New Directions in Plant Improvement for Human Health

Carotenoids are essential for all photosynthetic organisms and mammals, ranging from cyanobacteria to alga, plants and humans (1). However, mammals do not produce carotenoids, they rely solely on dietary intake. In addition to the well known roles of carotenoids as antioxidants and as a source of vitamin A, two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, are believed to provide protection against age-related macular degeneration of the eye (AMD), the leading cause of age-related blindness in developed countries. The talk will provide a brief overview of research into AMD and the similarities and differences between plant and animal systems with respect to carotenoid binding and function. In order to optimise carotenoid content in our diet it is necessary to understand what regulates its accumulation in plants. This seminar will cover the regulation of lutein biosynthesis in Arabidopsis and wheat using QTLs and mutant screening to identify regulatory proteins (2-4). This includes considering the potential to increase lutein content in wheat by non-GM strategies and why an epigenetic regulator of flowering and shoot branching, a histone methyltransferase, would also regulate lutein biosynthesis.

(1) Cazzonelli and Pogson (2010) Trends in Plant Science 15(5): 266-274; (2) Cazzonelli et al. (2010) Molecular Plant 3:174-191; (3) Cazzonelli et al. (2009) Plant Cell 21: 39-53; (4) Howitt et al. (2009) Functional and Integrative Genomics 9:363-376