Metabolic Engineering Strategies to Increase Ascorbate Concentrations in Rice and Wheat

Abstract

Ascorbate (ascorbic acid, vitamin C) is essential for both plants and mammals. Ascorbate is a reducing agent capable of donating electrons, enabling it to perform a range of biochemical functions, such as scavenging reactive oxygen species, assisting enzymatic activity, and reducing higher oxidative states of iron (Fe). In plants, ascorbate is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant and plays a key role in many fundamental processes, such as photosynthesis, stress tolerance, and the transport of Fe. In humans, ascorbate is an essential micronutrient that must be obtained through diet and takes part in a range of important physiological functions, such as collagen synthesis, epigenetic pr..