Full Press Release Details
Generating Healthier High-Oleic Low-Linolenic Soybean Variety with
Increased Oxidative Stability and Enhanced Shelf Life
Available in BMC Plant Biology
MINNEAPOLIS & ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 31,
2016--Calyxt, Inc., a Minnesota-based company developing healthier food
products to benefit both consumers and growers, today announced the
publication of a study in BMC Plant Biology describing the use of genome
editing technology to modulate soybean oil composition to have increased
shelf-life, higher frying stability and improved nutritional
Commodity soybean oil contains high levels of polyunsaturated linoleic
and linolenic acid, which contribute to oxidative instability - a
problem that has been addressed through partial hydrogenation. However,
partial hydrogenation increases levels of trans-fatty acids, which have
been associated with cardiovascular disease, according to the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration.
Previously, Calyxt generated soybean lines that have oil with increased
levels of monounsaturated oleic acid and decreased levels of linoleic
and linolenic acid. As a result, the high oleic soybean oil does not
require partial hydrogenation. In this study, Zachary L. Demorest and
colleagues further improved soybean oil composition by editing
additional genes in the soybean genome. The newly produced soybean
varieties offer even higher levels of oleic acid and lower levels of
linolenic acid (High Oleic, Low Linolenic) to provide greater stability
and longer shelf-life.
"This study marks yet another milestone in the commercialization of gene
edited foods and demonstrates that gene edited crops can provide
significant nutritional benefits to consumers," said Dr. Feng Zhang,
Chief Operating Officer at Calyxt. "We know that consumers are becoming
more and more mindful of the foods they eat, and we are striving to
bring healthier foods to consumers."
"In the past, traditional breeding techniques meant that it would take
generations to be able to reduce fatty acids and achieve significant
improvements in oil composition," added Dr. Dan Voytas, Chief Science
Officer at Calyxt. "TALEN technology has
changed the way we think about crop breeding, and allows us to more
quickly and accurately develop foods for the benefit of consumers."
Direct stacking of sequence-specific nuclease-induced mutations to
produce high oleic and low linolenic soybean oil
Zachary L. Demorest, Andrew Coffman, Nicholas J. Baltes,
Thomas J. Stoddard, Benjamin M. Clasen, Song Luo, Adam Retterath,
Ann Yabandith, Maria Elena Gamo, Jeff Bissen, Luc Mathis,
Daniel F. Voytas and Feng Zhang
BMC Plant Biology DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0906-1
To read the full article, click here
Calyxt, Inc. is a fast-growing, consumer-oriented ag company that
utilizes its innovative, patented TALEN
technology to usher in a new era of agriculture and develop crop
products with healthier characteristics for consumers - all the while
helping farmers and food and agriculture industries reduce their
environmental footprints in the context of climate change. Calyxt
believes that agricultural technologies can have a profound, positive
impact on humanity and is looking to engage those who share this passion
for food and agriculture. Calyxt is located in Minneapolis-St. Paul,
Minn., and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cellectis.
For further information please visit our website: www.calyxt.com
and the corporate logo are trademarks owned by Calyxt, Inc.
Talking about gene editing? We do it.
registered trademark owned by the Cellectis Group.
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Moore, 917-580-1088
Caitlin Kasunich, 212-896-1241
Simon Harnest, 646-385-9008
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