The present invention relates generally to the field of recombinant fatty acid synthesis, particularly in transgenic plants. The application describes genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and provides methods and vectors for the manipulation of fatty acid composition of plant oils. In particular, the invention provides constructs for achieving the integration of multiple heterologous genes involved in fatty acid synthesis into the plant genome, such that the resulting plants produce altered levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also described are methods for enhancing the expression of fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes by co-expressing a silencing suppressor within the plant storage organ.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In particular, the present invention provides ω3 destaurases, Δ5 elongases and Δ6 desaturases with novel activities. Also provided are methods and DNA constructs for transiently and/or stably transforming cells, particularly plant cells, with multiple genes.

Microalgal mutant to produce high-value essential LCPUFA oils including eicosadienoic acid (EDA), dihomo-γ-linoleic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (ARA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in various ratios in are provided.

Microalgal mutant to produce high-value essential LCPUFA oils including eicosadienoic acid (EDA), dihomo-γ-linoleic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (ARA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in various ratios in are provided.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The invention relates to a microbial biomass composition produced from a heterotrophic fermentation whose fatty acid profile exhibits an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (ARA) ratio of about 11:1 or more, an EPA to total co-concentrating fatty acid ratio of about 8:1 or more, extract compositions, and methods of producing such compositions.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) compositions and EPA-rich polar lipids for prophylactic or therapeutic applications are described. Production from certain cultured micro-organisms (like Nitzschia laevis) promotes synthesis of EPA, including polar lipids including EPA. The EPA-rich polar lipids themselves may be used as polar compounds. EPA can be selectively hydrolyzed from particular positions in isolated polar lipids by lipase activity, then optionally further purified. The process bypasses reliance on diminishing fish stocks and on physico-chemical processes that may not adequately separate desirable n-3 HUFAs from unwanted products like DHA also found in fish oil and cultured organisms.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In particular, the present invention provides ω3 destaurases, Δ5 elongases and Δ6 desaturases with novel activities. Also provided are methods and DNA constructs for transiently and/or stably transforming cells, particularly plant cells, with multiple genes.

Provided herein are methods of culturing a microorganism. The methods include providing a container comprising one or more microorganisms in a medium, which has a first carbon to nitrogen ratio; culturing the microorganisms until the culture reaches a threshold indicator; harvesting a portion of the culture while maintaining the majority of the culture in the container; and adding fresh medium comprising a second carbon to nitrogen ratio to the container with the majority of the culture comprising the microorganisms.

The present invention relates to polynucleotides from Ostreococcus lucimarinus which code for desaturases and elongases and which can be employed for the recombinant production of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The invention furthermore relates to vectors, host cells and transgenic nonhuman organisms which comprise the polynucleotides, and to the polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides. Finally, the invention also relates to production processes for the polyunsaturated fatty acids and for oil, lipid and fatty acid compositions.