A group of scientists in China has successfully employed gene editing techniques to create rice varieties that generate coenzyme Q10 (CoQ₁₀), an essential compound that supports human health.

This groundbreaking research, led by Prof. Chen Xiaoya from the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and the Shanghai Chenshan Research Center, along with Prof. Gao Caixia from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), involved modifying five specific amino acids of the Coq1 enzyme in rice plants. This manipulation resulted in new rice varieties capable of synthesizing CoQ₁₀.

The findings of this study are detailed in the journal Cell.

CoQ₁₀ plays a crucial role in maintaining human health, particularly in cardiovascular protection. It is a key component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and acts as a fat-soluble antioxidant. Different organisms produce CoQ with varying side-chain lengths.

While humans produce CoQ₁₀ with a side chain consisting of 10 isoprene units (C50), staple food crops such as rice and wheat, along with many fruits and vegetables, primarily yield CoQ₉, which has nine isoprene units (C45).

The creation of crops that produce CoQ₁₀ significantly enhances the CoQ₁₀ content found in plant-based foods, presenting a cost-effective and sustainable method for improving nutrition, which has considerable potential benefits.

The underlying molecular mechanisms governing the variability in CoQ side-chain lengths were previously ambiguous. However, leveraging the rich plant collections at the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden from the CAS Center, the researchers analyzed 134 plant samples spanning 67 families, including mosses, clubmosses, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.

Through analyzing the distribution of CoQ types across these species, it was discovered that CoQ₁₀ is an ancestral characteristic of flowering plants, with the majority still capable of synthesizing CoQ₁₀. In contrast, grasses, daisies, and cucumber family plants predominantly produce CoQ₉.

The researchers examined the evolution and natural variations of the Coq1 enzyme across over 1,000 terrestrial plant species, utilizing machine learning techniques to pinpoint five specific amino acid locations that influence the side-chain length.

Post-editing, the rice plants developed in this study demonstrated the capacity to produce CoQ₁₀, yielding as much as 5 μg/g per grain. This illustrates that gene editing is an effective and safe approach for agricultural enhancement.

The innovative creation of CoQ₁₀ rice varieties will greatly diversify the sources of CoQ₁₀ in our diet. Furthermore, it serves as a prime example of integrating big data and artificial intelligence technologies in crop breeding methods.