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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321515
Title: Biofortified indica rice attains iron and zinc nutrition dietary targets in the field

Author
item TRIJATMIKO, KURNIAWAN - International Rice Research Institute
item DUENAS, CONRADO - International Rice Research Institute
item TORRIZO, LINA - International Rice Research Institute
item OLIVA, NORMAN - International Rice Research Institute
item FRANCISCO, PERIGIO - International Rice Research Institute
item MAE ARINES, FELICHI - International Rice Research Institute
item ADEVA, CHERYL - International Rice Research Institute
item BALINDONG, JEANETTE - International Rice Research Institute
item SAPASAP, VERONICA - International Rice Research Institute
item BARRY, GERARD - International Rice Research Institute
item SLAMET-LOEDIN, INEZ - International Rice Research Institute
item LOMBI, ENZO - University Of South Australia
item STANGOULIS, JAMES - Flinders University
item JOHNSON, ALEXANDER - University Of Melbourne
item Tako, Elad
item Glahn, Raymond

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2015
Publication Date: 1/25/2016
Publication URL: http://DOI: 10.1038/srep19792
Citation: Trijatmiko, K.R., Duenas, C., Torrizo, L., Oliva, N., Francisco, P., Mae Arines, F., Adeva, C., Balindong, J., Sapasap, V., Barry, G., Slamet-Loedin, I.H., Lombi, E., Stangoulis, J., Johnson, A., Tako, E.N., Glahn, R.P. 2016. Biofortified indica rice attains iron and zinc nutrition dietary targets in the field. Scientific Reports. 6:19792.

Interpretive Summary: Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies are the most prevalent micronutrient dietary deficiencies worldwide. Fe in rice has proven efficacious in improving serum ferritin (iron binding protein) concentration and body Fe levels (suggesting increased Fe uptake from rice). Rapid progress in biofortification demonstrates the feasibility to enhance Fe in polished rice by expressing iron storage, chelator or transporter genes or their combination. However, potential Fe biofortified rice products with sufficient nutritional level, amenable to deregulation and wide farmer adoption are not available yet. We hypothesize that the choice of iron chelator in combination with storage protein are crucial to create the desired Fe level. We introduced rice nicotianamine synthase (OsNAS2) and soybean ferritin (SoyferH-1) genes driven by CaMV35S and glutelin (GluA-2) promoters respectively into elite IR64 indica rice. A well-defined T-DNA integration transgenic event with polished grain Fe concentration of 11 ug/g and 50 ug/g Zn was achieved in the field. We observed 6-fold increase in iron bioavailability. This finding is significant to the area of rice biofortification and as part of the constant battle in dietary Zn and Fe deficiency and anemia.

Technical Abstract: Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies are the most prevalent micronutrient malnutrition globally1. Fe in rice has proven efficacious in improving serum ferritin concentration and body Fe levels2. Rapid progress in biofortification demonstrates the feasibility to enhance Fe in polished rice by expressing iron storage, chelator or transporter genes or their combination3. However, potential Fe biofortified rice products with sufficient nutritional level, amenable to deregulation and wide farmer adoption are not available yet. We hypothesize that the choice of iron chelator in combination with storage protein are crucial to create the desired Fe level. We introduced rice nicotianamine synthase (OsNAS2)4 and soybean ferritin (SoyferH-1)5 genes driven by CaMV35S and glutelin (GluA-2) promoters6 respectively into elite IR64 indica rice. A well-defined T-DNA integration transgenic event with polished grain Fe concentration of 11 ug/g and 50 ug/g Zn was achieved in the field. We observed 6-fold increase in iron bioavailability.