Kyushu University

Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.

University of Miyazaki

Konan Gakuen

Masahiro Hayashi

Naoki Nagano

Shinichi Sugimoto

Makoto Ito

Yuji Okita

Daisuke Honda

Keishi Sakaguchi

Takanori Matsuda

Yosuke Taoka

Rie Hamaguchi

Takumi Kobayashi

Hitoshi Izumida

Sanae Nakajima

A microbial oil is obtained from Labyrinthulomycetes in which a gene for fatty acid biosynthesis has been disrupted or an expression of the gene has been inhibited to highly accumulate the fatty acid. The microbial oil typically contains: (a) 1.5% or more of arachidonic acid (AA) based on a total amount of fatty acid; (b) 0.2% or more of dihomo-&#x3b3;-linolenic acid (DGLA) based on the total amount of fatty acid; (c) 0.04% or more of eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA) based on the total amount of fatty acid; (d) 3.8% or more of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) based on the total amount of fatty acid; (e) 13.7% or less of n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (n-6DPA) based on the total amount of fatty acid; and (f) 43.9% or less of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) based on the total amount of fatty acid.

Microbial oil containing fatty acids obtained from stramenopile and method of producing the same

A microbial oil is extracted from stramenopile transformed with a gene associated with synthesis of fatty acids, the gene encoding a fatty acid desaturase. The stramenopile belongs to the class Labyrinthulomycete. The microbial oil satisfies one or more of the following requirements: (a) an amount of arachidonic acid is 7% or less based on a total amount of the fatty acid composition; (b) an amount of DPA is 9% or less based on the total amount of the fatty acid composition; (c) an amount of ETA is 0.04% or more based on the total amount of the fatty acid composition; (d) an amount of EPA is 7% or more based on the total amount of the fatty acid composition; and (e) an amount of DHA is 45% or more based on the total amount of the fatty acid composition.

Microbial oil extracted from stramenopiles

Disclosed is a transformation method whereby an ability to produce a useful substance of a stramenopile can be improved. The method for transforming a stramenopile comprises transferring a foreign gene into the stramenopile which is a microorganism belonging to the class, more specifically, to a genus, etc. Said foreign gene, which is a gene relating to tolerance against an antibiotic, a colorimetric protein and/or a fatty acid desaturase (&#x394;5 desaturase gene, &#x394;12 desaturase gene and/or &#x3c9;3 desaturase gene), is transferred by using the electroporation or gene-gun technique.

Method for transforming stramenopiles

To provide a transformation method for producing a stramenopile organism having an improved unsaturated fatty acid production capability by disrupting a gene of the stramenopile organism or inhibiting the expression of the gene in a genetically engineering manner. [Solution] A method for transforming a stramenopile organism, which comprises disrupting a gene of the stramenopile organism or inhibiting the expression of the gene in a genetically engineering manner, and which is characterized in that the stramenopile organism is selected fromandsp. and the gene to be disrupted or of which the expression is to be inhibited is a gene associated with the biosynthesis of a fatty acid.

Method for transformation of stramenopile

[PROBLEMS] To provide a fat-and-oil in which the content of docosahexaenoic acid is increased. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A process for producing highly unsaturated fatty acids comprising culturing a stramenopile capable of producing highly unsaturated fatty acids in a culture medium containing an inhibitor for fatty acid desaturases; fats-and-oils in which the content of highly unsaturated fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid produced by the relevant method, is increased. A method for enhancing the productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids in stramenopiles, comprising culturing a stramenopile in a culture medium containing an inhibitor for fatty acid desaturases; stramenopiles having the enhanced productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids, generated by the relevant method. Particularly, the process for producing highly unsaturated fatty acids, the method for enhancing the productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids, and the stramenopile having the enhanced productivity of highly unsaturated fatty acids, wherein the stramenopile is a microorganism classified into Labyrinthulea.

Method for increasing the content of docosahexaenoic acid in fat-containing materials or in fats and oils

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Miyazaki, Japan

Masahiro Hayashi