Fatty acid desaturases, elongases, elongation components and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9458477-B2
Application number	US-201113880275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2011
Priority date	Oct 21, 2010
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules which encode a fatty acid desaturase, KCS, KCR, DH and ECR from Nannochloropsis oculata . The invention also provides recombinant expression vectors containing desaturase, KCS, KCR, DH and ECR nucleic acid molecules, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced, and methods for large-scale production of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), e.g., ARA, EPA and DHA.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polynucleotide comprising an expression control sequence operatively linked to a heterologous nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
a) the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 128;
b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 129;
c) a nucleic acid sequence having at least 85% sequence identity to the entire length of the nucleic acid sequence of a), wherein said nucleic acid sequence encodes a polypeptide having delta-4 desaturase activity; and
d) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having delta-4 desaturase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 85% sequence identity to the entire length of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 129.

2. The polynucleotide of claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide further comprises a terminator sequence operatively linked to said nucleic acid sequence.

3. A vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 .

4. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide.

5. A method for the manufacture of a polypeptide, comprising:
a) cultivating a host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide under conditions allowing for production of a polypeptide encoded by said polynucleotide; and
b) obtaining said polypeptide from the host cell of step a).

6. An isolated polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide of claim 1 .

7. A non-human transgenic organism comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide, wherein said non-human transgenic organism is a plant, plant part, plant seed, or microorganism.

8. The non-human transgenic organism of claim 7 , wherein the microorganism is a fungus, algae, moss, or yeast.

9. A method for the manufacture of at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid, comprising:
a) cultivating the host cell of claim 4 under conditions allowing for production of at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid in said host cell; and
b) obtaining said at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid from said host cell.

10. A method for the manufacture of at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid, comprising:
a) cultivating the non-human transgenic organism of claim 7 under conditions allowing for production of at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid in said non-human transgenic organism; and
b) obtaining said at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid from said non-human transgenic organism.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid is arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and/or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

12. A method for the manufacture of an oil, lipid or fatty acid composition, comprising:
a) manufacturing at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid by the method of claim 9 ; and
b) formulating the at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid in an oil, lipid or fatty acid composition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said oil, lipid or fatty acid composition is to be used for feed, foodstuffs, cosmetics or medicaments.

14. The polynucleotide of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encodes a polypeptide having delta-4 desaturase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the entire length of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 129.

15. The polynucleotide of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence encodes a polypeptide having delta-4 desaturase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the entire length of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 129.

16. A method for the manufacture of polyunsaturated fatty acids, comprising:
a) cultivating a plant comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide under conditions which allow for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in said plant or seeds thereof; and
b) obtaining said polyunsaturated fatty acids from said plant or seeds thereof.

17. A method for the manufacture of an oil-, lipid- or fatty acid-composition, comprising:
a) cultivating a plant comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 or a vector comprising said polynucleotide under conditions which allow for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in said plant or seeds thereof; and
b) obtaining an oil-, lipid- or fatty acid-composition from said plant or seeds thereof.

18. A method for the manufacture of polyunsaturated fatty acids, comprising:
a) obtaining an oil-, lipid- or fatty acid-composition produced by the method of claim 17 ; and
b) obtaining polyunsaturated fatty acids from said oil-, lipid- or fatty acid-composition.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the polyunsaturated fatty acids are obtained from the seeds of said plant.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the oil-, lipid- or fatty acid-composition is obtained from the seeds of said plant.

Assignees

• Senger Toralf
• Bauer Jörg
• Marty Laurent
• Basf Plant Science Co Gmbh

Inventors

• Senger Toralf
• Bauer Jörg
• Marty Laurent

Classifications

• Y02P20/52

  using catalysts, e.g. selective catalysts · CPC title

• C12N9/1029

  transferring groups other than amino-acyl groups (2.3.1) · CPC title

• C12N15/8247

  involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition · CPC title

• C12N9/0083

  Miscellaneous (1.14.99) · CPC title

• C12P7/6427 Primary

  Polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA], i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone · CPC title