植物维生素E基因工程研究进展

维生素E(vitamin E)是一种脂溶性维生素,是生物体内最主要的抗氧化剂之一。本文综述了植物维生素E的合成途径及所涉及的相关基因,针对提高植物中维生素E含量的基因工程改造,提出三条途径,即提高代谢底物水平、提高植物生育酚总量和提高α 生育酚比例,分析了维生素E基因工程改造过程中需要考虑的因素,最后展望了未来作物维生素E的品质改良的研究方向。     

三烯生育酚研究进展

三烯生育酚和生育酚统称为维生素E,是重要的脂溶性维生素。维生素E只能在植物或者光合细菌中合成,是人类和动物必需且只能通过食物等摄取的重要维生素。一直以来,由于三烯生育酚与生育酚相比,生物活性较低且分布范围较小,人们对其研究相对较少。近些年的研究发现,由于三烯生育酚和生育酚的结构相似,因此三烯生育酚具有与生育酚相同的抗氧化等功能;但又由于三烯生育酚含有不饱和的植基侧链,使得三烯生育酚还具有一些不同于生育酚的功能,比如保护神经免受损伤、降低胆固醇、保护脑细胞免受损伤等。因此,三烯生育酚逐渐成为了研究热点。根据维生素E的生物合成途径,人们也开始了对三烯生育酚的生物强化研究,其合成途径中第一个关键酶基因HGGT的过表达是目前三烯生育酚含量提高的最有效途径;将来还需结合其合成调控的分子机制及其吸收利用问题,开发针对三烯生育酚的功能型产品。从三烯生育酚的合成途径、生物学功能、生物强化等方面进行了综述,并对今后的研究重点提出了展望。     

利用基因工程提高植物维生素E营养品质的策略

维生素E是一种对植物、动物和人类都具有重要作用的脂溶性维生素。而植物则是人类维生素E的主要来源。对维生素E的结构和合成途径进行了简单的介绍,并重点综述了利用基因工程提高植物维生素E营养品质的策略。这些策略主要包括导入编码影响维生素E总量相关酶的基因来提高维生素E的总量;导入编码影响维生素E组成相关酶的基因,提高α-生育酚在总生育酚中所占的比例,从而提高维生素E的活性。     

植物维生素E合成及其生物技术改良

维生素E是一种抗氧化剂 ,对植物、动物和人类自身都具有十分重要的作用 ,而植物则是人类维生素E的主要来源 ,因此克隆植物中维生素E合成的相关酶基因 ,对维生素E含量进行改良 ,具有重要意义。对植物中维生素E的合成途径 ,相关酶基因的克隆以及用生物技术的方法对维生素E含量进行遗传改良进行了综述。     

天然维生素E的研究进展

维生素E是一类脂溶性、具抗氧化功能的维生素,按其来源可分为天然维生素E和人工合成维生素E.对天然维生素E的功能、生物合成途径以及相关酶基因的研究方面进行了综述.其中,维生素E合成相关酶基因已经克隆及定位,尤其VTE5的发现,为生育酚合成研究开辟了一条新途径.人们已经开始利用基因工程技术研究提高植物天然维生素E产量的方法.     

植物维生素生物强化进展

维生素是动植物生长发育所必需的微量营养素,包括A、B族(B1、B2、B3、B5、B6、B7、B9、B12)、C、D、E和K等。这些物质由于人体内不能合成或合成量不足,所以虽然需要量很少,但必须从膳食特别是植物性食品中获得。因此,利用生物强化技术来提高植物合成的维生素含量可以有效地应对全球性维生素缺乏的问题,对人类的生存与健康具有重要意义。综述了近年来国内外植物中维生素代谢和生物强化的主要研究成果,并对利用分子设计育种进行维生素生物强化的未来发展方向进行了展望。     

HPLC法分析油菜种子油中维生素E的组成与含量

利用HPLC法分析了50份遗传背景丰富的白菜型油菜、甘蓝型油菜、芥菜型油菜和芸芥种子油中维生素E的组成与含量.研究结果显示,油菜种子油中主要含α-生育酚和γ -生育酚,且a-生育酚、γ-生育酚和维生素E总量均存在明显的基因型差异,甘蓝型油菜种子油中维生素E含量总体水平最高,平均总量较高,为123.11 mg/100g油,维生素E含量最高的Omega,总量为144.73 mg/100g油,α/γ-生育酚比值最高可达0.77.α-生育酚、γ-生育酚和维生素E总量与类胡萝卜素含量均呈现显著负相关,种子油中α-生育酚与含油量呈现显著正相关,α-生育酚、γ -生育酚和维生素E总量与生育期均呈现显著或极显著正相关,α-生育酚和维生素E总量与株高均呈现显著正相关,维生素E总量与千粒重呈显著正相关,而α-生育酚、γ-生育酚和维生素E总量与全株角果数和每角粒数相关不显著.     

