1
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Cruet-Burgos C, Rhodes DH. Unraveling transcriptomics of sorghum grain carotenoids: a step forward for biofortification. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:233. [PMID: 37138226 PMCID: PMC10157909 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09323-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is a promising target for pro-vitamin A biofortification as it is a global staple crop, particularly in regions where vitamin A deficiency is prevalent. As with most cereal grains, carotenoid concentrations are low in sorghum, and breeding could be a feasible strategy to increase pro-vitamin A carotenoids to biologically relevant concentrations. However, there are knowledge gaps in the biosynthesis and regulation of sorghum grain carotenoids, which can limit breeding effectiveness. The aim of this research was to gain an understanding of the transcriptional regulation of a priori candidate genes in carotenoid precursor, biosynthesis, and degradation pathways. RESULTS We used RNA sequencing of grain to compare the transcriptional profile of four sorghum accessions with contrasting carotenoid profiles through grain development. Most a priori candidate genes involved in the precursor MEP, carotenoid biosynthesis, and carotenoid degradation pathways were found to be differentially expressed between sorghum grain developmental stages. There was also differential expression of some of the a priori candidate genes between high and low carotenoid content groups at each developmental time point. Among these, we propose geranyl geranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GGPPS), phytoene synthase (PSY), and phytoene desaturase (PDS) as promising targets for pro-vitamin A carotenoid biofortification efforts in sorghum grain. CONCLUSIONS A deeper understanding of the controls underlying biosynthesis and degradation of sorghum grain carotenoids is needed to advance biofortification efforts. This study provides the first insights into the regulation of sorghum grain carotenoid biosynthesis and degradation, suggesting potential gene targets to prioritize for molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Cruet-Burgos
- Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Davina H Rhodes
- Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
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2
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Niaz M, Zhang B, Zhang Y, Yan X, Yuan M, Cheng Y, Lv G, Fadlalla T, Zhao L, Sun C, Chen F. Genetic and molecular basis of carotenoid metabolism in cereals. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2023; 136:63. [PMID: 36939900 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-023-04336-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are vital pigments for higher plants and play a crucial function in photosynthesis and photoprotection. Carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A synthesis and contribute to human nutrition and health. However, cereal grain endosperm contains a minor carotenoid measure and a scarce supply of provitamin A content. Therefore, improving the carotenoids in cereal grain is of major importance. Carotenoid content is governed by multiple candidate genes with their additive effects. Studies on genes related to carotenoid metabolism in cereals would increase the knowledge of potential metabolic steps of carotenoids and enhance the quality of crop plants. Recognizing the metabolism and carotenoid accumulation in various staple cereal crops over the last few decades has broadened our perspective on the interdisciplinary regulation of carotenogenesis. Meanwhile, the amelioration in metabolic engineering approaches has been exploited to step up the level of carotenoid and valuable industrial metabolites in many crops, but wheat is still considerable in this matter. In this study, we present a comprehensive overview of the consequences of biosynthetic and catabolic genes on carotenoid biosynthesis, current improvements in regulatory disciplines of carotenogenesis, and metabolic engineering of carotenoids. A panoptic and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism and genetic manipulation (genome selection and gene editing) will be useful in improving the carotenoid content of cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsin Niaz
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Bingyang Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Yixiao Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Xiangning Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Minjie Yuan
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - YongZhen Cheng
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Guoguo Lv
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Tarig Fadlalla
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Faculty of Agriculture, Nile valley University, Atbara, 346, Sudan
| | - Lei Zhao
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Congwei Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Feng Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science / CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center /Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, 15 Longzihu College District, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
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3
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Li T, Liu JX, Deng YJ, Duan AQ, Liu H, Zhuang FY, Xiong AS. Differential hydroxylation efficiency of the two non-heme carotene hydroxylases: DcBCH1, rather than DcBCH2, plays a major role in carrot taproot. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac193. [PMID: 36338853 PMCID: PMC9630967 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Carotene hydroxylase plays an important role in catalyzing the hydroxylation of carotene to xanthopylls, including two types: non-heme carotene hydroxylase (BCH type) and heme-containing cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (P450 type). Two BCH-encoding genes were annotated in the carrot genome. However, the role of BCHs and whether there are functional interactions between the duplicated BCHs in carrot remains unclear. In this study, two BCH encoding genes, DcBCH1 and DcBCH2, were cloned from carrot. The relative expression level of DcBCH1 was much higher than that of DcBCH2 in carrot taproots with different carotene accumulation levels. Overexpression of DcBCH1 in 'KRD' (high carotene accumulated) carrot changed the taproot color from orange to yellow, accompanied by substantial reductions in α-carotene and β-carotene. There was no obvious change in taproot color between transgenic 'KRD' carrot overexpressing DcBCH2 and control carrot. Simultaneously, the content of α-carotene in the taproot of DcBCH2-overexpressing carrot decreased, but the content of β-carotene did not change significantly in comparison with control carrot. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to knock out DcBCH1 in 'KRD' carrot lightened the taproot color from orange to pink-orange; the content of α-carotene in the taproot increased slightly, while the β-carotene content was still significantly decreased, compared with control carrot. In DcBCH1-knockout carrot, the transcript level of DcBCH2 was significantly increased. These results indicated that in carrot taproot, DcBCH1 played the main function of BCH enzyme, which could hydroxylate α-carotene and β-carotene; DcBCH1 and DcBCH2 had functional redundancy, and these two DcBCHs could partially compensate for each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Jie-Xia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yuan-Jie Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ao-Qi Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Fei-Yun Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Germplasm Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ai-Sheng Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China
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4
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Abstract
Carotenoids constitute an essential dietary component of animals and other non-carotenogenic species which use these pigments in both their modified and unmodified forms. Animals utilize uncleaved carotenoids to mitigate light damage and oxidative stress and to signal fitness and health. Carotenoids also serve as precursors of apocarotenoids including retinol, and its retinoid metabolites, which carry out essential functions in animals by forming the visual chromophore 11-cis-retinaldehyde. Retinoids, such as all-trans-retinoic acid, can also act as ligands of nuclear hormone receptors. The fact that enzymes and biochemical pathways responsible for the metabolism of carotenoids in animals bear resemblance to the ones in plants and other carotenogenic species suggests an evolutionary relationship. We will explore some of the modes of transmission of carotenoid genes from carotenogenic species to metazoans. This apparent relationship has been successfully exploited in the past to identify and characterize new carotenoid and retinoid modifying enzymes. We will review approaches used to identify putative animal carotenoid enzymes, and we will describe methods used to functionally validate and analyze the biochemistry of carotenoid modifying enzymes encoded by animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Moise
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
| | - Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Johannes von Lintig
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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5
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Production and structural characterization of the cytochrome P450 enzymes in carotene ring hydroxylation. Methods Enzymol 2022; 671:223-241. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Understanding carotenoid biosynthetic pathway control points using metabolomic analysis and natural genetic variation. Methods Enzymol 2022; 671:127-151. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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7
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Assessment of dietary carotenoid intake and biologic measurement of exposure in humans. Methods Enzymol 2022; 674:255-295. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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8
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Garcia Molina MD, Botticella E, Beleggia R, Palombieri S, De Vita P, Masci S, Lafiandra D, Sestili F. Enrichment of provitamin A content in durum wheat grain by suppressing β-carotene hydroxylase 1 genes with a TILLING approach. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2021; 134:4013-4024. [PMID: 34477900 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-021-03944-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The suppression of the HYD-1 gene by a TILLING approach increases the amount of β-carotene in durum wheat kernel. Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health problem that affects numerous countries in the world. As humans are not able to synthesize vitamin A, it must be daily assimilated along with other micro- and macronutrients through the diet. Durum wheat is an important crop for Mediterranean countries and provides a discrete amount of nutrients, such as carbohydrates and proteins, but it is deficient in some essential micronutrients, including provitamin A. In the present work, a targeting induced local lesions in genomes strategy has been undertaken to obtain durum wheat genotypes biofortified in provitamin A. In detail, we focused on the suppression of the β-carotene hydroxylase 1 (HYD1) genes, encoding enzymes involved in the redirection of β-carotene toward the synthesis of the downstream xanthophylls (neoxanthin, violaxanthin and zeaxanthin). Expression analysis of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis revealed a reduction of the abundance of HYD1 transcripts greater than 50% in mutant grain compared to the control. The biochemical profiling of carotenoid in the wheat mutant genotypes highlighted a significant increase of more than 70% of β-carotene compared to the wild-type sibling lines, with no change in lutein, α-carotene and zeaxanthin content. This study sheds new light on the molecular mechanism governing carotenoid biosynthesis in durum wheat and provides new genotypes that represent a good genetic resource for future breeding programs focused on the provitamin A biofortification through non-transgenic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dolores Garcia Molina
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ermelinda Botticella
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council (CNR), Via Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100, Lecce, Italy
| | - Romina Beleggia
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (CREA-CI), S.S. 673, Km 25,200, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Samuela Palombieri
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Pasquale De Vita
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops (CREA-CI), S.S. 673, Km 25,200, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Stefania Masci
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Domenico Lafiandra
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Francesco Sestili
- Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
