Engineering the Provitamin A (β-Carotene) Biosynthetic Pathway into (Carotenoid-Free) Rice Endosperm

2000/01/14 by Xudong Ye, Salim Al‐Babili, Andreas Klöti +4 · 9 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Animal Genetics and Reproduction #Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms

paper · doi:10.1126/science.287.5451.303

openalex publication_date 2000/01/14 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa), a major staple food, is usually milled to remove the oil-rich aleurone layer that turns rancid upon storage, especially in tropical areas. The remaining edible part of rice grains, the endosperm, lacks several essential nutrients, such as provitamin A. Thus, predominant rice consumption promotes vitamin A deficiency, a serious public health problem in at least 26 countries, including highly populated areas of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Recombinant DNA technology was used to improve its nutritional value in this respect. A combination of transgenes enabled biosynthesis of provitamin A in the endosperm.

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