Basf Plant Science Gmbh

Nagamani Datla

Jörg Bauer

Xiao Qiu

Petra Cirpus

Guohai Wu

Martin Truksa

Joerg Bauer

Jorg Bauer

Xiao Qui

The present invention relates to a process for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the seed of transgenic plants by introducing, into the organism, nucleic acids which encode polypeptides with a &#x3c9;3-desaturase, &#x394;12-desaturase, &#x394;6-desaturase, &#x394;6-elongase, &#x394;5-desaturase, &#x394;5-elongase and/or &#x394;4-desaturase activity. The invention furthermore relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules comprising the nucleic acid sequences which encode the aforementioned polypeptides, either jointly or individually, and transgenic plants which comprise the aforementioned recombinant nucleic acid molecules. Furthermore, the invention relates to the generation of a transgenic plant and to oils, lipids and/or fatty acids with an elevated content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, as the result of the expression of the elongases and desaturases used in the process according to the invention.

Method for producing polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic plants

The present invention relates to a process for producing arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in transgenic useful plants by introducing into the plant nucleic acids coding for polypeptides having &#x394;6-desaturase, &#x394;6-elongase or &#x394;5-desaturase activity. Furthermore, a gene coding for an &#x3c9;3-desaturase is advantageously expressed in said useful plants. In another advantageous embodiment of the process, further nucleic acid sequences coding for polypeptides of fatty acid or lipid metabolism biosynthesis may be expressed in the plants. Particularly advantageous nucleic acid sequences here are those coding for a &#x394;8-desaturase, &#x394;12-desaturase, &#x394;15-desaturase, &#x394;4-desaturase, &#x394;9-elongase and/or &#x394;5-elongase activity. The invention further relates to the use of the oils, lipids and/or fatty acids produced in the process according to the invention in feedstuffs or foodstuffs, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.

Method for producing arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in useful transgenic plants

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Saskatoon, Canada

Nagamani Datla