Abstract
‘Hidden hunger’ involves insufficient intake of micronutrients and is estimated to affect over two billion people on a global scale. Malnutrition of vitamins and minerals is known to cause an alarming number of casualties, even in the developed world. Many staple crops, although serving as the main dietary component for large population groups, deliver inadequate amounts of micronutrients. Biofortification, the augmentation of natural micronutrient levels in crop products through breeding or genetic engineering, is a pivotal tool in the fight against micronutrient malnutrition (MNM). Although these approaches have shown to be successful in several species, a more extensive knowledge of plant metabolism and function of these micronutrients is required to refine and improve biofortification strategies. This review focuses on the relevant B-vitamins (B1, B6, and B9). First, the role of these vitamins in plant physiology is elaborated, as well their biosynthesis. Second, the rationale behind vitamin biofortification is illustrated in view of pathophysiology and epidemiology of the deficiency. Furthermore, advances in biofortification, via metabolic engineering or breeding, are presented. Finally, considerations on B-vitamin multi-biofortified crops are raised, comprising the possible interplay of these vitamins in planta.
Highlights
In an era of tremendous technological capabilities, insufficient accessibility to nutritious food, a primary human need, still affects over two billion people on a global scale (Bailey et al, 2015; Gupta, 2017)
In the biosynthesis of B6, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P), an intermediate in central energy metabolism, serves as a substrate (Fudge et al, 2017), the steady state concentration of which might be altered in B1 engineered lines (Bocobza et al, 2013). In altering this central metabolism equilibrium, B1 augmentation might influence the flux through the shikimate pathway (Bocobza et al, 2013), the activity of which is required in the plastidial part of folate biosynthesis (Strobbe and Van Der Straeten, 2017)
aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR), an important substrate in B1 biosynthesis (Pourcel et al, 2013), is derived from purine metabolism, the synthesis of which is dependent on folate (Strobbe and Van Der Straeten, 2017)
Summary
In an era of tremendous technological capabilities, insufficient accessibility to nutritious food, a primary human need, still affects over two billion people on a global scale (Bailey et al, 2015; Gupta, 2017). The different folate species, called vitamers, are chemically different on three levels, being the oxidation state, the glutamate tail length and the nature of C1-substituents (Blancquaert et al, 2010; Strobbe and Van Der Straeten, 2017). Folates are required in biosynthesis of many plant metabolites including pantothenate (vitamin B5) and formyl methionyl tRNA as well as serine and glycine interconversion and catabolism of histidine (Blancquaert et al, 2010).
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