Method for the production of high levels of PUFA in plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12460221-B2
Application number	US-201917273858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2019
Priority date	Sep 7, 2018
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with materials and methods for the production of genetically modified plants, particularly where the plants are for the production of at least one unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acid. The invention is also concerned with identification of genes conveying an unsaturated fatty acid metabolic property to a plant or plant cell, and generally relates to the field of phosphotidylcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase (PDCT).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for increasing the delta-6 elongase conversion efficiency in an oil crop plant of a Brassica species that produces very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (vlcPUFAs) and expresses a delta-6 elongase, comprising:
providing an oil crop plant of a Brassica species that expresses a delta-6 elongase and a delta-6 desaturase and that has decreased activity, compared to a control plant, of one or more phosphotidylcholine:diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase (PDCT) selected from the group consisting of: (a) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 having at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and/or 60; (b) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57 and/or 59; and (c) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57 and/or 59 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code wherein the plant produces docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA).

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises an oil that is characterized by an
i. Increased ETA level ii. Reduced ALA level, iii. Reduced GLA level iv. Reduced SDA level, v. The level of the 18:2 fatty acid fraction in % (w/w) in the triacylglycerol (TAG) composition is higher than the 18:2 fatty acid level in % (w/w) in the diacylglyerol (DAG) fraction, vi. The level of the 20:0 fatty acid in % (w/w) in the diacylglyerol fraction is higher than the 20:0 fatty acid level in % (w/w) in the triacylglycerol fraction vii. The level of the 22:1 fatty acid in % (w/w) in the diacylglyerol (DAG) fraction is higher than the 22:1 level in % (w/w) in the triacylglycerol fraction and/or viii. Reduced 18:1 fatty acid level; compared to a control, and, optionally, comprising the further step of isolating the oil from the plant or a part thereof, the plant cell, and/or the plant seed.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a B. napus plant, and wherein the plant has decreased activity of one or more PDCT selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a PDCT3 having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 18 or 22 or 24; (b) a PDCT5 having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 20 or 26 or 28; (c) a PDCT3 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 17 or 21 or 23; (d) a PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 19 or 25 or 27; (e) a PDCT3 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 17 or 21 or 23 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code; and (f) a PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 19 or 25 or 27 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a B. carinata plant, and wherein the plant has decreased activity of one or more PDCT selected from the group consisting of:
(e) a PDCT3 having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 18 or 22 or 24; (f) a PDCT5 having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 20 or 26 or 28; (g) a PDCT3 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 17 or 21 or 23; (h) a PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 90% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 19 or 25 or 27; (i) a PDCT3 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 17 or 21 or 23 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code; and (j) a PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 19 or 25 or 27 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a B. juncea plant, and wherein the plant has decreased activity of one or more PDCT selected from the group consisting of:
(a) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 having at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and/or 60; (b) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide having at least 80% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57 and/or 59; and (c) PDCT3 and/or PDCT5 encoded by a polynucleotide that differs from SEQ ID NO: 17, 19, 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57 and/or 59 due to the degeneracy of the genetic code.

Assignees

• Basf Plant Science Co Gmbh

Inventors

• Senger Toralf
• Yang Hui
• Andre Carl
• Vrinten Patricia

Classifications

• C12Y207/08002

  Diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferase (2.7.8.2) · CPC title

• C12N15/8218

  Antisense, co-suppression, viral induced gene silencing [VIGS], post-transcriptional induced gene silencing [PTGS] · CPC title

• C12N9/1288

  Transferases for other substituted phosphate groups (2.7.8) · CPC title

• C07K16/40

  against enzymes · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title