Endosperm-specific expression of a yeast thiamin transporter enhances vitamin B1 content in white rice

Vitamin B1 is a vital cofactor in cellular metabolism, but must be obtained through the diet in humans. Polished (white) rice, a dietary staple for much of the global population, contains very low levels of vitamin B1, which contributes to widespread thiamin deficiency in regions that rely heavily on rice. To address this issue, we engineered rice to express the Saccharomyces cerevisiae thiamin transporter gene THI7 under the control of the endosperm-specific GLUTELIN1 (GT1) promoter. We found t