Potatoes with High Protein

[Tom Wagner]

Transgenic Indian superspuds pack more protein

Question. What do you get when you cross a pigweed with a potato?

Simple...a potato that brings home the bacon!

I know, I know, amaranth is not really pigweed.

Spoiler Alert...GMO...read on...


Funny, in one of my potato plots I have some grain amaranth growing for seed increase. Both crops are doing well. I hope to get that crop built up for food security reasons..I eat enough potatoes but very little amaranth grain as yet.

Ever hear or read this statement?

Almost all the protein content of a potato is contained in a thin layer just under its skin

If that is actually the case..why not eat more tiny potatoes to get that extra amount of skin surface to flesh ratio?

Further down I posted some links that add to a news story started by a fella who posts here at TVille, but few folks ever go to my own forum. I thought it important enough to share parts of our discussion here. I even linked to some supporting data on the amaranth gene that was inserted into those potato varieties listed.

We don't have, nor will be ever have, those potato varieties that are GMO's with the extra protein. The United States and organic folks like myself will collectively stop that nonsense. We already have potato varieties that can increase the protein level by near 50% with good old-fashioned plant breeding.

What is the evidence of that? Clearwater Russet, (referenced below) has around 38% more protein than Russet Burbank, one of most widely grown potato varieties. There are other select clones that go even higher. Clearwater Russet was bred in 1995 and one of its parents..Bannock Russet was bred nearly 30 years ago with just slightly less protein.

As recently as 6 years ago I had thousands of seedling tuber families with those and other high protein lines as parents. I have many TPS lines that are filially 2, 3, 4 generations derived from those high protein lines. Not having the lab proof of high protein content does not stop me from making the educated guesses of maintaining many recombinations, sib crossings, for the contingency of someday having the grant money to test my many clones for the protein content levels. I am sure I have some good candidates already. By growing clones with enhanced breeding for building up homozygous possibilities, and selecting for high tuber numbers of "B" size potatoes...who knows? I may already have some that would give a run against the clones in India. Back that up with improved flavor, better late blight resistance, and organic friendly growers...I may be on to something.

I could even jump start my potato sales of tubers and true seed by initiating a protein sub class. I have millions of TPS that could be relegated to that category. I could even sell special amaranths that folks could plant for themselves to supplement their diets along with my purported higher protein potato groups.

The whole idea of my TaterMater forum is to share enough ideas with people so that higher nutrition potatoes can see the light of day. My Negro y Azul was tested by the labs in Prosser, WA for its anthocyanins and it was off the charts compared to other varieties. My high carotenoid potatoes are yet another venue. I have lines that are high in minerals like iron and I suppose that someday I could combine many of those high nutrients into single clones. And soon!


Here are some links that support the search for high protein potatoes

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...to-60-per.html

Soon, a GM potato with 60 per cent more protein Kalyan Ray New Delhi, Sept 20, DHNS
In what may change India’s future nutritional landscape, scientists have genetically transformed seven common potato varieties to make them richer in protein and essential amino acids.
Once approved for the market, the GM potatoes can be one of the protein sources for millions of Indian with protein deficiency, who consume potato as a staple food. However, it may take many years as one more regulatory hurdles have to be overcome.

Researchers at National Institute for Plant Genome Research, Delhi, which first transformed potato a decade ago, tried their hands on popular varieties this time. The protein content was up between 35 and 60 per cent—higher than what they achieved last time.

“The most vital difference is all are commercial varieties unlike last time when we genetically modified a non-commercial variety,” leader of the team and NIPGR founder Asis Datta told Deccan Herald. The gene (AmA1) came from Amaranth plant.

The transformed varieties are Chipsona 1 and 2, Jyoti, Sutlej, Badsah, Bahar and Pukhraj. A two-year trial in collaboration with the Central Potato Research Institute, Modinagar, showed that in all varieties, the protein content went up between 35 and 60 per cent. The gain was the highest in Sutlej and Chipsona 1.

If a regular potato has one gm of protein, the protein-packed ones would have 1.5-1.6 gm. Even though the increase appears to be marginal, researchers claim this is the best bet on GM potato as the protein quality is very high.

Th other initiatives to make protein-rich GM potato led to “an imbalance of amino acid profile in transgenic crops,”they reported in Tuesday’s issue of “Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.”