HPLC分析油菜籽油中维生素E的组成与含量

本文利用ＨＰＬＣ法分析了５０份遗传背景丰富的白菜型油菜、甘蓝型油菜、芥菜型油菜和芸芥种子油中维生素E的组成与含量,研究结果显示,油菜种子油中主要含α-生育酚和? -生育酚,且α-生育酚、? -生育酚和维生素E总量均存在明显的基因型差异,甘蓝型油菜种子油中维生素E含量总体水平最高,平均总量较高,为123.11 mg/100g油, 维生素E含量最高的Omega,总量为144.73 mg/100g油, α/ ? -生育酚比值最高可达0.77。α-生育酚、? -生育酚和维生素E总量与类胡萝卜素含量均呈现显著以上负相关,种子油中α-生育酚与含油量呈现显著正相关,α-生育酚、? -生育酚和维生素E总量与生育期均呈现显著或极显著正相关,α-生育酚和维生素E总量与株高均呈现显著正相关,维生素E总量与千粒重呈显著正相关,而α-生育酚、? -生育酚和维生素E总量与全株角果数和每角粒数相关不显著。     

植物中维生素E的生物学功能研究进展

维生素E又称生育酚,是人类和动物营养所必需的一类脂溶性的维生素。维生素E只能在植物和光合细菌中合成,人类和动物只能通过摄入植物性食物或药物进行补充。与人类和动物相比,植物中维生素E的生物学功能研究进展相对缓慢。近些年得益于转基因植株或者植物突变体材料的获得,维生素E在植物体内的功能研究得到了迅速发展。综述了维生素E在种子萌发、植株生长发育、衰老过程、糖类运输、信号转导以及对逆境的响应等方面的生理功能,并对未来的研究提出了展望,以期为维生素E的基础和应用研究提供参考。     

利用微藻生产维生素E的研究现状与应用前景

维生素E（生育酚）是一种人体和动物所必需的脂溶性营养成分。植物油等组织是天然维生素E的重要来源之一。但植物组织中生育酚含量低,且大多为低活性类型。利用微藻进行维生素E生产很具商业化前景。其中裸藻生长速度快,α-生育酚含量高,可占生育酚总量的97％以上。对利用微藻生产维生素E的研究现状和应用进行了综述。     

Vitamin B1 de novo synthesis in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depends on external provision of 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is an essential cofactor for several key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism. Mammals have to salvage this crucial nutrient from their diet to complement their deficiency of de novo synthesis. In contrast, bacteria, fungi, plants and, as reported here, Plasmodium falciparum, possess a vitamin B1 biosynthesis pathway. The plasmodial pathway identified consists of the three vitamin B1 biosynthetic enzymes 5-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-4-methylthiazole (THZ) kinase (ThiM), 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine (HMP)/HMP-P kinase (ThiD) and thiamine phosphate synthase (ThiE). Recombinant PfThiM and PfThiD proteins were biochemically characterised, revealing K(m)app values of 68 microM for THZ and 12 microM for HMP. Furthermore, the ability of PfThiE for generating vitamin B1 was analysed by a complementation assay with thiE-negative E. coli mutants. All three enzymes are expressed throughout the developmental blood stages, as shown by Northern blotting, which indicates the presence of the vitamin B1 biosynthesis enzymes. However, cultivation of the parasite in minimal medium showed a dependency on the provision of HMP or thiamine. These results demonstrate that the human malaria parasite P. falciparum possesses active vitamin B1 biosynthesis, which depends on external provision of thiamine precursors.     

The nutritional fortification of cereals

The low micronutrient content of cereals requires the fortification of food and biofortification of plants. Many laboratories are currently pursuing biofortification using breeding and genetic modification, but progress is challenged by technical hurdles and our understanding of physiological processes. Recent studies have largely been confined to the improvement of levels of iron, zinc, some vitamins and a variety of essential amino acids. Progress has been made in the accumulation of iron, zinc, and vitamins A and E in genetically modified plants. For future success in this area, many more studies will be required on the physiology of ion uptake and on the transport of vitamin precursors.     

Carotenoid biofortification in crop plants: citius,altius, fortius

Carotenoids are indispensable for human health, required as precursors of vitamin A and efficient antioxidants. However, these plant pigments that play a vital role in photosynthesis are represented at insufficient levels in edible parts of several crops, which creates a need for increasing their content or optimizing their composition through biofortification. In particular, vitamin A deficiency, a severe health problem affecting the lives of millions in developing countries, has triggered the development of a series of high-provitamin A crops, including Golden Rice as the best-known example. Further carotenoid-biofortified crops have been generated by using genetic engineering approaches or through classical breeding. In this review, we depict carotenoid metabolism in plants and provide an update on the development of carotenoid-biofortified plants and their potential to meet needs and expectations. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility of using natural variation for carotenoid biofortification and the potential of gene editing tools. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Carotenoids recent advances in cell and molecular biology edited by Johannes von Lintig and Loredana Quadro.     

Interrelationship between vitamins and cytokines in immunity

Cytokines are important proteins that modulate immunity and inflammation. Vitamins are also involved in immunity and inflammation. They are found to restore the ability of some cells to produce certain cytokines. Vitamin deficiency appears to affect the mechanism of immune cells, though the impact of reduced cytokine response in vitamin malnutrition is not clear. Vitamin D is involved in many medical conditions, such as infections and inflammation, and mediates innate immunity. Deficiency of vitamin D increases the risk of infectious and inflammatory diseases. In addition, this vitamin modulates Treg function and IL-10 production which is important for therapeutic treatment. Vitamin A increases inflammatory response and is involved in tissue damage; moreover, vitamin A is a key modulator of TGFbeta which can suppress several cytokines. Vitamin E, an anti-ageing compound, is associated with a defect of naive T cells and may inhibit some inflammatory compounds such as prostaglandin generation.     

Progress of vitamin E metabolic engineering in plants

Vitamin E is important for human and animal health. Many human diseases, such as certain cancers and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease, are associated with the insufficient intake of vitamin E. The daily requirements for vitamin E in men and women have been increased to 15–30 mg. Because the primary source of dietary vitamin E comes from plants, there is a need to increase vitamin E production through plant engineering in order to meet the demand in human consumption. Numerous studies have been carried out in this field, leading to many successful examples. In this review, we summarized the recent progress in vitamin E metabolic engineering in plants aimed at improving the vitamin E content and regulating composition of vitamin E.