Calgene Corporation

Other

Huw Maelor Davies

Toni Alois Voelker

Deborah J Hawkins

Janet Nelsen

Michael W Lassner

Toni Alols Voelker

Gregory A Thompson

Deborah Knutzon

Michael R Pollard

Janet Nelson

Deborah Hawkins

This invention relates to plant LPAATs, means to identify such proteins, amino acid and nucleic acid sequences associated with such protein, and methods to obtain, make and/or use such plant LPAATs. Purification, especially the removal of plant membranes and the substantial separation away from other plant proteins, and use of the plant LPAAT is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications. In addition, nucleic acid sequences encoding LPAAT protein regions are provided, and uses of such sequences for isolation of LPAAT genes from plants are considered.

Plant lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases

This invention relates to plant LPAATs, means to identify such proteins, amino acid and nucleic acid sequences associated with such protein, and methods to obtain, make and/or use such plant LPAATs. Purification, especially the removal of plant membranes and the substantial separation away from other plant proteins, and use of the plant LPAAT is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications. In addition, nucleic acid sequences encoding LPAAT protein regions are provided, and uses of such sequences for isolation of LPAAT genes from plants and for modification of plant triglyceride compositions are described.

This invention relates to plant LPAATs, means to identify such proteins, amino acid and nucleic acid sequences associated with such protein, and methods to obtain, make and/or use such plant LPAATs. Purification, especially the removal of plant membranes and the substantial separation away from other plant proteins, and use of the plant LPAAT is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications. In addition, nucleic acid sequences encoding LPAAT protein regions are provided, and uses of such sequences for isolation of LPAAT genes from plants and for modification of plant triglyceride compositions are considered.

By this invention, further properties and uses of plant medium chain thioesterases are provided. In particular, it is now seen that plant seed which would not normally contain medium-chain fatty acid, either as free fatty acids or incorporated into triglyceride molecules, can be found to contain such medium-chain fatty acids. By seed which would not normally contain medium-chain fatty acid is meant seed which contains less than 0.1 mole percent of a given medium-chain fatty acid in total fatty acids. Thus, any plant seed containing a minimum of 1.0 mole percent of a given medium-chain fatty acid in total fatty acids is significantly modified. In one embodiment, this invention relates to plant seed and oil derived from that seed, which normally do not contain laurate, but now are found to contain laurate.

Plant thioesterases and use for modification of fatty acid composition

C8 and C10 medium-chain thioesterases in plants

By this invention, methods to produce C14 fatty acids in plant seed oils are provided. In a first embodiment, this invention relates to particular C14 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase sequences from Cuphea palustris, camphor and nutmeg, and to DNA constructs for the expression of these thioesterases in host cells for production of C14 fatty acids. Other aspects of this invention relate to methods for using other plant medium-chain thioesterases or medium-chain thioesterases from non-plant sources to provide C14 fatty acids in plant cells. In this regard, the production of C14 fatty acids in plant cells as the result of expression from an elm medium chain acyl-ACP thioesterase and a bacterial luxD gene is provided.

Production of myristate in plant cells

Plant medium-chain thioesterases

This invention relates to plant LPAATs, means to identify such proteins, amino acid and nucleic acid sequences associated with such protein, methods to obtain, make and/or use such plant LPAATs. Purification, especially the removal of plant membranes and the substantial separation away from other plant proteins, and use of the plant LPAAT is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications.

This invention relates to plant thioesterases, means to identify such proteins, amino acid and nucleic acid sequences associated with such protein, methods to obtain, make and/or use such plant thioesterases. Also, by this invention, the existence of a heretofore unproven factor critical to the biosynthesis of medium-chain fatty acids in plants is demonstrated.

Plant thioesterases

By this invention, further properties and uses of medium-chain thioesterases in plants are provided, including methods of using medium-chain thioesterases from non-plant sources to provide medium-chain fatty acids in plant cells.

Medium-chain thioesterases in plants

Plant thiosterases

This invention relates to a novel class of plant enzymes, thioesterases having preferential hydrolase activity toward one or more medium-chain acyl-ACP substrates. Purification, especially the removal of substantially all other plant proteins, and use of the plant thioesterase is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications and a description of various uses for such nucleic acid sequences thereto. The enzyme is preferrably obtained from Umbellularia californica and has preferential hydrolase activity toward C12 acyl-ACP substrate.

Plant thioesterase having preferential hydrolase activity toward C12

This invention relates to a novel class of plant enzymes, thioesterases having preferential hydrolase activity toward one or more medium-chain acyl-ACP substrates. Purification, especially the removal of substantially all other plant proteins, and use of the plant thioesterase is provided, including the use of the protein as a tool in gene isolation for biotechnological applications and a description of various uses for such nucleic acid sequences thereto.

Plant medium-chain-preferring acyl-ACP thioesterases and related methods

A method and assay kit for determining the presence of an enzyme in a sample are provided. A sample suspected of containing the enzyme is applied to an image gel, which may be any conventional material, typically agarose gel. The sample may first be subjected to electrophoresis, or may be detected directly using the present invention. The image gel includes an immobilized phase capable of binding a product of the enzyme but not the substrate. By exposing the enzyme to substrate, and drawing the resulting reaction mixtures through the image gel, only the product is bound in the image gel. The presence of enzyme may then be determined by detecting the product in the image gel. In addition to developing electrophoresis gels, the method of the present invention will find great use in screening a plurality of complex mixtures which have been separated by other conventional techniques.

Growing community of inventors

Davis, CA, United States of America

Huw Maelor Davies