Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Simultaneous expression of Arabidopsis ρ-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase and MPBQ methyltransferase in transgenic corn kernels triples the tocopherol content

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Transgenic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The quantity and composition of tocopherols (compounds with vitamin E activity) vary widely among different plant species reflecting the expression, activity and substrate specificity of enzymes in the corresponding metabolic pathway. Two Arabidopsis cDNA clones corresponding to ρ-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) and 2-methyl-6-phytylplastoquinol methyltransferase (MPBQ MT) were constitutively expressed in corn to further characterize the pathway and increase the kernel tocopherol content. Transgenic kernels contained up to 3 times as much γ-tocopherol as their wild type counterparts whereas other tocopherol isomers remained undetectable. Biofortification by metabolic engineering offers a sustainable alternative to vitamin E supplementation for the improvement of human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Bramley P, Elmadfa I, Kafatos A, Kelly FJ, Manios Y, Roxborough HE, Schuch W, Sheehy PJA, Wagner K-H (2000) Vitamin E. J Sci Food Agric 80:913–938

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burton GW, Traber MG, Acuff RV, Walters DN, Kayden H, Hughes L, Ingold KU (1998) Human plasma and tissue a-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E. Am J Clin Nutr 67:669–684

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen AH, Quail PH (1996) Ubiquitin promoter-based vectors for high level expression of selectable and/or screenable marker genes in monocotyledonous plants. Transgenic Res 5:213–218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DellaPenna D, Last RL (2006) Progress in the dissection and manipulation of plant vitamin E biosynthesis. Physiol Planta 126:356–368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falk J, Andersen G, Kernebeck B, Krupinska K (2003) Constitutive over-expression of barley 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase in tobacco results in elevation of the vitamin E content in seeds but not in leaves. FEBS Lett 540:35–40

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Galera S, Rojas E, Sudhakar D, Zhu C, Pelacho AM, Capell T, Christou P (2009) Critical evaluation of strategies for mineral fortification of staple food crops. Transgenic Res 19:165–180

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grusak MA, DellaPenna D (1999) Improving the nutrient composition of plants to enhance human nutrition and health. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 50:133–161

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Munne-Bosch S, Alegre L (2002) The function of tocopherols and tocotrienols in plants. Crit Rev Plant Sci 21:31–57

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naqvi S, Zhu C, Farre G, Ramessar K, Bassie L, Breitenbach J, Conesa D, Ros G, Sandmann G, Capell T, Christou P (2009) Transgenic multivitamin corn through biofortification of endosperm with three vitamins representing three distinct metabolic pathways. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:7762–7767

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Raclaru M, Gruber J, Kumar R, Sadre R, Luhs W, Zarhloul K, Friedt W, Frentzen M, Weier D (2006) Increase of the tocochromanol content in transgenic Brassica napus seeds by overexpression of key enzymes involved in prenylquinone biosynthesis. Mol Breed 18:93–107

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ricciarelli R, Zingg JM, Azzi A (2001) Vitamin E: protective role of a Janus molecule. FASEB J 15:2314–2325

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shintani DK, DellaPenna D (1998) Elevating the vitamin E content of plants though metabolic engineering. Science 282:2098–2100

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Soll J, Schultz G, Joyard J, Douce R, Block MA (1985) Localization and synthesis of prenylquinones in isolated outer and inner envelope membranes from spinach chloroplasts. Arch Biochem Biophys 238:290–299

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Traber MG, Sies H (1996) Vitamin E in humans—demand and delivery. Annu Rev Nutr 16:321–347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tsegaye Y, Shintani DK, DellaPenna D (2002) Overexpression of the enzyme p hydroxyphenolpyruvate dioxygenase in Arabidopsis and its relation to tocopherol biosynthesis. Plant Physiol Biochem 40:913–920

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Eenennaam AL, Lincoln K, Durrett TP, Valentin HE, Shewmaker CK, Thorne GM, Jiang J, Baszis SR, Levering CK, Aasen ED, Hao M, Stein JC, Norris SR, Last RL (2003) Engineering vitamin E content: from Arabidopsis mutant to soy oil. Plant Cell 15:3007–3019

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu C, Naqvi S, Gomez-Galera S, Pelacho AM, Capell T, Christou P (2007) Transgenic strategies for the nutritional enhancement of plants. Trends Plant Sci 12:548–555

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu C, Naqvi S, Breitenbach J, Sandmann G, Christou P, Capell T (2008) Combinatorial genetic transformation generates a library of metabolic phenotypes for the carotenoids pathway in maize. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:18232–18237

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (BFU2007-61413); BIOFORCE ERC advanced grant to PC; S.N. and G.F. are recipients of Ph.D. fellowships from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (BES-2005-9161).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Shaista Naqvi, Gemma Farré, Changfu Zhu, Teresa Capell & Paul Christou

  2. Biosynthesis Group, Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, 60054, Frankfurt, Germany

    Gerhard Sandmann

  3. Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, 08010, Barcelona, Spain

    Paul Christou

Authors
  1. Shaista Naqvi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gemma Farré
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Changfu Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gerhard Sandmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Teresa Capell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Paul Christou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Christou.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Naqvi, S., Farré, G., Zhu, C. et al. Simultaneous expression of Arabidopsis ρ-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase and MPBQ methyltransferase in transgenic corn kernels triples the tocopherol content. Transgenic Res 20, 177–181 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-010-9393-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-010-9393-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation