Scientists switch on ‘sleeping gene’ that makes food more nutritious

A dormant gene in a plant has been switched back on for the first time without creating a genetically modified organism in a breakthrough that could revolutionise farming.

Scientists at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire used the genetic snipping system Crispr to relocate a piece of code in the Arabidopsis species so that it switched on a sleeping gene which produces vegetable oil in the leaves.

Oil content was shown to be increased by around 30-fold.

Cuts methane emissions The practice could be used to make super-feeds that have higher fat content and improve milk production in dairy cows and growth rates in beef or sheep.

Plant food with higher fat content also cuts methane emissions.

Usually scientists insert foreign DNA to achieve a desired result but the new technique allows researchers to bypass genetic modification rules.

The method uses SDN-1 type genome editing where no foreign DNA is inserted into the plant. This means it is not classed as genetic modification in many countries, such as the US and India.

Although Britain is still operating under European rules which class the practice as GM, this may soon change as the UK is considering whether to deviate from EU regulations.

Professor Peter Eastmond, of Rothamsted, said: “There are many barriers to commercialisation of GM crops and so it may be desirable to achieve gain-of-function by other means, if possible.

“In theory, it could be used in any instance where switching a gene confers a benefit, whether that’s in plants, animals or microorganisms.

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Significantly enhance productivity “The increase in leaf total lipid content that we achieve here, without inserting foreign DNA, is likely sufficient to significantly enhance productivity and reduce methane emissions from cattle and sheep if replicated in pastures.

“We know that is true as it has recently been shown using a GMO approach.”

The new technique works by making cuts at either end of the stretch of DNA that separates a gene promoter - which turns on the gene - from the sleeping gene. The plant is then spliced together at the cut ends, connecting the “on switch” to the gene.

It is hoped the technique could be adapted to a variety of situations where plant breeders want to turn genes on, rather than just turning them off, as is often needed for crop improvement.