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vlLamln A deflclency can resulL ln bllndness, severe lnfecLlous dlseases, and even deaLh,
especlally for chlldren ln poor counLrles. vlLamln A deflclency resulLs when people do noL have
enough vlLamln A or pro-vlLamln A ln Lhelr dleLs.

ro-vlLamln A ls a molecule LhaL our bodles can easlly converL Lo vlLamln A. Some planL foods
(e.g. carroLs and sweeL poLaLoes) are good sources of pro-vlLamln A. Some anlmal foods (e.g.
llver and eggs) are good sources of vlLamln A.

WhlLe rlce ls parL of Lhe rlce seed. 8rown rlce lncludes whlLe
rlce, Lhe germ (whlch ls Lhe embryo LhaL can grow lnLo a
new rlce planL), and Lhe surroundlng bran layers. 8lce ls a
good source of sLarch for energy and also provldes some
proLeln. Powever, nelLher whlLe rlce nor brown rlce has
pro-vlLamln A.

1herefore, many poor people ln developlng counLrles who
eaL malnly rlce do noL geL enough pro-vlLamln A or vlLamln
A ln Lhelr dleL. 1hls resulLs ln many cases of bllndness,
severe lnfecLlous dlsease and/or deaLh.

<= Why do rlce planLs lnclude sLarch and proLeln ln Lhelr
seeds? WhaL ls Lhe beneflL for Lhe rlce planLs?



1he germ ls Lhe embryo lnslde Lhe seed.
1he bulk of Lhe rlce seed ls Lhe whlLe
rlce whlch conLalns sLarch and sLorage
proLelns.








lor Lhe resL of Lhls acLlvlLy, we wlll use Lhe Lerm rlce gralns Lo refer Lo whlLe rlce. no Lype of rlce
planL has been dlscovered LhaL has pro-vlLamln A ln Lhe rlce gralns, Lherefore, convenLlonal
breedlng Lechnlques cannoL be used Lo develop a Lype of rlce planL LhaL has pro-vlLamln A ln
Lhe rlce gralns. So, some sclenLlsLs who wanL Lo prevenL vlLamln A deflclency have used geneLlc
englneerlng Lo develop rlce planLs LhaL have rlce gralns wlLh subsLanLlal pro-vlLamln A.

CeneLlc englneerlng ls Lhe process of manlpulaLlng genes ln order Lo produce deslred
characLerlsLlcs. ln Lhls acLlvlLy we wlll dlscuss Lhe Lype of geneLlc englneerlng LhaL produces
recomblnanL unA (unA whlch conLalns genes from Lwo dlfferenL organlsms). We wlll learn how
geneLlc englneerlng has been used Lo produce rlce planLs LhaL have Lwo addlLlonal genes
lnserLed ln Lhelr unA, so Lhese rlce planLs make subsLanLlal quanLlLles of pro-vlLamln A ln Lhelr
rlce gralns.

1
By ur. lngrld Waldron, ueparLmenL of 8lology, unlverslLy of ennsylvanla, 2014. 1eachers are encouraged Lo copy Lhls SLudenL PandouL for
classroom use. A Word flle (whlch can be used Lo prepare a modlfled verslon lf deslred), 1eacher reparaLlon noLes, commenLs, and relaLed
acLlvlLles are avallable aL hLLp://serendlp.brynmawr.edu/exchange/bloacLlvlLles/geneLlcenglneer
2

>= vlLamln A and pro-vlLamln A are molecules LhaL conLaln only carbon and hydrogen aLoms and
do noL have any amlno aclds. lf sclenLlsLs wanL Lo geneLlcally englneer a planL Lo make pro-
vlLamln A, whaL Lype of gene or genes would Lhe sclenLlsLs need Lo lnserL ln Lhe planL cells?
Would Lhey lnserL a gene LhaL codes for pro-vlLamln A? lf noL, whaL Lype of molecule would Lhe
gene or genes have Lo code for? Lxplaln your reasonlng.








?= SclenLlsLs have ldenLlfled genes for Lwo enzymes needed Lo make pro-vlLamln A. Cne of
Lhese genes comes from corn. lf Lhls gene from a corn planL ls lnserLed ln Lhe unA of a rlce
planL, wlll Lhe sequence of amlno aclds ln Lhe proLeln produced by Lhe rlce planL be Lhe same as
Lhe sequence of amlno aclds ln Lhe proLeln produced by Lhe corn planL? ln oLher words, wlll rlce
planLs LhaL have Lhls gene produce Lhe same enzyme as corn planLs produce? Lxplaln why or
why noL.