Asked why potato was transformed in the first place, as there are other sources of edible plant proteins, NIPGR scientist Subhra Chakraborty said since potato constituted an important part of the diet of many people in many countries, the gene was introduced into potato.

“Potatoes are grown as vegetable for consumption and also as raw material for many processed foods worldwide. World production-wise it is the first amongst vegetable and fourth amongst all food crops,” she said.

But potato’s nutritional value is somewhat compromised as itlacks lysine, tyrosine and Sulphur containing amino acids. These deficiencies are not only made up in GM potatoes, but it also brings more proteins in the tuber.

“If the protein content goes up by 50 per cent its welcome. But do we need every single crop to be transgenic? Also one has to be careful on the safety as well as transparency during the regulatory approval,” said Suman Sahai, who heads Gene Campaign, an NGO.
The GM potatoes were approved by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation. It has to be cleared by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee under the Union Environment Ministry before commercialisation.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...rss&nsref=life

Transgenic Indian superspuds pack more protein
• 20:00 20 September 2010 by Debora MacKenzie
• For similar stories, visit the Food and Drink and GM Organisms Topic Guides
A genetically modified (GM) potato has been created that makes up to 60 per cent more protein per gram than ordinary potatoes. But even with that help spuds don't contain much protein, so that's not the most interesting part: in a surprise result, the GM crop also yielded more potato per hectare. This is the first time that a simple genetic modification has increased yield.
Potatoes are an increasingly popular way to increase food production in India, China and other developing countries. The tubers are mainly carbohydrate, but they also contain a little protein: a medium (150-gram) spud contains 3 grams of protein, about 6 per cent of the US recommended daily allowance. The GM variety's extra 60 per cent raises that to 4.8 grams – nearly 10 per cent of the recommended amount.
Subra Chakraborty and colleagues at India's Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla created the high-protein "protato" in 2003 by giving potatoes a gene from the grain amaranth, a South American plant widely eaten across the tropics, including India. The gene codes for a "storage" protein in amaranth seeds, but in the protato it was linked to a DNA code that turns on production of the storage protein in tubers.
The team has now spliced this gene into seven commercial potato varieties, and field-tested them for several seasons. This is crucial, as GM crops often behave differently in the lab and the field.
Some tubers contained almost twice as much extra protein as the prototype, with increases in several essential amino acids. Tests in rats and rabbits revealed no toxic or allergic effects. However, the plants also photosynthesised more, and produced 15 to 25 per cent more potatoes per hectare by weight – the only time this has ever been reported for a plant with just one extra gene.

http://www.pnas.org/content/suppl/20...01006265SI.pdf
Supporting Information for those wanting more technical info.
Tough to understand..I know...but then....

As follows..some info on those American potatoes with higher protein. Pardon my clumsiness in putting the info together...
http://www.pvmi.org/Storage/General/...r%201%2009.pdf

Clearwater Russet also is notable for having
a higher protein content than those of standard
potato varieties, with 38% greater concentration
than Russet Burbank.

Pedigree( AOA95154-1)….. Bannock Russet x A89152-4
Bannock is a cross of A 75175-1 x A 75188-3
(Yes, I have been following these pedigrees closely as a cooperator for testing seedling tubers for the last 5 decades.)
Bannock Russet…
Protein (% DWB) 5.8 % compared to Russet Burbank.. 4.5%
Thus 29% more protein than Burbank but Bannock’s offspring Clearwater Russet is again ....38% more than Burbank.

A93157-6LS (Premier Russet)

Protein (%DWB) Premier Russet.. 6.3 Russet Burbank 5.2 Ranger Russet 5.7
Or about 21% more protein than Burbank
Premier Russet is a product of the cooperative USDA/ARS, University of Idaho breeding program in Aberdeen. It resulted from a 1993 cross between A87149-4 and A88108-7

The protein by dry weight for different locations may mean that varieties have a trend to produce different protein levels per place and time. But relative measures are all I have to deal with.

I don't know where I will strike 'Gold' with the protein levels in my TPS. But with a virtual Gold Rush State right here in Washington with my TPS collections, I will have veins of ore to pan for years to come.

Tom Wagner

BTW, I would be the last person the GMO folks would allow to obtain some of those high protein potato varieties. They would be horrified if I got my hands on a Chipsona 1 with the added gene (AmA1). I would cross my Pig's Eye variety with the Chipsona and come up with a potato called Pig'sChip.....and sell it to the Pork Rind companies for a high protein snack product.