The present invention generally is concerned with the modification of plant lipids containing PUFAs. In this context, the invention is particularly concerned with plants and plant materials for such modifications, wherein the plants preferably are oilseed plants. Regarding plant parts, the invention is particularly concerned with seeds of such plants and preferably seeds of oilseed plants. The invention is also concerned with plant positions obtainable or obtained by the modification method of the invention, and with full stuff of feedstuff comprising such liquid compositions.

The invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules which encode novel fatty acid desaturases and elongases from the organism Emiliana huxleyi. The invention also provides recombinant expression vectors containing desaturase or elongase 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. arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

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 from Thalassiosira, Euglena or Ostreococcus. 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.

Methods to produce oils with modified profiles of fatty acid, carotenoids and/or terpenoids in microalgal mutants are provided. Microalgal mutants produce the oil containing fatty acids, carotenoids and/or terpenoids of a modified profile with a disruption or ablation of one or more alleles of an endogenous polynucleotide or comprising an exogeneous gene are also provided.

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 from Thalassiosira, Euglena or Ostreococcus. 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.

The invention relate to genetically modified hosts cell comprising a pathway having enhanced production of one or more benzylisoquinoline alkaloids wherein the cell expresses heterologous insect genes encoding insect demethylases converting thebaine into northebaine, thebaine into oripavine, thebaine into nororipavine and/or oripavine into nororipavine.

T-DNA for expression of a target gene in a plant, wherein the T-DNA comprises a left and a right border element and at least one expression cassette comprising a promoter, operatively linked thereto a target gene, and downstream thereof a terminator, wherein the length of the T-DNA, measured from left to right border element and comprising the target gene, has a length of at least 30000 bp.

The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns increasing the tocopherol content of a plant relative to a control plant, comprising expressing in a plant at least one polynucleotide encoding a delta-12-desaturase, at least one polynucleotide encoding a delta-6-desaturase, at least one polynucleotide encoding a delta-6-elongase, and at least one polynucleotide encoding a delta-5-desaturase. The present invention also relates to methods for the manufacture of oil, fatty acid- or lipids-containing compositions, and to such oils and lipids as such.

The present invention provides transgenic Brassica events LBFLFK and LBFDAU and progeny thereof, and cells, seeds, plants comprising DNA diagnostic for these events. The invention also provides artificial oligonucleotide primers and probes that are diagnostic for the LBFLFK and LBFDAU events and their progeny in a sample, and methods for detecting the presence of the LBFLFK and LBFDAU events and their progeny in a sample. The invention further provides oil and commodity products derived from the LBFLFK and LBFDAU events.

The present invention relates to an inhibitor of sphingolipids for use in the treatment or prevention of an aging related-disease and/or aging.