Phosphorus-containing compounds such as phospholipids and phytic acid are
vital in rice. Phytic acid is a major antinutrient, which decreases the
bioavailability of essential micronutrients to humans and animals. In a
study published in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, researchers
used CRISPR-Cas9 to investigate the interplay of phospholipids and phytic
acid in rice grains.



Mutants of a phospholipase D gene (OsPLDá1) were generated by the
researchers using CRISPR-Cas9 and then they analyzed the mutational effect
of phytic acid in rice grains. Profiling of the metabolites of the two
ospldá1 mutants showed depletion in the phosphatidic acid production and
lower accumulation of cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol and
phosphatidylinositol. Reduction of phytic acid content was also observed,
together with the alteration in the expression of key genes in the phytic
acid biosynthesis.



Results indicate that OsPLDá1 not only plays a vital function in
phospholipid metabolism but also is involved in phytic acid production, most
probably through the lipid-dependent pathway, revealing a new possible
pathway to regulate phytic acid biosynthesis in rice.



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