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Transgenic Multivitamin Biofortified Corn: Science, Regulation, and Politics

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Handbook of Food Fortification and Health

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiency is a major global challenge because at any one time up to 50 % of the world’s population may suffer from diseases caused by a chronic insufficient supply of vitamins and minerals, and this largely reflects the lack of access to a diverse diet [1]. In developed countries, micronutrient deficiency is addressed by encouraging the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with supplementation and fortification programs to enhance the nutritional value of staple foods [2]. In contrast, the populations of developing countries typically subsist on a monotonous diet of milled cereal grains such as rice or maize, which are poor sources of vitamins and minerals. Strategies that have been proposed to overcome micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries include supplementation, fortification, and the implementation of conventional breeding and genetic engineering programs to generate nutrient-rich varieties of staple crops. Unfortunately, the first two strategies have been largely unsuccessful because of the insufficient funding, poor governance, and dysfunctional distribution network in developing country settings [3]. Biofortification programs based on conventional breeding have enjoyed only marginal success because of the limited available genetic diversity and the time required to develop crops with enhanced nutritional properties as well as desirable agronomic characteristics. It is also impossible to conceive of a conventional breeding strategy that would ever produce “nutritionally complete” cereals [2]. More promising results have been obtained by engineering the metabolic pathways leading to provitamin A, vitamin B9, and vitamin C (β-carotene, folate, and ascorbate) in the same transgenic corn line [4]. Genetic engineering therefore has immense potential to improve the nutritional properties of staple crops and contribute to better health, although a number of technical, economical, regulatory, and sociopolitical constraints remain to be addressed.

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Abbreviations

Adcs:

Aminodeoxychorismate synthase

CRTB:

Bacterial phytoene synthase

CRTI:

Bacterial phytoene desaturase/isomerase

CRTY:

Bacterial lycopene cyclase

Dhar:

Dehydroascorbate reductase

DHPS:

7,8-Dihydropteroate synthase

EU:

European Union

folE:

E. coli GTP cyclohydrolase

FPGS:

Folypolyglutamate synthetase

GalLDH:

l-Galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase

gch1:

GTP cyclohydrolase 1

GGP:

GDP-l-galactose phosphorylase

GGPP:

Geranylgeranyl diphosphate

Glbch:

Gent iana lutea β-carotene hydroxylase

Gllycb:

Gentiana lutea lycopene β-cyclase

GLOase:

l-Gulono1,4-lactone oxidase

GME:

GDP-d-mannose-3′,5′-epimerase

HGA:

Homogentisic acid

HMDHP:

Hydroxymethyldihydropterin

HPP:

ρ-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid

HPPD:

ρ-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid dioxygenase

HPPK:

6-Hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase

HPT1:

Homogentisate phytyltransferase

MDHA:

Monodehydroascorbate

MPBQ:

2-Methyl-6-phytylbenzoquino

MPBQ MT:

MPBQ methyltransferase

Or:

Orange

PABA:

p-Aminobenzoate

PacrtI:

Pantoea ananatis phytoene desaturase

ParacrtW:

Paracoccus β-carotene ketolase

PSY1:

Phytoene synthase

RAE:

Retinol activity equivalent

RDI:

Reference daily intake

RNAi:

RNA interference

TC:

Tocopherol cyclase

TyrA:

Prephenate dehydrogenase

Zmpsy1:

Zea mays phytoene synthase 1

γ-TMT:

γ-Tocopherol methyltransferase

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Acknowledgement

Research at the Universitat de Lleida is supported by MICINN, Spain (BIO2011-23324; BIO02011-22525; BIO2012-35359; PIM2010PKB-00746); European Union Framework 7 Program-SmartCell Integrated Project 222716; European Union Framework 7 European Research Council IDEAS Advanced Grant (to PC) Program-BIOFORCE; RecerCaixa; COST Action FA0804: Molecular farming: plants as a production platform for high value proteins; Centre CONSOLIDER on Agrigenomics funded by MICINN, Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, ETSEA, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio Center, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure, 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Gemma Farré Ph.D., Shaista Naqvi Ph.D., Uxue Zorrilla-López, Georgina Sanahuja, Judit Berman, Paul Christou Ph.D., Teresa Capell Ph.D. & Changfu Zhu Ph.D.

  2. MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit, College of Life Sciences, Sir James Black Complex, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK

    Shaista Naqvi Ph.D.

  3. Bisynthesis Group, Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, 60054, Frankfurt, Germany

    Gerhard Sandmann Ph.D.

  4. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Gaspar Ros Ph.D. & Rubén López-Nicolás Ph.D.

  5. TRM Ltd., 93, York, YO43 3WE, UK

    Richard M. Twyman Ph.D.

  6. Institució Catalana de Recerca I Estudis Avançats, 08010, Barcelona, Spain

    Paul Christou Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Gemma Farré Ph.D.
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  2. Shaista Naqvi Ph.D.
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  12. Changfu Zhu Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Christou Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. University Hospital Lewisham, Department of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, Kings College Hospital, London, SM68SU, United Kingdom

    Rajaventhan Srirajaskanthan

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Farré, G. et al. (2013). Transgenic Multivitamin Biofortified Corn: Science, Regulation, and Politics. In: Preedy, V., Srirajaskanthan, R., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Food Fortification and Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7076-2_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7076-2_26

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