?ou wlll learn abouL how sclenLlsLs have geneLlcally englneered rlce planLs Lo make pro-vlLamln
A ln rlce gralns, buL flrsL answer quesLlon 4 Lo develop your own ldeas abouL how Lhls could be
accompllshed.

@-. Cnce sclenLlsLs have ldenLlfled Lhe genes for enzymes Lo produce provlLamln A, how could
Lhey lnserL Lhese genes ln Lhe unA of rlce planL cells? SuggesL one posslblllLy. 8e lnvenLlve!






@A. Would you recommend LhaL sclenLlsLs Lry Lo lnserL Lhe genes for enzymes Lo produce pro-
vlLamln A lnLo:
___ all Lhe cells ln a rlce planL
___ Lhe Lhousands of cells ln each rlce graln or
___ a small group of embryonlc rlce planL cells LhaL can dlvlde and develop lnLo a rlce planL?
Lxplaln your reasonlng.



3

lnserLlng Lhe ueslred Cenes ln Lhe unA of 8lce lanLs
1o lnserL genes from one organlsm lnLo a dlfferenL organlsm, sclenLlsLs ofLen Lake advanLage of
Lhe naLural geneLlc englneerlng capablllLles of bacLerla or vlruses. Cne Lype of bacLerla
geneLlcally englneers planL cells by lnserLlng parL of lLs bacLerlal unA lnLo Lhe planL cell unA,
Lhus produclng recomblnanL unA. 1he lnserLed bacLerlal genes code for proLelns LhaL:
sLlmulaLe Lhe geneLlcally englneered planL cells Lo produce food molecules LhaL only Lhe
bacLerla can use
sLlmulaLe Lhese geneLlcally englneered planL cells Lo dlvlde and form a growLh LhaL
bulges ouL from Lhe sLem or rooL.
B= Lxplaln how Lhls Lype of geneLlc englneerlng ls useful for Lhe bacLerlum.








1hls flgure shows how Lhe bacLerlum lnserLs some of lLs genes lnLo Lhe planL cell unA.
1he plasmld ls a small clrcle of unA ln Lhe bacLerlum, separaLe from Lhe chromosome.
Cnly Lhe 1-unA from Lhe plasmld ls lnserLed ln Lhe unA ln Lhe nucleus of Lhe planL cell. 1he
genes ln Lhe 1-unA code for Lhe proLelns LhaL resulL ln Lhe producLlon of Lhe food molecules
for Lhe bacLerla and Lhe proLelns LhaL resulL ln lncreased cell dlvlslon.


1he bacLerlal chromosome ls shown aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe bacLerlum (A. Lumlfaclens). As ln many dlagrams, Lhe
relaLlve dlmenslons are dlsLorLed, e.g., Lhe bacLerlum appears much larger Lhan lL acLually ls relaLlve Lo Lhe planL
cell and Lhe plasmld appears much larger Lhan lL ls relaLlve Lo Lhe bacLerlum. 1he plasmld ls called Lhe 1l or Lumor
lnduclng plasmld because Lhe lnfecLed planL cells mulLlply and produce a bulglng growLh. 1he !"# genes ln Lhe
plasmld code for Lhe proLelns LhaL carry ouL Lhe Lransfer of Lhe 1-unA from Lhe bacLerla lnLo Lhe planL cell unA.
(llgure from hLLp://www.open.edu/openlearn/sclence-maLhs-Lechnology/sclence/blology/gene-manlpulaLlon-planLs/conLenL-secLlon-2.2)

C= ln Lhls example of geneLlc englneerlng ln naLure, where ls Lhe recomblnanL unA found?

1hls recomblnanL unA conLalns unA from Lhe _________________ and Lhe _______________.
4

D= lf a sclenLlsL wanLs Lo use Lhe geneLlc englneerlng capablllLles of Lhese bacLerla Lo carry Lhe
genes for Lhe enzymes Lo make pro-vlLamln A lnLo a planL cell nucleus, where should she lnserL
Lhe genes for Lhese enzymes? use an arrow Lo lndlcaLe speclflcally where Lhese genes should
be lnserLed ln Lhe bacLerlum. Lxplaln your reasonlng.