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9
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Zhu K, Zheng X, Ye J, Huang Y, Chen H, Mei X, Xie Z, Cao L, Zeng Y, Larkin RM, Xu Q, Perez-Roman E, Talón M, Zumajo-Cardona C, Wurtzel ET, Deng X. Regulation of carotenoid and chlorophyll pools in hesperidia, anatomically unique fruits found only in Citrus. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:829-845. [PMID: 34608960 PMCID: PMC8491056 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Domesticated citrus varieties are woody perennials and interspecific hybrid crops of global economic and nutritional importance. The citrus fruit "hesperidium" is a unique morphological innovation not found in any other plant lineage. Efforts to improve the nutritional quality of the fruit are predicated on understanding the underlying regulatory mechanisms responsible for fruit development, including temporal control of chlorophyll degradation and carotenoid biosynthesis. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of the navel orange (Citrus sinensis) brown flavedo mutation, which conditions flavedo that is brown instead of orange. To overcome the limitations of using traditional genetic approaches in citrus and other woody perennials, we developed a strategy to elucidate the underlying genetic lesion. We used a multi-omics approach to collect data from several genetic sources and plant chimeras to successfully decipher this mutation. The multi-omics strategy applied here will be valuable in driving future gene discovery efforts in citrus as well as in other woody perennial plants. The comparison of transcriptomic and genomic data from multiple genotypes and plant sectors revealed an underlying lesion in the gene encoding STAY-GREEN (SGR) protein, which simultaneously regulates carotenoid biosynthesis and chlorophyll degradation. However, unlike SGR of other plant species, we found that the carotenoid and chlorophyll regulatory activities could be uncoupled in the case of certain SGR alleles in citrus and thus we propose a model for the molecular mechanism underlying the brown flavedo phenotype. The economic and nutritional value of citrus makes these findings of wide interest. The strategy implemented, and the results obtained, constitute an advance for agro-industry by driving opportunities for citrus crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaijie Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx, New York 10468, USA
| | - Xiongjie Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Junli Ye
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yue Huang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Xuehan Mei
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Zongzhou Xie
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Lixin Cao
- Citrus Variety Propagation Centre in Zigui County, Yichang, Hubei 443600, China
| | - Yunliu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Robert M. Larkin
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Estela Perez-Roman
- Centro de Genomica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Manuel Talón
- Centro de Genomica, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, Moncada, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cecilia Zumajo-Cardona
- The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York 10016-4309, USA
- The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458, USA
| | - Eleanore T. Wurtzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West, Bronx, New York 10468, USA
- The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York 10016-4309, USA
| | - Xiuxin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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10
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Das AK, Gowda MM, Muthusamy V, Zunjare RU, Chauhan HS, Baveja A, Bhatt V, Chand G, Bhat JS, Guleria SK, Saha S, Gupta HS, Hossain F. Development of Maize Hybrids With Enhanced Vitamin-E, Vitamin-A, Lysine, and Tryptophan Through Molecular Breeding. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:659381. [PMID: 34367197 PMCID: PMC8335160 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.659381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Malnutrition is a widespread problem that affects human health, society, and the economy. Traditional maize that serves as an important source of human nutrition is deficient in vitamin-E, vitamin-A, lysine, and tryptophan. Here, favorable alleles of vte4 (α-tocopherol methyl transferase), crtRB1 (β-carotene hydroxylase), lcyE (lycopene ε-cyclase), and o2 (opaque2) genes were combined in parental lines of four popular hybrids using marker-assisted selection (MAS). BC1F1, BC2F1, and BC2F2 populations were genotyped using gene-based markers of vte4, crtRB1, lcyE, and o2. Background selection using 81-103 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers led to the recovery of recurrent parent genome (RPG) up to 95.45%. Alpha (α)-tocopherol was significantly enhanced among introgressed progenies (16.13 μg/g) as compared to original inbreds (7.90 μg/g). Provitamin-A (proA) (10.42 μg/g), lysine (0.352%), and tryptophan (0.086%) were also high in the introgressed progenies. The reconstituted hybrids showed a 2-fold enhancement in α-tocopherol (16.83 μg/g) over original hybrids (8.06 μg/g). Improved hybrids also possessed high proA (11.48 μg/g), lysine (0.367%), and tryptophan (0.084%) when compared with traditional hybrids. The reconstituted hybrids recorded the mean grain yield of 8,066 kg/ha, which was at par with original hybrids (mean: 7,846 kg/ha). The MAS-derived genotypes resembled their corresponding original hybrids for the majority of agronomic and yield-related traits, besides characteristics related to distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS). This is the first report for the development of maize with enhanced vitamin-E, vitamin-A, lysine, and tryptophan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit K. Das
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Munegowda M. Gowda
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Vignesh Muthusamy
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajkumar U. Zunjare
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Hema S. Chauhan
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Aanchal Baveja
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Vinay Bhatt
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Gulab Chand
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Jayant S. Bhat
- Division of Genetics, IARI-Regional Research Centre, Dharwad, India
| | - Satish K. Guleria
- Plant Breeding, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Bajaura, India
| | - Supradip Saha
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Hari S. Gupta
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Firoz Hossain
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
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11
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Takemura M, Misawa N. Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Liverworts. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1261:115-119. [PMID: 33783734 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-7360-6_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In higher plants, there are many studies on carotenoid biosynthetic pathways and their relevant genes. On the other hand, few researches exist on carotenoid biosynthesis in early-land plants containing liverworts, mosses, and ferns. Thus, the evolutionary history of carotenoid biosynthesis genes in land plants has remained unclear. A liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is thought to be one of the first land plants, since this plant remains a primitive figure. Moreover, this liverwort is regarded as the model plant of bryophytes due to several reasons. In this chapter, we review carotenoid biosynthesis in liverworts and discuss the functional evolution and evolutionary history of carotenogenic genes in land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Takemura
- Laboratory for Gene Function, Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi-shi, Ishikawa, Japan.
| | - Norihiko Misawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Ishikawa, Japan
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12
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Zhu K, Zheng X, Ye J, Jiang Q, Chen H, Mei X, Wurtzel ET, Deng X. Building the Synthetic Biology Toolbox with Enzyme Variants to Expand Opportunities for Biofortification of Provitamin A and Other Health-Promoting Carotenoids. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:12048-12057. [PMID: 33073979 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are a large class of structures that are important in human health and include both provitamin A and nonprovitamin A compounds. Vitamin A deficiency is a global health problem that can be alleviated by enriching provitamin A carotenoids in a range of food crops. Suitable plants for biofortification are those with high levels of the provitamin A biosynthetic precursor, lycopene, which is enzymatically converted by lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) to β-carotene, a provitamin A carotenoid. Crops, such as citrus, naturally accumulate high levels of provitamin A and other health-promoting carotenoids. Such plants may have useful genes to expand the synthetic biology toolbox for producing a range of phenotypes, including both high provitamin A crops and crops with unique compositions of health-promoting carotenoids. To examine enzyme variants having different activity levels, we introduced two citrus LCYB alleles into tomato, a plant with fruit rich in lycopene. Overexpression in tomato of the stronger allele of the citrus chromoplast-specific lycopene β-cyclase (CsLCYb2a) produced "golden" transgenic tomato fruits with 9.3-fold increased levels of β-carotene at up to 1.5 mg/g dry weight. The use of the weaker allele, CsLCYb2b, also led to enhanced levels of β-carotene but in the context of a more heterogeneous composition of carotenoids. From a synthetic biology standpoint, these allelic differences have value for producing cultivars with unique carotenoid profiles. Overexpression of the citrus LCYB genes was accompanied by increased expression of other genes encoding carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes and increased size and number of chromoplasts needed to sequester the elevated levels of carotenoids in the transgenic tomato fruits. The overexpression of the citrus LCYB genes also led to a pleiotropic effect on profiles of phytohormones and primary metabolites. Our findings show that enzyme variants are essential synthetic biology parts needed to create a wider range of metabolic engineering products. In this case, strong and weak variants of LCYB proved useful in creating dietary sources to alleviate vitamin A deficiency or, alternatively, to create crops with a heterogeneous composition including provitamin A and healthful, nonprovitamin A carotenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaijie Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468, United States
| | - Xiongjie Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Junli Ye
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Qihang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Hongyan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Xuehan Mei
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Eleanore T Wurtzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, New York 10468, United States
- The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10016-4309, United States
| | - Xiuxin Deng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of MOE (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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Carotenoids modulate kernel texture in maize by influencing amyloplast envelope integrity. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5346. [PMID: 33093471 PMCID: PMC7582188 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19196-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanism that creates vitreous endosperm in the mature maize kernel is poorly understood. We identified Vitreous endosperm 1 (Ven1) as a major QTL influencing this process. Ven1 encodes β-carotene hydroxylase 3, an enzyme that modulates carotenoid composition in the amyloplast envelope. The A619 inbred contains a nonfunctional Ven1 allele, leading to a decrease in polar and an increase in non-polar carotenoids in the amyloplast. Coincidently, the stability of amyloplast membranes is increased during kernel desiccation. The lipid composition in endosperm cells in A619 is altered, giving rise to a persistent amyloplast envelope. These changes impede the gathering of protein bodies and prevent them from interacting with starch grains, creating air spaces that cause an opaque kernel phenotype. Genetic modifiers were identified that alter the effect of Ven1A619, while maintaining a high β-carotene level. These studies provide insight for breeding vitreous kernel varieties and high vitamin A content in maize. Very little is known about how vitreous endosperm in the mature maize kernel is created. Here, via map-based cloning, the authors find that mutation of a β-carotene hydroxylase 3 encoding gene Ven1 affects carotenoids and lipids composition, which consequently influences amyloplast envelope integrity.
