Multiplying the efficiency and impact of biofortification through metabolic engineering

Straeten, Dominique Van Der; Bhullar, Navreet K.; Steur, Hans De; Gruissem, Wilhelm; MacKenzie, Donald J.; Pfeiffer, Wolfgang; Qaim, Matin; Slamet‐Loedin, Inez H.; Strobbe, Simon; Tohmé, Joe; Trijatmiko, Kurniawan Rudi; Vanderschuren, Hervé; Montagu, Marc Van; Zhang, Chunyi; Bouis, Howarth E.

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19020-4

Cited by 127 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Nutrient poor diets based on staple crops (tubers and cereals) typically lead to multiple micronutrient deficiencies, but biofortification can increase a crop’s nutritional value using traditional breeding and agronomic biofortification techniques. However, biofortification via genetic engineering—which allows for simultaneous introduction of multiple micronutrients in a single crop—could support increased levels of multiple micronutrients in a single food crop and high-level accumulation of micronutrients [ 27 ].…”

Section: What Is Food Fortification?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Fortification: The Advantages, Disadvantages and Lessons from Sight and Life Programs

et al. 2021

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Deficiencies in one or more micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin A are widespread in low- and middle-income countries and compromise the physical and cognitive capacity of millions of people. Food fortification is a cost-effective strategy with demonstrated health, economic and social benefits. Despite ongoing debates globally and in some countries regarding the performance and safety of food fortification, the practice offers significant benefits across each of the main vehicles for food fortification (large-scale food fortification, biofortification and point-of-use or home fortification) ranging from reducing the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies and economic benefits to societies and economies. Using Sight and Life’s global and national experiences in implementing food fortification efforts, we demonstrate how different programs in LMICs have successfully addressed challenges with food fortification and in doing so, find that these efforts are most successful when partnerships are formed that include the public and private sector as well as other parties that can provide support in key areas such as advocacy, management, capacity building, implementation and regulatory monitoring.

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Section: What Is Food Fortification?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Fortification: The Advantages, Disadvantages and Lessons from Sight and Life Programs

et al. 2021

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“…Educational interventions, focusing on dietary diversification, vitamin fortification and supplementation are proposed actions to combat this problem. On top of that, biofortification of staples which are highly consumed by the affected population, such as rice, can help decrease the burden of this micronutrient malnutrition (Bouis and Saltzman, 2017; Strobbe and Van Der Straeten, 2018; Van Der Straeten et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic engineering of rice endosperm towards higher vitamin B1 accumulation

Strobbe

Verstraete

Stove

et al. 2021

Plant Biotechnology Journal

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Summary Rice is a major food crop to approximately half of the human population. Unfortunately, the starchy endosperm, which is the remaining portion of the seed after polishing, contains limited amounts of micronutrients. Here, it is shown that this is particularly the case for thiamin (vitamin B1). Therefore, a tissue‐specific metabolic engineering approach was conducted, aimed at enhancing the level of thiamin specifically in the endosperm. To achieve this, three major thiamin biosynthesis genes, THIC, THI1 and TH1, controlled by strong endosperm‐specific promoters, were employed to obtain engineered rice lines. The metabolic engineering approaches included ectopic expression of THIC alone, in combination with THI1 (bigenic) or combined with both THI1 and TH1 (trigenic). Determination of thiamin and thiamin biosynthesis intermediates reveals the impact of the engineering approaches on endosperm thiamin biosynthesis. The results show an increase of thiamin in polished rice up to threefold compared to WT, and stable upon cooking. These findings confirm the potential of metabolic engineering to enhance de novo thiamin biosynthesis in rice endosperm tissue and aid in steering future biofortification endeavours.

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“…Last, it is important to note that development of multiple nutrient-rich rice varieties with reduced levels of toxic elements, such as cadmium and arsenic, is also essential for the success of breeding for healthier rice ( Van Der Straeten et al, 2020 ). Several advanced breeding materials, such as MAGIC populations, wild rice–derived introgression lines, and multicross-derived advanced breeding lines, are being developed, which are valuable genetic resources for genetic dissection of multiple nutrient elements ( Swamy et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Qtls Associated With Fe Concentration In Rice Grainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Iron Biofortification in Rice: An Update on Quantitative Trait Loci and Candidate Genes

et al. 2021

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Rice is the most versatile model for cereals and also an economically relevant food crop; as a result, it is the most suitable species for molecular characterization of Fe homeostasis and biofortification. Recently there have been significant efforts to dissect genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with Fe translocation into rice grains; such information is highly useful for Fe biofortification of cereals but very limited in other species, such as maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). Given rice’s centrality as a model for Poaceae species, we review the current knowledge on genes playing important roles in Fe transport, accumulation, and distribution in rice grains and QTLs that might explain the variability in Fe concentrations observed in different genotypes. More than 90 Fe QTLs have been identified over the 12 rice chromosomes. From these, 17 were recorded as stable, and 25 harbored Fe-related genes nearby or within the QTL. Among the candidate genes associated with Fe uptake, translocation, and loading into rice grains, we highlight the function of transporters from the YSL and ZIP families; transporters from metal-binding molecules, such as nicotianamine and deoxymugineic acid; vacuolar iron transporters; citrate efflux transporters; and others that were shown to play a role in steps leading to Fe delivery to seeds. Finally, we discuss the application of these QTLs and genes in genomics assisted breeding for fast-tracking Fe biofortification in rice and other cereals in the near future.

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Multiplying the efficiency and impact of biofortification through metabolic engineering

Cited by 127 publications

References 60 publications

Food Fortification: The Advantages, Disadvantages and Lessons from Sight and Life Programs

Food Fortification: The Advantages, Disadvantages and Lessons from Sight and Life Programs

Metabolic engineering of rice endosperm towards higher vitamin B1 accumulation

Iron Biofortification in Rice: An Update on Quantitative Trait Loci and Candidate Genes

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