Golden Rice: Can it defeat vitamin A deficiency?

Engineering the provitamin A (beta-carotene) biosynthetic pathway into (carotenoid-free) rice endosperm. Ye X, Al-Babili S, Klöti A, Zhang J, Lucca P, Beyer P, Potrykus I. Science. 2000 Jan 14;287(5451):303-5. doi: 10.1126/science.287.5451.303.

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More than 20 years on from its first publication, where is Golden Rice now?

Golden Rice was the first case of pathway engineering and a proof-of-concept that beta-carotene could be introduced into the rice endosperm. Yet, it seems this magical rice has all but disappeared from the public eye.

The Golden Rice Project was proposed as a solution for the health crisis of vitamin A deficiency affecting countless developing countries. It attempted to increase the dietary intake of vitamin A by genetically engineering the pathway to synthesize beta-carotene into the rice endosperm, which is broken down to vitamin A in the human gut. To achieve this, two genes from the daffodil plant and one from a soil bacterium were inserted into the rice genome via agrobacterium mediated transformation, which is a common method in plant genetic engineering. Thus in 2000, the publication introduced the prototype Golden Rice, yielding 1.6 µg/g of beta-carotene.

Despite its success, the Golden Rice Project faced strong opposition from anti-GMO organisations, stalling its introduction into the agricultural real world. Today, there remains a need for an effective solution to vitamin A deficiency. In 2020, only two out of five children in need received the life-saving benefits of vitamin A supplementation due to service disruptions caused by COVID-19 restrictions. But there is hope on the horizon. In 2021, the Philippines became the first country to approve Golden Rice for commercial use. Nevertheless, Golden Rice still has a long way to go before it can eradicate vitamin A deficiency.

So, how did Golden Rice come to be a tale of epic scientific advancement? Let’s find out.

Creator: Katty Fisher

References:
Al-Babili S, Beyer P. 2005. Golden Rice – five years on the road – five years to go? Trends Plant Sci. 10(12): 565 - 573. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2005.10.006.
Bawa AS, Anilakumar KR. 2013. Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and public concerns – a review. J. Food Sci. Technol. 50(6): 1035 - 1046. DOI: 10.1007/s13197-012-0899-1.
Beyer P, Al-Babili S, Ye X, Lucca P, Schaub P, Welsch R, Potrykus I. 2002. Golden Rice: introducing the β-carotene biosynthesis pathway into rice endosperm by genetic engineering to defeat vitamin A deficiency. Symposium: Plant Breeding: A New Tool for Fighting Micronutrient Malnutrition; April 01; Orlando, Florida. J. Nutr. 132(3): 506 - 510.
IRRI. 2022. Golden Rice. [Laguna (Philippines)]: International Rice Research Institute; [accessed 2022 Oct 22]. https://www.irri.org/golden-rice.
Madeleine Nash J. 2000. This rice could save a million kids a year. [Zurich (Switzerland)]: TIME; [accessed 2022 Oct 12]. https://content.time.com/time/magazin....
Nester EW. 2015. Agrobacterium: nature’s genetic engineer. Front. Plant Sci. 5: Article 730. DOI:10.3389/fpls.2014.00730.
Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLiS). 2009. Vitamin A deficiency. World Health Organisation; [accessed 2022 Oct 12]. https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nl....
Potrykus I. 2001. Turning Point Article: The ‘Golden Rice’ Tale. In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol. Plant. 37: 93 - 100. DOI:10.1079/IVP2000168.
UNICEF: for every child. 2021. Vitamin A deficiency. United Nations; [accessed 2022 Oct 12]. https://data.unicef.org/topic/nutriti....
U.S Food & Drug Administration. 2022. GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond. United States Government; [accessed 2022 Oct 12]. https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural....
Ye X, Al-Babili S, Kloti A, Zhang J, Lucca P, Beyer P, Potrykus I. 2000. Engineering the provitamin A (β-carotene) biosynthetic pathway into (carotenoid-free) rice endosperm. Science. 287(5451): 303 - 305. DOI:10.1126/science.287.5451.303.