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Abstract
Two cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP97A3 and CYP97C1, catalyze hydroxylations of the β- and ε-rings of α-carotene to produce lutein. Chirality is introduced at the C-3 atom of both rings, and the reactions are both pro-3R-stereospecific. We determined the crystal structures of CYP97A3 in substrate-free and complex forms with a nonnatural substrate and the structure of CYP97C1 in a detergent-bound form. The structures of CYP97A3 in different states show the substrate channel and the structure of CYP97C1 bound with octylthioglucoside confirms the binding site for the carotenoid substrate. Biochemical assays confirm that the ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR)-ferredoxin pair is used as the redox partner. Details of the pro-3R stereospecificity are revealed in the retinal-bound CYP97A3 structure. Further analysis indicates that the CYP97B clan bears similarity to the β-ring-specific CYP97A clan. Overall, our research describes the molecular basis for the last steps of lutein biosynthesis.
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Dong E, Bai Y, Qin L, Liang Q, Liu C, Cai Y. Identification and epistasis analysis of quantitative trait loci for zeaxanthin concentration in maize kernel across different generations and environments. BREEDING SCIENCE 2020; 70:212-220. [PMID: 32523403 PMCID: PMC7272246 DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.19071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Zeaxanthin, a natural fat-soluble pigment, not only increases plant resistance, but also has vital significance for human health. However, quantitative trait loci (QTL) and the epistatic effects of zeaxanthin concentration in maize kernel have not been well studied. To identify QTLs and analyse the epistatic effects of zeaxanthin concentration in maize kernel, two sets of segregating generations derived from the cross between HuangC (a high zeaxanthin concentration inbred line) and Rezi1 (a low zeaxanthin concentration inbred line) were evaluated in three different environments. One major-effect QTL, qZea6a, explains 41.4-71.4% of the phenotypic variation and two QTLs, qZea4a and qZea3a, show LOD > 3 for zeaxanthin concentration detected over two generations and three different environments. Four of the ten QTL pairs show epistatic effects, explaining 7.34-14.3% of the phenotypic variance. Furthermore, additivity was the major allelic action at zeaxanthin concentration QTLs located in F2 and F2:3 populations and plants with homozygous HuangC alleles have a strong genetic ability in enhancing zeaxanthin concentration in maize kernel. These results will contribute to understanding these complex loci better and provide awareness about zeaxanthin concentration to maize breeders and scientists involved in maize research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfei Dong
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Liping Qin
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qingyuan Liang
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Chaoxian Liu
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yilin Cai
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Corresponding author (e-mail: )
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Zheng X, Giuliano G, Al-Babili S. Carotenoid biofortification in crop plants: citius, altius, fortius. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2020; 1865:158664. [PMID: 32068105 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2020.158664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are indispensable for human health, required as precursors of vitamin A and efficient antioxidants. However, these plant pigments that play a vital role in photosynthesis are represented at insufficient levels in edible parts of several crops, which creates a need for increasing their content or optimizing their composition through biofortification. In particular, vitamin A deficiency, a severe health problem affecting the lives of millions in developing countries, has triggered the development of a series of high-provitamin A crops, including Golden Rice as the best-known example. Further carotenoid-biofortified crops have been generated by using genetic engineering approaches or through classical breeding. In this review, we depict carotenoid metabolism in plants and provide an update on the development of carotenoid-biofortified plants and their potential to meet needs and expectations. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility of using natural variation for carotenoid biofortification and the potential of gene editing tools. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Carotenoids recent advances in cell and molecular biology edited by Johannes von Lintig and Loredana Quadro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongjie Zheng
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Center for Desert Agriculture, the BioActives Lab, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Giovanni Giuliano
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, Roma 00123, Italy
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, Center for Desert Agriculture, the BioActives Lab, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
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Mbabazi R, Harding R, Khanna H, Namanya P, Arinaitwe G, Tushemereirwe W, Dale J, Paul J. Pro-vitamin A carotenoids in East African highland banana and other Musa cultivars grown in Uganda. Food Sci Nutr 2020; 8:311-321. [PMID: 31993157 PMCID: PMC6977416 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.1308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are an important staple and food security crop in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, where the consumption of East African highland banana (EAHB) is the highest in the world, the population suffers from a high incidence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Since the consumption of pro-vitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) made available through the food staple can help alleviate these ailments, we set out to identify the most suitable banana variety to use in future biofortification strategies through genetic engineering. The study focussed on eight popular Musa cultivars grown in the heart of banana farming communities and across the three major agricultural zones of Uganda. The fruit pVAC concentration varied considerably within and across the cultivars tested. These variations could not be explained by the altitude nor the geographical location where these fruits were grown. More than 50% of the total carotenoids present in EAHB cultivars was found to comprise of α- and β-carotene, while the retention of these compounds following traditional processing methods was at least 70%. Storage up to 14 days postharvest improved carotenoid accumulation up to 2.4-fold in the cultivar Nakitembe. The technical challenge for a successful biofortification approach in Uganda using genetically modified EAHB lies in guaranteeing that the fruit pVAC content will invariably provide at least 50% of the estimated average requirement for vitamin A regardless of the growing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Mbabazi
- National Agricultural Research Organisation, NARLWakisoUganda
- Present address:
Plant and Soil Science BuildingMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Robert Harding
- Centre for Tropical Crops and BiocommoditiesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Harjeet Khanna
- Centre for Tropical Crops and BiocommoditiesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
- Present address:
Sugar Research AustraliaIndooroopillyQLDAustralia
| | - Priver Namanya
- National Agricultural Research Organisation, NARLWakisoUganda
| | - Geofrey Arinaitwe
- National Agricultural Research Organisation, NARLWakisoUganda
- National Agricultural Research Organisation, National Coffee Research InstituteMukonoUganda
| | | | - James Dale
- Centre for Tropical Crops and BiocommoditiesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Jean‐Yves Paul
- Centre for Tropical Crops and BiocommoditiesQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneQLDAustralia
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18
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Watkins JL, Li M, McQuinn RP, Chan KX, McFarlane HE, Ermakova M, Furbank RT, Mares D, Dong C, Chalmers KJ, Sharp P, Mather DE, Pogson BJ. A GDSL Esterase/Lipase Catalyzes the Esterification of Lutein in Bread Wheat. THE PLANT CELL 2019; 31:3092-3112. [PMID: 31575724 PMCID: PMC6925002 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.19.00272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Xanthophylls are a class of carotenoids that are important micronutrients for humans. They are often found esterified with fatty acids in fruits, vegetables, and certain grains, including bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Esterification promotes the sequestration and accumulation of carotenoids, thereby enhancing stability, particularly in tissues such as in harvested wheat grain. Here, we report on a plant xanthophyll acyltransferase (XAT) that is both necessary and sufficient for xanthophyll esterification in bread wheat grain. XAT contains a canonical Gly-Asp-Ser-Leu (GDSL) motif and is encoded by a member of the GDSL esterase/lipase gene family. Genetic evidence from allelic variants of wheat and transgenic rice (Oryza sativa) calli demonstrated that XAT catalyzes the formation of xanthophyll esters. XAT has broad substrate specificity and can esterify lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, and zeaxanthin using multiple acyl donors, yet it has a preference for triacylglycerides, indicating that the enzyme acts via transesterification. A conserved amino acid, Ser-37, is required for activity. Despite xanthophylls being synthesized in plastids, XAT accumulated in the apoplast. Based on analysis of substrate preferences and xanthophyll ester formation in vitro and in vivo using xanthophyll-accumulating rice callus, we propose that disintegration of the cellular structure during wheat grain desiccation facilitates access to lutein-promoting transesterification.plantcell;31/12/3092/FX1F1fx1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta L Watkins
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Ryan P McQuinn
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Kai Xun Chan
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Heather E McFarlane
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Maria Ermakova
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Daryl Mares
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Chongmei Dong
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, The University of Sydney, Cobbitty, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - Kenneth J Chalmers
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Peter Sharp
- Plant Breeding Institute and Sydney Institute of Agriculture, The University of Sydney, Cobbitty, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - Diane E Mather
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Barry J Pogson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
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Jin X, Bai C, Bassie L, Nogareda C, Romagosa I, Twyman RM, Christou P, Zhu C. ZmPBF and ZmGAMYB transcription factors independently transactivate the promoter of the maize (Zea mays) β-carotene hydroxylase 2 gene. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:793-804. [PMID: 30489637 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The maize (Zea mays) enzyme β-carotene hydroxylase 2 (ZmBCH2) controls key steps in the conversion of β-carotene to zeaxanthin in the endosperm. The ZmBCH2 gene has an endosperm-preferred and developmentally regulated expression profile, but the detailed regulatory mechanism is unknown. To gain insight into the regulation of ZmBCH2, we isolated 2036 bp of the 5'-flanking region containing the 263 bp 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) including the first intron. We linked this to the β-glucuronidase reporter gene gusA. We found that high-level expression of gusA in rice seeds requires the 5'-UTR for enhanced activation. Truncated variants of the ZmBCH2 promoter retained their seed-preferred expression profile as long as a prolamin box and AACA motif were present. We identified candidate genes encoding the corresponding transcription factors (ZmPBF and ZmGAMYB) and confirmed that their spatiotemporal expression profiles are similar to ZmBCH2. Both ZmPBF and ZmGAMYB can transactivate ZmBCH2 expression in maize endosperm. To eliminate potential confounding effects in maize, we characterized the regulation of the minimal promoter region of ZmBCH2 in transgenic rice. This revealed that ZmPBF and ZmGAMYB independently transactivate the ZmBCH2 promoter. The mechanism that underpins our data provides an exciting new strategy for the control of target gene expression in engineered plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Chao Bai