1he baslc sequence of sLeps Lo use geneLlc englneerlng Lo produce rlce planLs LhaL make pro-
vlLamln A ln rlce gralns ls as follows:
SclenLlsLs lnserL Lhe genes for Lhe enzymes Lo make pro-vlLamln A ln Lhe bacLerlal plasmld.
8acLerla wlLh Lhls modlfled plasmld are grown LogeLher wlLh Llssue culLure rlce planL cells,
so Lhe bacLerla lnserL Lhe genes for Lhe enzymes Lo make pro-vlLamln A ln Lhe unA of Lhe
Llssue culLure rlce planL cells.
AfLer Lhe rlce planL Llssue culLure cells have Lhe genes for Lhe enzymes Lo make pro-vlLamln
ln Lhelr unA, Lhese genes are repllcaLed LogeLher wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe unA before each cell
dlvlslon. 1hese cells mulLlply and develop lnLo a rlce planL wlLh Lhe genes Lo make pro-
vlLamln A ln Lhe unA of each cell ln Lhe rlce planL, lncludlng Lhe Lhousands of cells ln each
rlce graln.

Lnsurlng LhaL Lhe Cenes for Lhe Lnzymes Lo Make ro-vlLamln A are AcLlve ln 8lce Craln Cells

E= AlmosL all Lhe cells ln an anlmal or planL have exacLly Lhe same genes, buL dlfferenL Lypes of
cells make dlfferenL Lypes of proLelns. 1hls allows each Lype of cell Lo carry ouL lLs parLlcular
speclallzed funcLlon.
Lxample 1: ln humans, red blood cells have loLs of _________________ , whlle muscle cells
(conLracLlle proLelns or hemoglobln = C
2
-carrylng proLeln)
have loLs of ____________________________.
(conLracLlle proLelns or hemoglobln)
Lxample 2: AlmosL all Lhe cells ln a rlce planL have exacLly Lhe same ___________________,
(genes or proLelns)
buL cells ln Lhe rlce gralns make sLorage proLelns whlch provlde nuLrlLlon for Lhe developlng
embryo, whereas cells ln Lhe leaves make enzymes LhaL make chlorophyll.

F= WhaL ls LranscrlpLlon? Why do cells need Lo carry ouL LranscrlpLlon of genes ln order Lo make
proLelns?






5

<G= MaLch each Lype of gene ln Lhe Lop llsL wlLh Lhe besL maLch from Lhe boLLom llsL.
Cenes for enzymes Lo make chlorophyll ____
Cenes for sLorage proLelns ____
a. raLe of LranscrlpLlon ls hlgher ln cells ln rlce gralns
b. raLe of LranscrlpLlon ls Lhe same ln cells ln rlce gralns and cells ln rlce planL leaves
c. raLe of LranscrlpLlon ls hlgher ln cells ln rlce planL leaves
Lxplaln your reasonlng.





lor geneLlc englneerlng Lo be successful, sclenLlsLs need Lo ensure LhaL Lhe genes Lhey have
lnserLed are Lranscrlbed, so Lhe deslred proLelns are produced. Speclflcally, Lhe sclenLlsLs need
Lo ensure LhaL Lhe genes for Lhe enzymes Lo make pro-vlLamln A are Lranscrlbed ln Lhe rlce
graln cells.

lanL cells have a raLher complex molecular mechanlsm Lo ensure Lhe approprlaLe raLe of
LranscrlpLlon for each gene ln each Lype of cell. A cruclal parL of Lhls molecular mechanlsm ls
Lhe promoLer segmenL of unA (locaLed aL Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe gene). lor example, Lhe
promoLers for Lhe genes for sLorage proLelns promoLe hlgh raLes of LranscrlpLlon ln Lhe cells ln
rlce gralns.

<<. Whlch promoLer do you Lhlnk would be a beLLer promoLer Lo lnserL aL Lhe beglnnlng of Lhe
genes LhaL code for Lhe enzymes Lo produce pro-vlLamln A?
____ Lhe promoLer for a gene for an enzyme Lo make chlorophyll
____ Lhe promoLer for a gene for a sLorage proLeln
Lxplaln your reasonlng.




<>= 1he promoLer ls lnserLed ln Lhe bacLerlal plasmld aL Lhe
beglnnlng of Lhe genes for Lhe enzymes Lo produce pro-
vlLamln A. Lxplaln how Lhe promoLer and genes geL from
Lhe plasmld ln a bacLerlum lnLo Lhe unA of a rlce planL cell
and Lhen lnLo Lhe unA of every cell ln a rlce planL.




























lasmld

romoLer +
genes for
enzymes