The gluten-free diet trend has lost some steam in recent years as more research shows that the supposed health benefits have been, at best, exaggerated, and at worst might actually be harmful to healthy people. However, for a small percentage of the population, gluten-free diets are more than a lifestyle choice due to a chronic condition known as “celiac disease,” which is triggered by gluten. Recently, researchers successfully manipulated the production of gluten in wheat, marking a major step forward in producing a celiac-safe form of the staple food crop.
Wheat contains proteins called gliadins and glutenins that are important for making dough strong and elastic, but certain parts (epitopes) can trigger celiac disease in some people. The amount and length of time a person is exposed to these harmful epitopes can influence whether they develop celiac disease.
The research team at UC Davis used gamma radiation to delete “alpha-gliadins” epitopes, which can cause severe reactions in people with celiac disease. While the modified wheat is not considered celiac-safe, the genetic changes did eliminate the gluten proteins that trigger the strongest response in people with celiac disease.
The team produced seeds from the edited varieties and tested the quality of the wheat and dough at the California Wheat Commission quality lab. Once the value of these breeding lines was established, they were deposited in the “Germplasm Resources Information Network,” or GRIN, operated by the Agricultural Research Service in the USDA to make them widely available.
“The exciting thing that we found is that the quality of the flour produced by this wheat is actually, in some cases, improved,” said Maria Rottersman, a lead author on the paper. “Growers can not only grow it but can expect to have a higher quality product, which I think is a huge incentive for folks to widely adopt this variety. They can be planted in the same way that normal wheat is planted.”
According to wheat geneticist Jorge Dubcovsky, it was previously assumed that the elimination of gliadins would have a negative effect on breadmaking quality. “Our study shows that this is not always the case and that we can reduce wheat allergenicity and improve quality at the same time.”
Funding for the research came from the Celiac Disease Foundation, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. The full study is available HERE. (Source: UC Davis)
