Biotech Plants Express Higher Ascorbic Acid Levels

Biotech Plants Express Higher Ascorbic Acid Levels

RIVERSIDE, Calif.--It may be possible to increasethe amount of vitamin C a plant produces through genetic modification, accordingto scientists at the University of California, Riverside. They published theirexperiment in the March 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academyof Sciences (100, 6:3525-30, 2003) (www.pnas.org).In corn plants, researchers enhanced levels of vitamin C by increasingexpression of a particular enzyme, dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). Thisenzyme initiates a metabolic process that allows used ascorbic acid, which is inan oxidized form, to be regenerated. Researchers found that by modifying plantsto increase DHAR expression, ascorbic acid levels in the corn's grain and leaveswere increased two- to four-fold.