Biotech Updates

Plants with More Vitamin C Now a Possibility

May 25, 2007

UCLA and Dartmouth scientists have identified a crucial enzyme, GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase, in the biosynthetic pathway by which plants produce vitamin C.

“If we can find ways to enhance the activity of this enzyme, it may be possible to engineer plants to make more vitamin C and produce better crops," said Steven Clarke, UCLA professor of chemistry and biochemistry, director of UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute, and co-author of the research study.

“We hit on gold”, added Clarke, “because we now have a chance to improve human nutrition and to increase the resistance of plants to oxidative stress. Plants may grow better with more vitamin C, especially with more ozone in the atmosphere due to pollution.”

The full news is available at: http://newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=7960