GM Rice Expressing an Antihypertensive Protein

Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and cerebral stroke, affecting approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is a key enzyme in hypertension; and studies have shown that inhibition of ACE leads to reduced blood pressure. Scientists from Tokyo University have developed transgenic rice plants accumulating high levels of nicotianamine (NA), an effective inhibitor of ACE function. Their work appears in the current issue of Plant Biotechnology Journal.

The scientists found that the ACE inhibitory activity of the transgenic rice-derived NA is very strong, even when compared with commercially available antihypertensive peptides.

The GM rice may not only serve as a novel functional food for improving human health, but could minimize public anxiety over genetically modified crops. The selectable marker gene for antibiotic resistance has been removed using Cre/loxP DNA excision system. In addition, the transgenic rice was crossed with a cleistogamous mutant (with non-opening, self pollinating flowers) to prevent gene transfer via pollen dispersal.

For more information, read http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2008.00374.x