A gene-edited wheat variety developed to reduce carcinogen risks has performed well in the first European field trial of its kind.
The strain, created by scientists at Rothamsted Research, has the TaASN2 gene ‘knocked out’ using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing approach. The gene is associated with production of free asparagine, which is involved in synthesising proteins, but when wheat products are baked or toasted, converts to the carcinogen acrylamide.
After achieving significant reductions in asparagine in greenhouse experiments, the researchers sowed the crop in plots on the research facility’s farm, alongside a control variety. They found reductions in asparagine of up to 50% compared to the control, and 45% cuts in acrylamide after the grown product was ground into flour and cooked.
Although there was no reduction in yield using the gene-edited variety, thousand-grain weight was 10% lower than controls, meaning that the novel strain produced smaller grains in greater number. This could be due to the change in asparagine affecting seed set, the researchers suggested in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
New possibilities for food businesses
“The study showed that gene editing to reduce asparagine concentration in the wheat grain works just as well in the field as under glass,” said Professor Nigel Halford, who led the research.
“This is important because the availability of low acrylamide wheat could enable food businesses to comply with evolving regulations on the presence of acrylamide in food without costly changes to production lines or reductions in product quality. It could also have a significant impact on dietary acrylamide intake for consumers.”
However, appropriate legislation will be required to allow the use of such gene-edited crops in the UK, said Halford. This should be on the way through the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, which is heading towards being passed into law.
