Iron biofortification in rice by the introduction of multiple genes involved in iron nutrition
Abstract
To address the problem of iron-deficiency anemia, one of the most prevalent human micronutrient deficiencies globally, iron-biofortified rice was produced using three transgenic approaches: by enhancing iron storage in grains via expression of the iron storage protein ferritin using endosperm-specific promoters, enhancing iron translocation through overproduction of the natural metal chelator nicotianamine, and enhancing iron flux into the endosperm by means of iron(II)-nicotianamine transporter OsYSL2 expression under the control of an endosperm-specific promoter and sucrose transporter promoter. Our results indicate that the iron concentration in greenhouse-grown T2 polished seeds was sixfold higher and that in paddy field-grown T3 polished seeds was 4.4-fold higher than that in non-transgenic seeds, with no defect in yield. Moreover, the transgenic seeds accumulated zinc up to 1.6-times in the field. Our results demonstrate that introduction of multiple iron homeostasis genes is more effective for iron biofortification than the single introduction of individual genes.
Citation
Masuda, H.; Ishimaru, Y.; Aung, M.S.; Kobayashi, T.; Kakei, Y.; Takahashi, M.; Higuchi, K.; Nakanishi, H.; Nishizawa, N.K. Iron biofortification in rice by the introduction of multiple genes involved in iron nutrition. Scientific Reports (2012) 2: 543. [DOI: 10.1038/srep00543]
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Iron biofortification in rice by the introduction of multiple genes involved in iron nutrition