rife in the developing world, causing millions of needless deaths and adding to miserable socio-economic conditions. Many strategies have been proposed to address nutrient deficiencies, including supplement distribution, fortification programs, and attempts to make crops more inherently nutritious. A relatively new approach is to create novel crop varieties that are more nutritious. The key is to take the part of the plant that is eaten and modify it to increase its ability to store minerals and capacity to synthesize vitamins.
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