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 10081, China
| | - Ludovic Bassie
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Carmina Nogareda
- Department of Animal Science, ETSEA, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Ignacio Romagosa
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | | | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- ICREA, Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, 130032, China
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Wurtzel ET. Changing Form and Function through Carotenoids and Synthetic Biology. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 179:830-843. [PMID: 30361256 PMCID: PMC6393808 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The diverse structures and multifaceted roles of carotenoids make these colorful pigments attractive targets for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanore T Wurtzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, Bronx, New York 10468
- The Graduate School and University Center-CUNY, New York, New York 10016-4309
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21
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Zunjare RU, Hossain F, Muthusamy V, Baveja A, Chauhan HS, Bhat JS, Thirunavukkarasu N, Saha S, Gupta HS. Development of Biofortified Maize Hybrids through Marker-Assisted Stacking of β -Carotene Hydroxylase, Lycopene-ε -Cyclase and Opaque2 Genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:178. [PMID: 29515602 PMCID: PMC5826225 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Traditional yellow maize though contains high kernel carotenoids, the concentration of provitamin A (proA) is quite low (<2 μg/g), compared to recommended level (15 μg/g). It also possesses poor endosperm protein quality due to low concentration of lysine and tryptophan. Natural variant of crtRB1 (β-carotene hydroxylase) and lcyE (lycopene-ε-cyclase) cause significant enhancement of proA concentration, while recessive allele, opaque2 (o2) enhances the level of these amino acids. Development of biofortified maize enriched in proA, lysine and tryptophan thus holds significance in alleviation of micronutrient malnutrition. In the present study, marker-assisted stacking of crtRB1, lcyE and o2 was undertaken in the genetic background of four maize hybrids (HQPM1, HQPM4, HQPM5, and HQPM7) popularly grown in India. HP704-22 and HP704-23 were used as donors, while four elite QPM parents viz., HKI161, HKI163, HKI193-1, and HKI193-2 were used as recipients. CrtRB1 showed severe segregation distortion, while lcyE segregated as per the expectation. Recovery of recurrent parent genome (RPG) among selected backcross progenies ranged from 89 to 93%. Introgressed progenies possessed high concentration of proA (7.38-13.59 μg/g), compared to 1.65-2.04 μg/g in the recurrent parents. The reconstituted hybrids showed an average of 4.5-fold increase in proA with a range of 9.25-12.88 μg/g, compared to original hybrids (2.14-2.48 μg/g). Similar plant-, ear-, and grain- characteristics of improved versions of both inbreds and hybrids were observed when evaluated with their respective original versions. Mean lysine (0.334%) and tryptophan (0.080%) of the improved hybrids were at par with the original versions (lysine: 0.340%, tryptophan: 0.083%). Improved hybrids also possessed similar grain yield potential (6,301-8,545 kg/ha) with their original versions (6,135-8,479 kg/ha) evaluated at two locations. This is the first study of staking crtRB1-, lcyE-, and o2-, favorable alleles in single genetic background. The improved inbreds can be effectively used as potential donor for independent and/or simultaneous introgression of crtRB1, lcyE, and o2 in the future breeding programme. These biofortified maize hybrids, rich in proA, lysine and tryptophan will hold great promise for nutritional security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkumar U. Zunjare
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Firoz Hossain
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Vignesh Muthusamy
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Aanchal Baveja
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Hema S. Chauhan
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Jayant S. Bhat
- Regional Research Centre, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dharwad, India
| | | | - Supradip Saha
- Division of Agricultural Chemicals, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Hari S. Gupta
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
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Berman J, Zorrilla-López U, Sandmann G, Capell T, Christou P, Zhu C. The Silencing of Carotenoid β-Hydroxylases by RNA Interference in Different Maize Genetic Backgrounds Increases the β-Carotene Content of the Endosperm. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2515. [PMID: 29186806 PMCID: PMC5751118 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a staple food in many parts of Africa, but the endosperm generally contains low levels of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid β-carotene, leading to vitamin A deficiency disease in populations relying on cereal-based diets. However, maize endosperm does accumulate high levels of other carotenoids, including zeaxanthin, which is derived from β-carotene via two hydroxylation reactions. Blocking these reactions could therefore improve the endosperm β-carotene content. Accordingly, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the endogenous ZmBCH1 and ZmBCH2 genes, which encode two non-heme di-iron carotenoid β-hydroxylases. The genes were silenced in a range of maize genetic backgrounds by introgressing the RNAi cassette, allowing us to determine the impact of ZmBCH1/ZmBCH2 silencing in diverse hybrids. The β-carotene content of the endosperm increased substantially in all hybrids in which ZmBCH2 was silenced, regardless of whether or not ZmBCH1 was silenced simultaneously. However, the β-carotene content did not change significantly in C17 hybrids (M7 × C17 and M13 × C17) compared to C17 alone, because ZmBCH2 is already expressed at negligible levels in the C17 parent. Our data indicate that ZmBCH2 is primarily responsible for the conversion of β-carotene to zeaxanthin in maize endosperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Berman
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; (J.B.); (U.Z.-L.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Uxue Zorrilla-López
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; (J.B.); (U.Z.-L.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Gerhard Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, 60054 Frankfurt, Germany;
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; (J.B.); (U.Z.-L.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; (J.B.); (U.Z.-L.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
- ICREA, Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; (J.B.); (U.Z.-L.); (T.C.); (P.C.)
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
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Liu H, Mao J, Yan S, Yu Y, Xie L, Hu JG, Li T, Abbasi AM, Guo X, Liu RH. Evaluation of carotenoid biosynthesis, accumulation and antioxidant activities in sweetcorn (Zea mays
L.) during kernel development. Int J Food Sci Technol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.13595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haiying Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510641 China
| | - Jihua Mao
- Crop Research Institute; Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Guangzhou 510640 China
- Key Laboratory of Crops Genetics Improvement of Guangdong Province; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Shijuan Yan
- Agro-Biological Gene Research Center; Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Yongtao Yu
- Crop Research Institute; Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Guangzhou 510640 China
- Key Laboratory of Crops Genetics Improvement of Guangdong Province; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Lihua Xie
- School of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510641 China
| | - Jian Guang Hu
- Crop Research Institute; Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Guangzhou 510640 China
- Key Laboratory of Crops Genetics Improvement of Guangdong Province; Guangzhou 510640 China
| | - Tong Li
- Department of Food Science; Stocking Hall; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Arshad Mehmood Abbasi
- School of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510641 China
- Department of Environmental Sciences; COMSATS Institute of Information Technology; Abbottabad 22060 Pakistan
| | - Xinbo Guo
- School of Food Science and Engineering; South China University of Technology; Guangzhou 510641 China
- Department of Food Science; Stocking Hall; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
| | - Rui Hai Liu
- Department of Food Science; Stocking Hall; Cornell University; Ithaca NY 14853 USA
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Mangel N, Fudge JB, Fitzpatrick TB, Gruissem W, Vanderschuren H. Vitamin B1 diversity and characterization of biosynthesis genes in cassava. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:3351-3363. [PMID: 28859374 PMCID: PMC5853225 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin B1, which consists of the vitamers thiamin and its phosphorylated derivatives, is an essential micronutrient for all living organisms because it is required as a metabolic cofactor in several enzymatic reactions. Genetic diversity of vitamin B1 biosynthesis and accumulation has not been investigated in major crop species other than rice and potato. We analyzed cassava germplasm for accumulation of B1 vitamers. Vitamin B1 content in leaves and roots of 41 cassava accessions showed significant variation between accessions. HPLC analyses of B1 vitamers revealed distinct profiles in cassava leaves and storage roots, with nearly equal relative levels of thiamin pyrophosphate and thiamin monophosphate in leaves, but mostly thiamin pyrophosphate in storage roots. Unusually, the cassava genome has two genes encoding the 4-amino-2-methyl-5-hydroxymethylpyrimidine phosphate synthase, THIC (MeTHIC1 and MeTHIC2), both of which carry a riboswitch in the 3'-UTR, as well as the adenylated thiazole synthase, THI1 (MeTHI1a and MeTHI1b). The THIC and THI1 genes are expressed at very low levels in storage roots compared with the accumulation of vitamin B1, indicating only limited biosynthesis de novo therein. In leaves, vitamin B1 content is negatively correlated with THIC and THI1 expression levels, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation of THIC by the riboswitch present in the 3'-UTR of the THIC mRNA and regulation of THI1 by promoter activity or alternative post-transcriptional mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jared B Fudge
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Teresa B Fitzpatrick
- Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Hervé Vanderschuren
- Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- AgroBioChem Department, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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25
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Provitamin A biofortification of crop plants: a gold rush with many miners. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 44:169-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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26
