1. Transgenic multivitamin corn through biofortification of endosperm with three vitamins representing three distinct metabolic pathways
- Author
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Changfu Zhu, Gemma Farré, Gaspar Ros, Ludovic Bassie, Koreen Ramessar, Shaista Naqvi, Gerhard Sandmann, Teresa Capell, Jürgen Breitenbach, Dario Perez Conesa, and Paul Christou
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Vitamin ,Folic acid ,Population ,Genetic Vectors ,Biofortification ,Genetically modified crops ,Ascorbic Acid ,Biology ,01 natural sciences ,Zea mays ,Endosperm ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Folic Acid ,Transgenic maize ,Transgenes ,education ,Vitamin A ,030304 developmental biology ,2. Zero hunger ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,Genetically modified maize ,Models, Genetic ,business.industry ,Homozygote ,Gene Transfer Techniques ,food and beverages ,Vitamins ,Biological Sciences ,Ascorbic acid ,Plants, Genetically Modified ,beta Carotene ,Genetically modified organism ,Biotechnology ,chemistry ,Food, Fortified ,business ,Genetic Engineering ,Metabolic engineering ,010606 plant biology & botany ,Vitamin A fortification - Abstract
Vitamin deficiency affects up to 50% of the world's population, disproportionately impacting on developing countries where populations endure monotonous, cereal-rich diets. Transgenic plants offer an effective way to increase the vitamin content of staple crops, but thus far it has only been possible to enhance individual vitamins. We created elite inbred South African transgenic corn plants in which the levels of 3 vitamins were increased specifically in the endosperm through the simultaneous modification of 3 separate metabolic pathways. The transgenic kernels contained 169-fold the normal amount of β-carotene, 6-fold the normal amount of ascorbate, and double the normal amount of folate. Levels of engineered vitamins remained stable at least through to the T3 homozygous generation. This achievement, which vastly exceeds any realized thus far by conventional breeding alone, opens the way for the development of nutritionally complete cereals to benefit the world's poorest people.
- Published
- 2009