Abstract

Carotenoids are terpenoid pigments very widespread in nature. Dietary carotenoids are to prevent chronic diseases. In a previous EU-financed effort, the current consortium has obtained genetically modified, high-beta-carotene, "golden" rice and tomatoes. The present project to extend this approach to high value-added carotenoids and crops of European interest. Isolation of new genes is envisaged, as well as agronomic, genomic and nutritional studies to address the "substantial equivalence" issue between GM and non-GM plants with altered carotenoid composition.

Objectives

• To isolate plant structural and regulatory genes for the synthesis of antioxidant carotenoids.
• To transform the tomato fruit into a cell factory for carotenoids: overproduction of lycopene, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin and lutein.
• To transform the potato tuber into a cell factory for carotenoids: overproduction of lycopene and beta-carotene.
• To compare, using DNA microarrays, genetically modified crops and classical mutants with altered carotenoid composition.
• To determine the carotenoid bioavailability in GM crops.
• To evaluate the agronomic performance of GM crops.

Description of the work

The workplan is organized into three workpackages:

WP1 Gene hunting: This deals with the isolation of the still-missing structural genes in carotenoid metabolism (epsilon-hydroxylase; aldehyde oxidase and glycosylase; tangerine; neoxanthin synthase). Regulatory genes, like tomato white flower and Arabidopsis genes affecting pigmentation and carotenoid gene promoter expression, will be also sought.

WP2 Genetic engineering and metabolic genomics: This deals with the modification of carotenoid content in tomato and potato, using genetically modified and mutant lines, and with the study, by microarray technology, of the genome expression profiles in such modified lines.

WP3 Nutritional and agronomic evaluation: This deals with the evaluation of the antioxidant and provitamin A activity of carotenoid-fortified plants using animal and in vitro models and with evaluation of the agronomic performance of genetically modified and mutant plants existing in the network and arising from workpackage 2.

• Novel plant genes for the synthesis of high value-added carotenoids.
• Synthesis of novel carotenoids in tomato and potato.
• Data on the genomic expression profile in GM plants.
• Data on the bioavailability of carotenoids from GM plants.
• Data on the agronomic performance of GM plants.

Contacts

Coordinator

• Giovanni GIULIANO / ENEA Ente per le Nuove Technologie L`Energia e l`ambiente / ITALY

Participant

• Peter BEYER / Albert-Ludwig-Universitat Freiburg Institut fur Biologie 11-Zellbiol / GERMANY
• Bilal CAMARA / CNRS Institut de Biologie Moleculaire / FRANCE
• Renato Faraone MENNELLA / FarMen SnC ITALY
• Joseph HIRSCHBERG / The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Dept. Genetics / ISRAEL
• Hans BIESALSKI / University Hohenheim Dept Biological Chemistry & Nutrition / GERMANY
• Peter M BRAMLEY / University of London Royal Holloway. School Biological Sci. / UNITED KINGDOM
• Marcel KUNTZ / Université Joseph Fourier FRANCE
• Zeneca Agrochemicals Jealot's Hill Research Station / UNITED KINGDOM