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Chen Y, Li J, Fan K, Du Y, Ren Z, Xu J, Zheng J, Liu Y, Fu J, Ren D, Wang G. Mutations in the maize zeta-carotene desaturase gene lead to viviparous kernel. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174270. [PMID: 28339488 PMCID: PMC5365113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Preharvest sprouting reduces the maize quality and causes a significant yield loss in maize production. vp-wl2 is a Mutator (Mu)-induced viviparous mutant in maize, causing white or pale yellow kernels, dramatically reduced carotenoid and ABA content, and a high level of zeta-carotene accumulation. Here, we reported the cloning of the vp-wl2 gene using a modified digestion-ligation-amplification method (DLA). The results showed that an insertion of Mu9 in the first intron of the zeta-carotene desaturase (ZDS) gene results in the vp-wl2 mutation. Previous studies have suggested that ZDS is likely the structural gene of the viviparous9 (vp9) locus. Therefore, we performed an allelic test using vp-wl2 and three vp9 mutants. The results showed that vp-wl2 is a novel allele of the vp9 locus. In addition, the sequences of ZDS gene were identified in these three vp9 alleles. The vp-wl2 mutant gene was subsequently introgressed into four maize inbred lines, and a viviparous phenotype was observed with yield losses from 7.69% to 13.33%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiankun Li
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kaijian Fan
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yicong Du
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenjing Ren
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zheng
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunjun Liu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Fu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongtao Ren
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoying Wang
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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27
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Jittham O, Fu X, Xu J, Chander S, Li J, Yang X. Genetic dissection of carotenoids in maize kernels using high-density single nucleotide polymorphism markers in a recombinant inbred line population. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cj.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Abstract
Plastids are ubiquitously present in plants and are the organelles for carotenoid biosynthesis and storage. Based on their morphology and function, plastids are classified into various types, i.e. proplastids, etioplasts, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts. All plastids, except proplastids, can synthesize carotenoids. However, plastid types have a profound effect on carotenoid accumulation and stability. In this chapter, we discuss carotenoid biosynthesis and regulation in various plastids with a focus on carotenoids in chromoplasts. Plastid transition related to carotenoid biosynthesis and the different capacity of various plastids to sequester carotenoids and the associated effect on carotenoid stability are described in light of carotenoid accumulation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Hui Yuan
- Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, USDA-ARS, Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Yunliu Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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29
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Federico ML, Schmidt MA. Modern Breeding and Biotechnological Approaches to Enhance Carotenoid Accumulation in Seeds. Subcell Biochem 2016; 79:345-58. [PMID: 27485229 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-39126-7_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
There is an increasing demand for carotenoids, which are fundamental components of the human diet, for example as precursors of vitamin A. Carotenoids are also potent antioxidants and their health benefits are becoming increasingly evident. Protective effects against prostate cancer and age-related macular degeneration have been proposed for lycopene and lutein/zeaxanthin, respectively. Additionally, β-carotene, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin are high-value carotenoids used by the food industry as feed supplements and colorants. The production and consumption of these carotenoids from natural sources, especially from seeds, constitutes an important step towards fortifying the diet of malnourished people in developing nations. Therefore, attempts to metabolically manipulate β-carotene production in plants have received global attention, especially after the generation of Golden Rice (Oryza sativa). The endosperms of Golden Rice seeds synthesize and accumulate large quantities of β-carotene (provitamin A), yielding a characteristic yellow color in the polished grains. Classical breeding efforts have also focused in the development of cultivars with elevated seed carotenoid content, with maize and other cereals leading the way. In this communication we will summarize transgenic efforts and modern breeding strategies to fortify various crop seeds with nutraceutical carotenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Federico
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Unit, Agriaquaculture Nutritional Genomic Center (CGNA), Temuco, Chile
| | - M A Schmidt
- Bio5 Institute and Plant Sciences Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85718, USA.
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Rezaei MK, Deokar A, Tar'an B. Identification and Expression Analysis of Candidate Genes Involved in Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chickpea Seeds. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1867. [PMID: 28018400 PMCID: PMC5157839 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plant carotenoids have a key role in preventing various diseases in human because of their antioxidant and provitamin A properties. Chickpea is a good source of carotenoid among legumes and its diverse germplasm and genome accessibility makes it a good model for carotenogenesis studies. The structure, location, and copy numbers of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were retrieved from the chickpea genome. The majority of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) within these genes across five diverse chickpea cultivars was synonymous mutation. We examined the expression of the carotenogenesis genes and their association with carotenoid concentration at different seed development stages of five chickpea cultivars. Total carotenoid concentration ranged from 22 μg g-1 in yellow cotyledon kabuli to 44 μg g-1 in green cotyledon desi at 32 days post anthesis (DPA). The majority of carotenoids in chickpea seeds consists of lutein and zeaxanthin. The expression of the selected 19 genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis pathway showed common pattern across five cultivars with higher expression at 8 and/or 16 DPA then dropped considerably at 24 and 32 DPA. Almost all genes were up-regulated in CDC Jade cultivar. Correlation analysis between gene expression and carotenoid concentration showed that the genes involved in the primary step of carotenoid biosynthesis pathway including carotenoid desaturase and isomerase positively correlated with various carotenoid components in chickpea seeds. A negative correlation was found between hydroxylation activity and provitamin A concentration in the seeds. The highest provitamin A concentration including β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were found in green cotyledon chickpea cultivars.
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31
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Messias RDS, Galli V, Silva SDDAE, Schirmer MA, Rombaldi CV. Micronutrient and functional compounds biofortification of maize grains. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2015; 55:123-39. [PMID: 24915397 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2011.649314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Maize, in addition to being the main staple food in many countries, is used in the production of hundreds of products. It is rich in compounds with potential benefits to health, such as carotenoids, phenolic compounds, vitamin E, and minerals that act as cofactors for antioxidant enzymes. Many of these compounds have been neglected thus far in the scientific literature. Nevertheless, deficiencies in the precursors of vitamin A and some minerals, such as iron and zinc, in maize, in association with the great genetic variability in its cultivars and our genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic knowledge of this species make targeted biofortification strategies for maize promising. This review discusses the potential of the main microconstituents found in maize with a focus on studies aimed at biofortification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael da Silva Messias
- a EMBRAPA Clima Temperado, Rodovia BR 396 , Km 78 Caixa Postal 403, CEP 96001-970, Pelotas , RS , Brazil
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Lian T, Guo W, Chen M, Li J, Liang Q, Liu F, Meng H, Xu B, Chen J, Zhang C, Jiang L. Genome-wide identification and transcriptional analysis of folate metabolism-related genes in maize kernels. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 15:204. [PMID: 26283542 PMCID: PMC4539672 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-015-0578-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maize is a major staple food crop globally and contains various concentrations of vitamins. Folates are essential water-soluble B-vitamins that play an important role as one-carbon (C1) donors and acceptors in organisms. To gain an understanding of folate metabolism in maize, we performed an intensive in silico analysis to screen for genes involved in folate metabolism using publicly available databases, followed by examination of the transcript expression patterns and profiling of the folate derivatives in the kernels of two maize inbred lines. RESULTS A total of 36 candidate genes corresponding to 16 folate metabolism-related enzymes were identified. The maize genome contains all the enzymes required for folate and C1 metabolism, characterized by highly conserved functional domains across all the other species investigated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these enzymes in maize are conserved throughout evolution and have a high level of similarity with those in sorghum and millet. The LC-MS analyses of two maize inbred lines demonstrated that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate was the major form of folate derivative in young seeds, while 5-formyltetrahydrofolate in mature seeds. Most of the genes involved in folate and C1 metabolism exhibited similar transcriptional expression patterns between these two maize lines, with the highest transcript abundance detected on day after pollination (DAP) 6 and the decreased transcript abundance on DAP 12 and 18. Compared with the seeds on DAP 30, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate was decreased and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate was increased sharply in the mature dry seeds. CONCLUSIONS The enzymes involved in folate and C1 metabolism are conserved between maize and other plant species. Folate and C1 metabolism is active in young developing maize seeds at transcriptional levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Lian
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenzhu Guo
- Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Maoran Chen
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinglai Li
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qiuju Liang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fang Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongyan Meng
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bosi Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chunyi Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ling Jiang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
