Chinese Scientists Use Gene Editing to Develop CoQ10-Producing Rice

Scientists from China, led by Prof. Chen Xiaoya and Prof. Gao Caixia from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully developed a new rice variety that is capable of producing coenzyme CoQ10 (CoQ10) using gene editing. These advancements offer a promising, sustainable solution for boosting dietary CoQ10 intake through widely consumed crops.

CoQ10, an essential component for heart health, functions as a key part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and a fat-soluble antioxidant. While humans naturally produce CoQ10, most plant-based foods like rice and wheat primarily synthesize CoQ9. Developing CoQ10-enriched crops offers a cost-effective and sustainable way to enhance nutritional value and improve health benefits.

Using CRISPR, the researchers edited the native Coq1 gene and developed a new rice variety that produces CoQ10 instead of CoQ9 without affecting the yield. The gene-edited rice demonstrated over 75% CoQ10 accumulation in both grains and leaves. The edits introduced to the high-yielding variety Xiushui134 also achieved similar results. The same approach was also used to develop wheat lines with significantly higher CoQ10 levels than their wild-type counterparts.

For more information, read the article from the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the study from Cell.