A method of producing lipids, containing the steps of: culturing an alga belonging to the genus Nannochloropsis; and producing fatty acids or lipids containing the same as components;
wherein expressions of genes encoding a 12-desaturase and a 6-desaturase are enhanced in the alga; and a transformant of an alga belonging to the genus Nannochloropsis, wherein expressions of genes encoding a 12-desaturease and a 6-desaturease are enhanced.

This document relates to methods and materials for generating oilseed (e.g., pennycress) plants that have oil with reduced levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and/or increased levels of oleic acid. For example, oilseed plants having reduced expression levels of one or more polypeptides involved in fatty acid biosynthesis (e.g., fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and reduced oleate desaturation 1 (ROD1)), as well as methods and materials for making and using such oilseed plants are provided.

Disclosed are nucleotide sequences and corresponding amino acid sequences of Arxula adeninivorans genes that can be utilized to manipulate the lipid content and/or composition of a cell. Methods and compositions for utilizing this information are disclosed to increase the lipid content or modify the lipid composition of a cell by either increasing or decreasing the activity of certain genetic targets.

It relates to -3 fatty acid desaturase for the synthesis of pufas from Phytophthora parasitica, a plasmid containing the same, a recombinant microorganism containing the plasmid and its application. The invention also provides the use of the above -3 fatty acid desaturase in the biosynthesis of PUFAs, especially to catalyze C20:4.sup.5,8,11,14 to C20:5.sup.5,8,11,14,17 at normal temperature, with catalytic efficiency 65%. The recombinant strain reached 31.5% of the total fatty acid, and the conversion rate to AA was up to 77.6%.

Materials and methods for creating canola (e.g., Brassica napus) lines having oil with increased oleic acid content are provided herein. For example, a Brassica plant, plant part, or plant cell having an induced mutation in one or more FAD2 gene copies, oil produced from the plant, plant part, or plant cell has increased oleic acid content and decreased linolenic acid content as compared to oil produced from a corresponding wild type Brassica plant, plant part, or plant cell, wherein the mutation was induced by one or more rare cutting endonucleases targeted to the one or more FAD2 gene copies, and methods of making and using the Brassica plant, plant part or plant cell, are provided.

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).

Assay method, comprising providing a plant capable of expressing a delta-12 desaturase, wherein said delta-12 desaturase has at least 50% total amino acid sequence identity to at least one of the sequences SEQ ID NO. 328 to 336, and/or at least 59% total amino acid sequence similarity to at least one of the sequences SEQ ID NO. 328 to 336, and wherein the plant is also capable of expressing at least one or more enzymes of unsaturated fatty acid metabolism, of which enzymes at least one is capable of using linoleic acid as a substrate, and of which enzymes at least one is supposedly connected to a plant metabolic property, growing the plant, and measuring said plant metabolic property for said plant.

The present invention relates to extracted lipid with high levels, for example 90% to 95% by weight, oleic acid. The present invention also provides genetically modified plants, particularly oilseeds such as safflower, which can used to produce the lipid. Furthermore, provided are methods for genotyping and selecting plants which can be used to produce the lipid.

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 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.