Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation

Carotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grain. Consequently, there...

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Main Authors: shengnan zhai, Xianchun Xia, Zhonghu He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2016-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.01197/full
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author shengnan zhai
Xianchun Xia
Zhonghu He
author_facet shengnan zhai
Xianchun Xia
Zhonghu He
author_sort shengnan zhai
collection DOAJ
description Carotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grain. Consequently, there is considerable interest in genetic manipulation of carotenoid content in cereal grain. In this review, we focus on carotenoid metabolism and regulation in non-green plant tissues, as well as genetic manipulation in staple cereals such as rice, maize, and wheat. Significant progress has been made in three aspects: (1) seven carotenogenes play vital roles in carotenoid regulation in non-green plant tissues, including DXS (1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase) influencing isoprenoid precursor supply, PSY (phytoene synthase), LCYB (β-cyclase) and LCYE (ε-cyclase) controlling biosynthesis, HYDB (1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase) and CCDs (carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases) responsible for degradation, and OR (orange) conditioning sequestration sink; (2) pro-vitamin A-biofortified crops, such as rice and maize, were developed by either metabolic engineering or marker-assisted breeding; (3) QTLs for carotenoid content on chromosomes 3B, 7A, and 7B were consistently identified, eight carotenogenes including 23 loci were detected, and ten gene-specific markers for carotenoid accumulation were developed and applied in wheat improvement. A comprehensive and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in crops will be benefitical in improving our precision in improving carotenoid contents. Genomic selection and gene editing are emerging as transformative technologies for vitamin A biofortification.
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spelling doaj.art-f9de9254029a43a1becd5fc6137695ab2022-12-21T23:36:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2016-08-01710.3389/fpls.2016.01197213794Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulationshengnan zhai0Xianchun Xia1Zhonghu He2Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesInstitute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesInstitute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesCarotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grain. Consequently, there is considerable interest in genetic manipulation of carotenoid content in cereal grain. In this review, we focus on carotenoid metabolism and regulation in non-green plant tissues, as well as genetic manipulation in staple cereals such as rice, maize, and wheat. Significant progress has been made in three aspects: (1) seven carotenogenes play vital roles in carotenoid regulation in non-green plant tissues, including DXS (1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase) influencing isoprenoid precursor supply, PSY (phytoene synthase), LCYB (β-cyclase) and LCYE (ε-cyclase) controlling biosynthesis, HYDB (1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase) and CCDs (carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases) responsible for degradation, and OR (orange) conditioning sequestration sink; (2) pro-vitamin A-biofortified crops, such as rice and maize, were developed by either metabolic engineering or marker-assisted breeding; (3) QTLs for carotenoid content on chromosomes 3B, 7A, and 7B were consistently identified, eight carotenogenes including 23 loci were detected, and ten gene-specific markers for carotenoid accumulation were developed and applied in wheat improvement. A comprehensive and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in crops will be benefitical in improving our precision in improving carotenoid contents. Genomic selection and gene editing are emerging as transformative technologies for vitamin A biofortification.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.01197/fullMetabolic EngineeringTriticummarker-assisted breedingCarotenoid metabolismCarotenoid regulationProvitamin A biofortifition
spellingShingle shengnan zhai
Xianchun Xia
Zhonghu He
Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
Frontiers in Plant Science
Metabolic Engineering
Triticum
marker-assisted breeding
Carotenoid metabolism
Carotenoid regulation
Provitamin A biofortifition
title Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
title_full Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
title_fullStr Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
title_full_unstemmed Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
title_short Carotenoids in staple cereals: Metabolism, regulation, and genetic manipulation
title_sort carotenoids in staple cereals metabolism regulation and genetic manipulation
topic Metabolic Engineering
Triticum
marker-assisted breeding
Carotenoid metabolism
Carotenoid regulation
Provitamin A biofortifition
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.01197/full
work_keys_str_mv AT shengnanzhai carotenoidsinstaplecerealsmetabolismregulationandgeneticmanipulation
AT xianchunxia carotenoidsinstaplecerealsmetabolismregulationandgeneticmanipulation
AT zhonghuhe carotenoidsinstaplecerealsmetabolismregulationandgeneticmanipulation