Basf Plant Science Gmbh

Petra Sperling

Ernst Heinz

Xiao Qiu

Petra Cirpus

Thorsten Zank

Patricia Vrinten

Amine Abbadi

Frederic Domergue

Jörg Bauer

Helene Kirsch

Astrid Schmidt

Sten Stymne

Thomas Girke

Jelena Kirsch

Astrid Meyer

Michael Lee

Ulrich Zaehringer

Joerg Bauer

Jorg Bauer

The present invention relates to a process for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in an organism by introducing, into the organism, nucleic acids which encode polypeptides with Δ5-elongase activity. Advantageously, these nucleic acids can be expressed in the organism together with further nucleic acids which encode polypeptides of the biosynthesis of the fatty acid or lipid metabolism. Especially advantageous are nucleic acids which encode Δ6-desaturases, Δ5-desaturases, Δ4-desaturases and/or Δ6-elongases. These desaturases and elongases are advantageously derived fromor. The invention furthermore relates to a process for the production of oils and/or triacylglycerides with an elevated content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and oils and/or triacylglycerides thus obtained. The invention also relates to the nucleic acids, and constructs, vectors and transgenic organisms comprising the same, as well as oils, lipids and/or fatty acids produced by the process according to the invention and to their use.

Process for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic organisms

The present invention relates to a process for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in an organism by introducing, into the organism, nucleic acids which encode polypeptides with &#x394;5-elongase activity. Advantageously, these nucleic acids can be expressed in the organism together with further nucleic acids which encode polypeptides of the biosynthesis of the fatty acid or lipid metabolism. Especially advantageous are nucleic acids which encode &#x394;6-desaturases, &#x394;5-desaturases, &#x394;4-desaturases and/or &#x394;6-elongases. These desaturases and elongases are advantageously derived fromor. The invention furthermore relates to a process for the production of oils and/or triacylglycerides with an elevated content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and oils and/or triacylglycerides thus obtained. The invention also relates to the nucleic acids, and constructs, vectors and transgenic organisms comprising the same, as well as oils, lipids and/or fatty acids produced by the process according to the invention and to their use.

Method for the production of multiple-unsaturated fatty acids in transgenic organisms

The invention relates to a method for the production of multiply-unsaturated fatty acids in an organism, into which nucleic acids have been introduced, which code for polypeptides with &#x394;-5 elongase activity. Said nucleic acid sequences, optionally with further nucleic acid sequences, coding for polypeptides for the biosynthesis of fatty acids and lipid metabolism, are advantageously expressed in the organism. Nucleic acid sequences coding for a &#x394;-6 desaturase, a &#x394;-5 desaturase, &#x394;-4 desaturase and/or &#x394;-6 elongase activity are particularly advantageous and, advantageously, said saturases and elongases are derived fromor. The invention further relates to a method for the production of oils and/or triacylglycerides with an increased content of long-chain, multiply-unsaturated fatty acids. A particular embodiment of the invention is a method for the production of unsaturated &#x3c9;-3 fatty acids and a method for the production of triglycerides with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular, of &#x394;-3 fatty acids with more than three double bonds. Also disclosed is the production of a transgenic organism, preferably a transgenic plant, or a transgenic microorganism with increased content of &#x3c9;-3 fatty acids, oils or lipids with &#x3c9;-3 double bonds as a result of the expression of the elongases and desaturases employed in the above method, preferably in combination with &#x3c9;-3 desaturases, for example a &#x3c9;-3 desaturase from fungi of the family Pythiaceae such as the genus, for example, the genus and species, or a &#x3c9;-3 desaturase from algae such as the family Prasinophyceae, for example, the genusand, particularly, the genus and speciesor diatomace&#xe6; such as the genusand, particularly, the genus and species. The invention also relates to the nucleic acid sequences, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and organisms containing the nucleic acid sequences and/or the nucleic acid constructs and transgenic organisms containing said nucleic acid sequences, nucleic acid constructs and/or vectors. A further part of the invention relates to oils, lipids and/or fatty acids produced according to the above method and use thereof and, furthermore, unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and use thereof.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing unsaturated fatty acids and to a process for preparing triglycerides with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids. The invention further relates to the use of DNA sequences coding for &#x394;6-acetylenase/&#x394;6-desaturases or &#x394;6-desaturases for producing a transgenic organism, preferably a transgenic plant or a transgenic microorganism with increased content of fatty acids, oils or lipids with &#x394;6 triple bonds and/or &#x394;6 double bonds. The invention additionally relates to an isolated nucleic acid sequence; to an expression cassette comprising a nucleic acid sequence, a vector and organisms comprising at least one nucleic acid sequence or expression cassette. The invention additionally relates to unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides with an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and the use thereof.

&#x394;6 acetylenase and &#x394;6-desaturase from ceratodon purpureus

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Petra Sperling