title: Golden Rice: introducing the beta-carotene biosynthesis pathway into rice endosperm by genetic engineering to defeat vitamin A deficiency.
abstract: To obtain a functioning provitamin A (beta-carotene) biosynthetic pathway in rice endosperm, we introduced in a single, combined transformation effort the cDNA coding for phytoene synthase (psy) and lycopene beta-cyclase (beta-lcy) both from Narcissus pseudonarcissus and both under the control of the endosperm-specific glutelin promoter together with a bacterial phytoene desaturase (crtI, from Erwinia uredovora under constitutive 35S promoter control). This combination covers the requirements for beta-carotene synthesis and, as hoped, yellow beta-carotene-bearing rice endosperm was obtained in the T(0)-generation. Additional experiments revealed that the presence of beta-lcy was not necessary, because psy and crtI alone were able to drive beta-carotene synthesis as well as the formation of further downstream xanthophylls. Plausible explanations for this finding are that these downstream enzymes are constitutively expressed in rice endosperm or are induced by the transformation, e.g., by enzymatically formed products. Results using N. pseudonarcissus as a model system led to the development of a hypothesis, our present working model, that trans-lycopene or a trans-lycopene derivative acts as an inductor in a kind of feedback mechanism stimulating endogenous carotenogenic genes. Various institutional arrangements for disseminating Golden Rice to research institutes in developing countries also are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Freiburg, Center for Applied Biosciences, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. beyer@uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Babili
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lucca
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schaub
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Welsch
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Potrykus
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000235:genetics; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase; D005983:Glutens / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases / Q000235:genetics; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D005983:Glutens; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases; C070925:lycopene cyclase-isomerase