- National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement (NFCRI), Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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Chang S, Berman J, Sheng Y, Wang Y, Capell T, Shi L, Ni X, Sandmann G, Christou P, Zhu C. Cloning and Functional Characterization of the Maize (Zea mays L.) Carotenoid Epsilon Hydroxylase Gene. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128758. [PMID: 26030746 PMCID: PMC4452274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The assignment of functions to genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is necessary to understand how the pathway is regulated and to obtain the basic information required for metabolic engineering. Few carotenoid ε-hydroxylases have been functionally characterized in plants although this would provide insight into the hydroxylation steps in the pathway. We therefore isolated mRNA from the endosperm of maize (Zea mays L., inbred line B73) and cloned a full-length cDNA encoding CYP97C19, a putative heme-containing carotenoid ε hydroxylase and member of the cytochrome P450 family. The corresponding CYP97C19 genomic locus on chromosome 1 was found to comprise a single-copy gene with nine introns. We expressed CYP97C19 cDNA under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter in the Arabidopsis thaliana lut1 knockout mutant, which lacks a functional CYP97C1 (LUT1) gene. The analysis of carotenoid levels and composition showed that lutein accumulated to high levels in the rosette leaves of the transgenic lines but not in the untransformed lut1 mutants. These results allowed the unambiguous functional annotation of maize CYP97C19 as an enzyme with strong zeinoxanthin ε-ring hydroxylation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Chang
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, 130032, China
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Judit Berman
- Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Yanmin Sheng
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, 130032, China
| | - Yingdian Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Teresa Capell
- Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Lianxuan Shi
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xiuzhen Ni
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, 130032, China
| | - Gerhard Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Paul Christou
- Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, 130032, China
- Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Suwarno WB, Pixley KV, Palacios-Rojas N, Kaeppler SM, Babu R. Genome-wide association analysis reveals new targets for carotenoid biofortification in maize. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2015; 128:851-64. [PMID: 25690716 PMCID: PMC4544543 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-015-2475-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Genome-wide association analysis in CIMMYT's association panel revealed new favorable native genomic variations in/nearby important genes such as hydroxylases and CCD1 that have potential for carotenoid biofortification in maize. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used extensively to identify allelic variation for genes controlling important agronomic and nutritional traits in plants. Provitamin A (proVA) enhancing alleles of lycopene epsilon cyclase (LCYE) and β-carotene hydroxylase 1 (CRTRB1), previously identified through candidate-gene based GWAS, are currently used in CIMMYT's maize breeding program. The objective of this study was to identify genes or genomic regions controlling variation for carotenoid concentrations in grain for CIMMYT's carotenoid association mapping panel of 380 inbred maize lines, using high-density genome-wide platforms with ~476,000 SNP markers. Population structure effects were minimized by adjustments using principal components and kinship matrix with mixed models. Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis indicated faster LD decay (3.9 kb; r (2) = 0.1) than commonly reported for temperate germplasm, and therefore the possibility of achieving higher mapping resolution with our mostly tropical diversity panel. GWAS for various carotenoids identified CRTRB1, LCYE and other key genes or genomic regions that govern rate-critical steps in the upstream pathway, such as DXS1, GGPS1, and GGPS2 that are known to play important roles in the accumulation of precursor isoprenoids as well as downstream genes HYD5, CCD1, and ZEP1, which are involved in hydroxylation and carotenoid degradation. SNPs at or near all of these regions were identified and may be useful target regions for carotenoid biofortification breeding efforts in maize; for example a genomic region on chromosome 2 explained ~16% of the phenotypic variance for β-carotene independently of CRTRB1, and a variant of CCD1 that resulted in reduced β-cryptoxanthin degradation was found in lines that have previously been observed to have low proVA degradation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willy B. Suwarno
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Jl. Meranti Kampus IPB Dramaga, Bogor, 16680 Indonesia
| | - Kevin V. Pixley
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Km 45 Carretera Mexico-Veracruz, Texcoco, Mexico, 56130 Mexico
| | - Natalia Palacios-Rojas
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Km 45 Carretera Mexico-Veracruz, Texcoco, Mexico, 56130 Mexico
| | - Shawn M. Kaeppler
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53705 USA
| | - Raman Babu
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Km 45 Carretera Mexico-Veracruz, Texcoco, Mexico, 56130 Mexico
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Takemura M, Maoka T, Misawa N. Biosynthetic routes of hydroxylated carotenoids (xanthophylls) in Marchantia polymorpha, and production of novel and rare xanthophylls through pathway engineering in Escherichia coli. PLANTA 2015; 241:699-710. [PMID: 25467956 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-014-2213-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
MpBHY codes for a carotene β-ring 3(,3')-hydroxylase responsible for both zeaxanthin and lutein biosynthesis in liverwort. MpCYP97C functions as an ε-ring hydroxylase (zeinoxanthin 3'-hydroxylase) to produce lutein in liverwort. Xanthophylls are oxygenated or hydroxylated carotenes that are most abundant in the light-harvesting complexes of plants. The plant-type xanthophylls consist of α-xanthophyll (lutein) and β-xanthophylls (zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, violaxanthin and neoxanthin). The α-xanthophyll and β-xanthophylls are derived from α-carotene and β-carotene by carotene hydroxylase activities, respectively. β-Ring 3,3'-hydroxylase that mediates the route of zeaxanthin from β-carotene via β-cryptoxanthin is present in higher plants and is encoded by the BHY (BCH) gene. On the other hand, CYP97A (or BHY) and CYP97C genes are responsible for β-ring 3-hydroxylation and ε-ring 3'-hydroxylation, respectively, in routes from α-carotene to lutein. To elucidate the evolution of the biosynthetic routes of such hydroxylated carotenoids from carotenes in land plants, we identified and functionally analyzed carotenoid hydroxylase genes of liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L. Three genes homologous to higher plants, BHY, CYP97A, and CYP97C, were isolated and named MpBHY, MpCYP97A, and MpCYP97C, respectively. MpBHY was found to code for β-ring hydroxylase, which is responsible for both routes starting from β-carotene and α-carotene. MpCYP97C functioned as an ε-ring hydroxylase not for α-carotene but for zeinoxanthin, while MpCYP97A showed no hydroxylation activity for β-carotene or α-carotene. These findings suggest the original functions of the hydroxylation enzymes of carotenes in land plants, which are thought to diversify in higher plants. In addition, we generated recombinant Escherichia coli cells, which produced rare and novel carotenoids such as α-echinenone and 4-ketozeinoxanthin, through pathway engineering using bacterial carotenogenic genes that include crtW, in addition to the liverwort MpLCYb, MpLCYe and MpBHY genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Takemura
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, 1-308, Suematsu, Nonoichi, Ishikawa, 921-8836, Japan,
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Muthusamy V, Hossain F, Thirunavukkarasu N, Choudhary M, Saha S, Bhat JS, Prasanna BM, Gupta HS. Development of β-carotene rich maize hybrids through marker-assisted introgression of β-carotene hydroxylase allele. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113583. [PMID: 25486271 PMCID: PMC4259329 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of vitamin A-rich cereals can help in alleviating the widespread problem of vitamin A deficiency. We report here significant enhancement of kernel β-carotene in elite maize genotypes through accelerated marker-assisted backcross breeding. A favourable allele (543 bp) of the β-carotene hydroxylase (crtRB1) gene was introgressed in the seven elite inbred parents, which were low (1.4 µg/g) in kernel β-carotene, by using a crtRB1-specific DNA marker for foreground selection. About 90% of the recurrent parent genome was recovered in the selected progenies within two backcross generations. Concentration of β-carotene among the crtRB1-introgressed inbreds varied from 8.6 to 17.5 µg/g - a maximum increase up to 12.6-fold over recurrent parent. The reconstituted hybrids developed from improved parental inbreds also showed enhanced kernel β-carotene as high as 21.7 µg/g, compared to 2.6 µg/g in the original hybrid. The reconstituted hybrids evaluated at two locations possessed similar grain yield to that of original hybrids. These β-carotene enriched high yielding hybrids can be effectively utilized in the maize biofortification programs across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Muthusamy
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Firoz Hossain
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Mukesh Choudhary
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Supradip Saha
- Division of Agricultural Chemicals, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Jayant S. Bhat
- Regional Research Centre, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dharwad, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Hari S. Gupta
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Giuliano G. Plant carotenoids: genomics meets multi-gene engineering. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 19:111-7. [PMID: 24912125 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are present in plant photosynthetic tissues, where they have essential roles in photoreception and photoprotection, as well as in non-photosynthetic tissues, where they act as colorants, precursors for plant isoprenoid volatiles and signaling molecules (abscisic acid and strigolactones), nutritional antioxidants and vitamin A precursors. This review presents the recent advances in our understanding of their biosynthesis, the key metabolic steps controlling their accumulation in plant non-photosynthetic tissues and their metabolic engineering using multi-gene approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Giuliano
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Development (ENEA), Casaccia Research Center, Via Anguillarese 301, Roma 00123, Italy.
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Rodríguez-Suárez C, Mellado-Ortega E, Hornero-Méndez D, Atienza SG. Increase in transcript accumulation of Psy1 and e-Lcy genes in grain development is associated with differences in seed carotenoid content between durum wheat and tritordeum. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 84:659-73. [PMID: 24306494 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-013-0160-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoid rich diets have been associated with lower risk of certain diseases. The great importance of cereals in human diet has directed breeding programs towards carotenoid enhancement to alleviate these deficiencies in developing countries and to offer new functional foods in the developed ones. The new cereal tritordeum (×Tritordeum Ascherson et Graebener) derived from durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) and the wild barley Hordeum chilense, naturally presents carotenoid levels 5-8 times higher than those of durum wheat. The improvement of tritordeum properties as a new functional food requires the elucidation of biosynthetic steps for carotenoid accumulation in seeds that differ from durum wheat. In this work expression patterns of nine genes from the isoprenoid and carotenoid biosynthetic pathways were monitored during grain development in durum wheat and tritordeum. Additionally, a fine identification and quantification of pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) during grain development and in mature seeds has been addressed. Transcript levels of Psy1, Psy2, Zds, e-Lcy and b-Lcy were found to correlate to carotenoid content in mature grains. The specific activation of the homeologous genes Psy1, e-Lcy from H. chilense and the high lutein esterification found in tritordeum may serve to explain the differences with durum wheat in carotenoid accumulation.
