ABSTRACT
Resveratrol is synthesized by the catalysis of resveratrol synthases (RS) in a limited number of higher plants. Resveratrol shows potential health-promoting properties, including as an antioxidant and in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Recently, resveratrol-enriched rice has been produced as a novel source of resveratrol. This study aimed to investigate the major agronomic characteristics of resveratrol-enriched rice, Iksan526 (I526) and compared them with those of a nontransgenic and commercial rice variety, Dongjin (DJ). Transgene (RS) integration was confirmed using Southern blot analysis, and homologous recombination was achieved after digestion with the SacI restriction enzyme. The phenotypic traits of I526 grown in Iksan were similar to those grown in Milyang but not similar to those grown in Suwon. In Suwon, I526 had slightly earlier heading dates [i.e., number of days from sowing to heading) and shorter culm lengths. When I526 was treated with 0.4% Basta in the seedling stage, no significant difference was observed among all the agronomic traits compared with nontreated I526; particularly, the culm length, panicle length, number of panicles per hill, 1,000 grain weight of brown rice, and brown rice yield of the Basta-treated rice were similar to those of the nontreated I526, regardless of their cultivation region. The resveratrol content of I526 grown in Suwon and Milyang was increased by 18% and 37%, respectively, than that of I526 grown in the Iksan area. Therefore, DJ and I526 are not significantly different in terms of major agronomic traits depending on variety/year and variety/cultivation region. The results indicated that I526 has the potential to become a commercialized variety in the near future.
Subject(s)
Oryza , Edible Grain , Oryza/genetics , Phenotype , Resveratrol , SeedlingsABSTRACT
Influences of allelic variations in starch synthesis-related genes (SSRGs) on rice grain quality were examined. A total of 187 nonglutinous Korean rice varieties, consisting of 170 Japonica and 17 Tongil-type varieties, were grown in the field and in two greenhouse conditions. The percentages of head rice and chalky grains, amylose content, alkali digestion value, and rapid visco-analysis characteristics were evaluated in the three different environments. Among the 10 previously reported SSRG markers used in this study, seven were polymorphic, and four of those showed subspecies-specific allele distributions. Six out of the seven polymorphic SSRG markers were significantly associated with at least one grain quality trait (R (2) > 0.1) across the three different environments. However, the association level and significance were markedly lower when the analysis was repeated using only the 170 Japonica varieties. Similarly, the significant associations between SSRG allelic variations and changes in grain quality traits under increased temperature were largely attributable to the biased allele frequency between the two subpopulations. Our results suggest that within Korean Japonica varieties, these 10 major SSRG loci have been highly fixed during breeding history and variations in grain quality traits might be influenced by other genetic factors.
ABSTRACT
Resveratrol has been clinically shown to possess a number of human health benefits. As a result, many attempts have been made to engineer resveratrol production in major cereal grains but have been largely unsuccessful. In this study, we report the creation of a transgenic rice plant that accumulates 1.9 µg resveratrol/g in its grain, surpassing the previously reported anti-metabolic syndrome activity of resveratrol through a synergistic interaction between the transgenic resveratrol and the endogenous properties of the rice. Consumption of our transgenic resveratrol-enriched rice significantly improved all aspects of metabolic syndrome and related diseases in animals fed a high-fat diet. Compared with the control animals, the resveratrol-enriched rice reduced body weight, blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol by 24.7%, 22%, 37.4%, 27%, and 59.6%, respectively. The resveratrol-enriched rice from our study may thus provide a safe and convenient means of preventing metabolic syndrome and related diseases without major lifestyle changes or the need for daily medications. These results also suggest that future transgenic plants could be improved if the synergistic interactions of the transgene with endogenous traits of the plant are considered in the experimental design.