Method for producing multiple unsaturated fatty acids in plants

US7893320B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BASF Plant Science Company GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Petra Cirpus · Mannheim, DE
• Andreas Renz · Schifferstadt, DE
• Jens Lerchl · Ladenburg, DE
• Anne-Marie Kuijpers · Otterstadt, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 25, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 22, 2011
• Expiry date: Jan 5, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12P7/6481
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the production of fatty acid esters which comprise unsaturated fatty acids with at least three double bonds, and to free unsaturated fatty acids with a content of at least 1% by weight based on the total fatty acids present in the plants, by expressing at least one nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide with Δ6-desaturase activity and at least one nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide with Δ6-elongase activity. Advantageously, these nucleic acid sequences can, if appropriate, be expressed in the transgenic plant together with a third nucleic acid sequence which encodes a polypeptide with Δ5-desaturase activity. The invention furthermore relates to the use of defined nucleic acid sequences which encode polypeptides with a Δ6-desaturase activity, Δ6-elongase activity or Δ5-desaturase activity selected from a group of nucleic acid sequences, and/or to the use of nucleic acid constructs comprising the abovementioned nucleic acid sequences.