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Alfieri M, Hidalgo A, Berardo N, Redaelli R. Carotenoid composition and heterotic effect in selected Italian maize germplasm. J Cereal Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2013.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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da Silva Messias R, Galli V, Dos Anjos E Silva SD, Rombaldi CV. Carotenoid biosynthetic and catabolic pathways: gene expression and carotenoid content in grains of maize landraces. Nutrients 2014; 6:546-63. [PMID: 24476639 PMCID: PMC3942716 DOI: 10.3390/nu6020546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant carotenoids have been implicated in preventing several age-related diseases, and they also provide vitamin A precursors; therefore, increasing the content of carotenoids in maize grains is of great interest. It is not well understood, however, how the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is regulated. Fortunately, the maize germplasm exhibits a high degree of genetic diversity that can be exploited for this purpose. Here, the accumulation of carotenoids and the expression of genes from carotenoid metabolic and catabolic pathways were investigated in several maize landraces. The carotenoid content in grains varied from 10.03, in the white variety MC5, to 61.50 μg·g−1, in the yellow-to-orange variety MC3, and the major carotenoids detected were lutein and zeaxanthin. PSY1 (phythoene synthase) expression showed a positive correlation with the total carotenoid content. Additionally, the PSY1 and HYD3 (ferredoxin-dependent di-iron monooxygenase) expression levels were positively correlated with β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin, while CYP97C (cytochrome P450-type monooxygenase) expression did not correlate with any of the carotenoids. In contrast, ZmCCD1 (carotenoid dioxygenase) was more highly expressed at the beginning of grain development, as well as in the white variety, and its expression was inversely correlated with the accumulation of several carotenoids, suggesting that CCD1 is also an important enzyme to be considered when attempting to improve the carotenoid content in maize. The MC27 and MC1 varieties showed the highest HYD3/CYP97C ratios, suggesting that they are promising candidates for increasing the zeaxanthin content; in contrast, MC14 and MC7 showed low HYD3/CYP97C, suggesting that they may be useful in biofortification efforts aimed at promoting the accumulation of provitamin A. The results of this study demonstrate the use of maize germplasm to provide insight into the regulation of genes involved in the carotenoid pathway, which would thus better enable us to select promising varieties for biofortification efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa Galli
- Embrapa Temperate Agriculture, BR 396, Km 78, P.O. Box 403, Pelotas-RS 96010-900, Brazil.
| | | | - Cesar Valmor Rombaldi
- Federal University of Pelotas, Eliseu Maciel Agronomy College, Campus Universitário s/n, P.O. Box 354, Pelotas-RS 96010-900, Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Eleanore T. Wurtzel
- The Graduate School and University Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, Bronx, New York, USA
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Carotenoids gene markers for sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam): applications in genetic mapping, diversity evaluation and cross-species transference. Mol Genet Genomics 2014; 289:237-51. [PMID: 24384928 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-013-0803-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids play essential biological roles in plants, and genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway are evolutionarily conserved. Orange sweetpotato is an important source of β-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. In spite of this, only a few research studies have focussed on the molecular aspects of carotenoid genes regarding their specific sequence and structure. In this study, we used published carotenoid gene sequences from Ipomoea and other species for "exon-primed intron-crossing" approaches. Fifteen pairs of primers representing six carotenoid genes were designed for different introns, eleven of which amplified scorable and reproducible alleles. The sequence of PCR products showed high homology to the original ones. Moreover, the structure and sequence of the introns and exons from five carotenoid structural genes were partially defined. Intron length polymorphism and intron single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in amplified sequences. Marker dosages and allelic segregations were analysed in a mapping population. The developed markers were evaluated in a set of Ipomoeas batatas accessions so as to analyse genetic diversity and conservation applicability. Using CG strategy combined with EPIC-PCR technique, we developed carotenoid gene markers in sweetpotato. We reported the first set of polymorphic Candidate Gene markers for I. batatas, and demonstrated transferability in seven wild Ipomoea species. We described the sequence and structure of carotenoid genes and introduced new information about genomic constitution and allele dosage.
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Gonzalez-Jorge S, Ha SH, Magallanes-Lundback M, Gilliland LU, Zhou A, Lipka AE, Nguyen YN, Angelovici R, Lin H, Cepela J, Little H, Buell CR, Gore MA, DellaPenna D. Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase4 is a negative regulator of β-carotene content in Arabidopsis seeds. THE PLANT CELL 2013; 25:4812-26. [PMID: 24368792 PMCID: PMC3903989 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.113.119677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Experimental approaches targeting carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes have successfully increased the seed β-carotene content of crops. However, linkage analysis of seed carotenoids in Arabidopsis thaliana recombinant inbred populations showed that only 21% of quantitative trait loci, including those for β-carotene, encode carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes in their intervals. Thus, numerous loci remain uncharacterized and underutilized in biofortification approaches. Linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies of Arabidopsis seed carotenoids identified CAROTENOID cleavage dioxygenase4 (CCD4) as a major negative regulator of seed carotenoid content, especially β-carotene. Loss of CCD4 function did not affect carotenoid homeostasis during seed development but greatly reduced carotenoid degradation during seed desiccation, increasing β-carotene content 8.4-fold relative to the wild type. Allelic complementation of a ccd4 null mutant demonstrated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions and deletions at the locus affect dry seed carotenoid content, due at least partly to differences in CCD4 expression. CCD4 also plays a major role in carotenoid turnover during dark-induced leaf senescence, with β-carotene accumulation again most strongly affected in the ccd4 mutant. These results demonstrate that CCD4 plays a major role in β-carotene degradation in drying seeds and senescing leaves and suggest that CCD4 orthologs would be promising targets for stabilizing and increasing the level of provitamin A carotenoids in seeds of major food crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Gonzalez-Jorge
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1319
| | - Sun-Hwa Ha
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Crop Biotech Institute, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Korea
| | - Maria Magallanes-Lundback
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1319
| | | | - Ailing Zhou
- Syngenta Biotechnology Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Alexander E. Lipka
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Yen-Nhu Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1319
| | - Ruthie Angelovici
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1319
| | | | - Jason Cepela
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Holly Little
- Department of Biology, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan 48710
| | - C. Robin Buell
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Michael A. Gore
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Dean DellaPenna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824–1319
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Kandianis CB, Stevens R, Liu W, Palacios N, Montgomery K, Pixley K, White WS, Rocheford T. Genetic architecture controlling variation in grain carotenoid composition and concentrations in two maize populations. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2013; 126:2879-95. [PMID: 24042570 PMCID: PMC3825500 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-013-2179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Genetic control of maize grain carotenoid profiles is coordinated through several loci distributed throughout three secondary metabolic pathways, most of which exhibit additive, and more importantly, pleiotropic effects. The genetic basis for the variation in maize grain carotenoid concentrations was investigated in two F2:3 populations, DEexp × CI7 and A619 × SC55, derived from high total carotenoid and high β-carotene inbred lines. A comparison of grain carotenoid concentrations from population DEexp × CI7 grown in different environments revealed significantly higher concentrations and greater trait variation in samples harvested from a subtropical environment relative to those from a temperate environment. Genotype by environment interactions was significant for most carotenoid traits. Using phenotypic data in additive, environment-specific genetic models, quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified for absolute and derived carotenoid traits in each population, including those specific to the isomerization of β-carotene. A multivariate approach for these correlated traits was taken, using carotenoid trait principal components (PCs) that jointly accounted for 97 % or more of trait variation. Component loadings for carotenoid PCs were interpreted in the context of known substrate-product relationships within the carotenoid pathway. Importantly, QTL for univariate and multivariate traits were found to cluster in close proximity to map locations of loci involved in methyl-erythritol, isoprenoid and carotenoid metabolism. Several of these genes, including lycopene epsilon cyclase, carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase1 and beta-carotene hydroxylase, were mapped in the segregating populations. These loci exhibited pleiotropic effects on α-branch carotenoids, total carotenoid profile and β-branch carotenoids, respectively. Our results confirm that several QTL are involved in the modification of carotenoid profiles, and suggest genetic targets that could be used for the improvement of total carotenoid and β-carotene in future breeding populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine B. Kandianis
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
- Department of Pediatrics, USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - Robyn Stevens
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
- U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC 20523 USA
| | - Weiping Liu
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Natalia Palacios
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Kevin Montgomery
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 USA
- Montgomery Consulting, Maroa, IL 61756 USA
| | - Kevin Pixley
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo Postal 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Wendy S. White
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 USA
| | - Torbert Rocheford
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 USA
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Chromoplast biogenesis and carotenoid accumulation. Arch Biochem Biophys 2013; 539:102-9. [PMID: 23851381 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Chromoplasts are special organelles that possess superior ability to synthesize and store massive amounts of carotenoids. They are responsible for the distinctive colors found in fruits, flowers, and roots. Chromoplasts exhibit various morphologies and are derived from either pre-existing chloroplasts or other non-photosynthetic plastids such as proplastids, leucoplasts or amyloplasts. While little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying chromoplast biogenesis, research progress along with proteomics study of chromoplast proteomes signifies various processes and factors important for chromoplast differentiation and development. Chromoplasts act as a metabolic sink that enables great biosynthesis and high storage capacity of carotenoids. The formation of chromoplasts enhances carotenoid metabolic sink strength and controls carotenoid accumulation in plants. The objective of this review is to provide an integrated view on our understanding of chromoplast biogenesis and carotenoid accumulation in plants.
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Babu R, Rojas NP, Gao S, Yan J, Pixley K. Validation of the effects of molecular marker polymorphisms in LcyE and CrtRB1 on provitamin A concentrations for 26 tropical maize populations. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2013; 126:389-99. [PMID: 23052023 PMCID: PMC3555234 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-012-1987-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/15/2012] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) compromises immune function and is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children in many developing countries. Biofortification, or breeding staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients, provides a sustainable way to fight VAD and other micronutrient malnutrition problems. Polymorphisms, with associated molecular markers, have recently been identified for two loci, LcyE (lycopene epsilon cyclase) and CrtRB1 (β-carotene hydroxylase 1) that govern critical steps in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in maize endosperm, thereby enabling the opportunity to integrate marker-assisted selection (MAS) into carotenoid breeding programs. We validated the effects of 3 polymorphisms (LcyE5'TE, LcyE3'Indel and CrtRB1-3'TE) in 26 diverse tropical genetic backgrounds. CrtRB1-3'TE had a two-ten fold effect on enhancing beta-carotene (BC) and total provitamin A (proA) content. Reduced-function, favorable polymorphisms within LcyE resulted in 0-30 % reduction in the ratio of alpha- to beta-branch carotenoids, and increase in proA content (sometimes statistically significant). CrtRB1-3'TE had large, significant effect on enhancing BC and total ProA content, irrespective of genetic constitution for LcyE5'TE. Genotypes with homozygous favorable CrtRB1-3'TE alleles had much less zeaxanthin and an average of 25 % less total carotenoid than other genotypes, suggesting that feedback inhibition may be reducing the total flux into the carotenoid pathway. Because this feedback inhibition was most pronounced in the homozygous favorable LcyE (reduced-function) genotypes, and because maximum total proA concentrations were achieved in genotypes with homozygous unfavorable or heterozygous LcyE, we recommend not selecting for both reduced-function genes in breeding programs. LcyE exhibited significant segregation distortion (SD) in all the eight, while CrtRB1 in five of eight digenic populations studied, with favorable alleles of both the genes frequently under-represented. MAS using markers reported herein can efficiently increase proA carotenoid concentration in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raman Babu
- CIMMYT, Apdo Postal 6-641, 06600, Mexico, D. F., Mexico.
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Qin X, Zhang W, Dubcovsky J, Tian L. Cloning and comparative analysis of carotenoid β-hydroxylase genes provides new insights into carotenoid metabolism in tetraploid (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) and hexaploid (Triticum aestivum) wheat grains. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2012; 80:631-46. [PMID: 23015203 PMCID: PMC4783145 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-012-9972-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoid β-hydroxylases attach hydroxyl groups to the β-ionone rings (β-rings) of carotenoid substrates, resulting in modified structures and functions of carotenoid molecules. We cloned and characterized two genes (each with three homeologs), HYD1 and HYD2, which encode β-hydroxylases in wheat. The results from bioinformatic and nested degenerate PCR analyses collectively suggest that HYD1 and HYD2 may represent the entire complement of non-heme di-iron β-hydroxylases in wheat. The homeologs of wheat HYDs exhibited major β-ring and minor ε-ring hydroxylation activities in carotenoid-accumulating E. coli strains. Distinct expression patterns were observed for different HYD genes and homeologs in vegetative tissues and developing grains of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat, suggesting their functional divergence and differential regulatory control in tissue-, grain development-, and ploidy-specific manners. An intriguing observation was that the expression of HYD1, particularly HYD-B1, reached highest levels at the last stage of tetraploid and hexaploid grain development, suggesting that carotenoids (at least xanthophylls) were still actively synthesized in mature grains. This result challenges the common perception that carotenoids are simply being turned over during wheat grain development after their initial biosynthesis at the early grain development stages. Overall, this improved understanding of carotenoid biosynthetic gene expression and carotenoid metabolism in wheat grains will contribute to the improvement of the nutritional value of wheat grains for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Li Tian
- Corresponding author: Department of Plant Sciences, Mail Stop 3, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, Phone: (530) 7520940, Fax: (530) 7529659,
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Rodríguez-Suárez C, Atienza SG. Hordeum chilense genome, a useful tool to investigate the endosperm yellow pigment content in the Triticeae. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2012; 12:200. [PMID: 23122232 PMCID: PMC3534404 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-12-200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The wild barley Hordeum chilense fulfills some requirements for being a useful tool to investigate the endosperm yellow pigment content (YPC) in the Triticeae including its diploid constitution, the availability of genetic resources (addition and deletion stocks and a high density genetic map) and, especially, its high seed YPC not silenced in tritordeums (amphiploids derived from H. chilense and wheat). Thus, the aim of this work was to test the utility of the H. chilense genome for investigating the YPC in the Triticeae. RESULTS Twelve genes related to endosperm carotenoid content and/or YPC in grasses (Dxr, Hdr [synonym ispH], Ggpps1, Psy2, Psy3, Pds, Zds, e-Lcy, b-Lcy, Hyd3, Ccd1 and Ppo1) were identified, and mapped in H. chilense using rice genes to identify orthologs from barley, wheat, sorghum and maize. Macrocolinearity studies revealed that gene positions were in agreement in H. vulgare and H. chilense. Additionally, three main regions associated with YPC were identified in chromosomes 2Hch, 3Hch and 7Hch in H. chilense, the former being the most significant one. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained are consistent with previous findings in wheat and suggest that Ggpps1, Zds and Hyd3 on chromosome 2Hch may be considered candidate genes in wheat for further studies in YPC improvement. Considering the syntenic location of carotenoid genes in H. chilense, we have concluded that the Hch genome may constitute a valuable tool for YPC studies in the Triticeae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio G Atienza
- Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible, IAS-CSIC, Apdo 4084, Córdoba, E-14080, Spain
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Quinlan RF, Shumskaya M, Bradbury LM, Beltrán J, Ma C, Kennelly EJ, Wurtzel ET. Synergistic interactions between carotene ring hydroxylases drive lutein formation in plant carotenoid biosynthesis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 160:204-14. [PMID: 22786888 PMCID: PMC3440199 DOI: 10.1104/pp.112.198556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 07/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant carotenoids play essential roles in photosynthesis, photoprotection, and as precursors to apocarotenoids. The plastid-localized carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is mediated by well-defined nucleus-encoded enzymes. However, there is a major gap in understanding the nature of protein interactions and pathway complexes needed to mediate carotenogenesis. In this study, we focused on carotene ring hydroxylation, which is performed by two structurally distinct classes of enzymes, the P450 CYP97A and CYP97C hydroxylases and the nonheme diiron HYD enzymes. The CYP97A and HYD enzymes both function in the hydroxylation of β-rings in carotenes, but we show that they are not functionally interchangeable. The formation of lutein, which involves hydroxylation of both β- and ε-rings, was shown to require the coexpression of CYP97A and CYP97C enzymes. These enzymes were also demonstrated to interact in vivo and in vitro, as determined using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and a pull-down assay, respectively. We discuss the role of specific hydroxylase enzyme interactions in promoting pathway flux and preventing the formation of pathway dead ends. These findings will facilitate efforts to manipulate carotenoid content and composition for improving plant adaptation to climate change and/or for enhancing nutritionally important carotenoids in food crops.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jesús Beltrán
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York 10468 (R.F.Q., M.S., L.M.T.B., J.B., C.M., E.J.K., E.T.W.); and Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016 (R.F.Q., J.B., E.J.K., E.T.W.)
| | | | - Edward J. Kennelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York 10468 (R.F.Q., M.S., L.M.T.B., J.B., C.M., E.J.K., E.T.W.); and Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016 (R.F.Q., J.B., E.J.K., E.T.W.)
| | - Eleanore T. Wurtzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York 10468 (R.F.Q., M.S., L.M.T.B., J.B., C.M., E.J.K., E.T.W.); and Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016 (R.F.Q., J.B., E.J.K., E.T.W.)
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Shumskaya M, Bradbury LM, Monaco RR, Wurtzel ET. Plastid localization of the key carotenoid enzyme phytoene synthase is altered by isozyme, allelic variation, and activity. THE PLANT CELL 2012; 24:3725-41. [PMID: 23023170 PMCID: PMC3480298 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.112.104174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 08/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/05/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant carotenoids have unique physiological roles related to specific plastid suborganellar locations. Carotenoid metabolic engineering could enhance plant adaptation to climate change and improve food security and nutritional value. However, lack of fundamental knowledge on carotenoid pathway localization limits targeted engineering. Phytoene synthase (PSY), a major rate-controlling carotenoid enzyme, is represented by multiple isozymes residing at unknown plastid sites. In maize (Zea mays), the three isozymes were transiently expressed and found either in plastoglobuli or in stroma and thylakoid membranes. PSY1, with one to two residue modifications of naturally occurring functional variants, exhibited altered localization, associated with distorted plastid shape and formation of a fibril phenotype. Mutating the active site of the enzyme reversed this phenotype. Discovery of differential PSY locations, linked with activity and isozyme type, advances the engineering potential for modifying carotenoid biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Shumskaya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York, 10468
| | - Louis M.T. Bradbury
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York, 10468
| | - Regina R. Monaco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York, 10468
| | - Eleanore T. Wurtzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, Bronx, New York, 10468
- Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016-4309
- Address correspondence to
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