Limnanthes oil genes

Abstract

This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding an enzyme involved in lipid biosynthesis. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the enzyme involved in lipid biosynthesis, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the enzyme involved in lipid biosynthesis in a transformed host cell.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A seed obtained from a transgenic plant wherein the seed comprises a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position. 
     
     
         36 . The seed of  claim 35  wherein the transgenic plant is soybean. 
     
     
         37 . An oil obtained from the seed of a transgenic plant wherein the oil comprises a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position. 
     
     
         38 . The oil of  claim 37  wherein the transgenic plant is soybean. 
     
     
         39 . Seed oil produced by a method comprising a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position, the method comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a chimeric gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence, said chimeric gene comprising:
 (i) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having delta-5 acyl-CoA desaturase activity, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal alignment method, when compared to SEQ ID NO:2, or 
 (ii) the full complement of the nucleotide sequence. 
   (b) growing a fertile plant from the transformed plant cell of step (a);   (c) obtaining a seed from the plant of step (b); and   (d) processing the seed of step (c) to obtain oil   
       wherein the oil comprises a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position. 
     
     
         40 . Seed oil produced by a method comprising a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position, the method comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a chimeric gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence, said chimeric gene comprising:
 (i) a first polynucleotide encoding a first polypeptide having delta-5 acyl-CoA desaturase activity, wherein the first polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal alignment method, when compared to SEQ ID NO:2, or 
 (ii) the full complement of the first nucleotide sequence. 
 (iii) a second polynucleotide encoding a second polypeptide having fatty acyl-CoA elongase activity, wherein the second polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal alignment method, when compared to SEQ ID NO:5, or 
 (iv) the full complement of the first nucleotide sequence. 
   (b) growing a fertile plant from the transformed plant cell of step (a);   (c) obtaining a seed from the plant of step (b); and   (d) processing the seed of step (c) to obtain oil   
       wherein the oil comprises a desaturated fatty acid wherein the fatty acid comprises a double bond in the delta-5 position. 
     
     
         41 . Seed oil with reduced levels of 16 carbon fatty acids produced by a method comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a chimeric gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence, said chimeric gene comprising:
 (i) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having fatty acyl-CoA elongase activity, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal alignment method, when compared to SEQ ID NO:5, or 
 (ii) the full complement of the nucleotide sequence. 
   (b) growing a fertile plant from the transformed plant cell of step (a);   (c) obtaining a seed from the plant of step (b); and   (d) processing the seed of step (c) to obtain oil   
       wherein the oil comprises a lower level of 16 carbon fatty acids than oil obtained from a seed obtained from a plant that was grown from a plant cell that was not transformed with the chimeric gene of step (a). 
     
     
         42 . Seed oil with increased levels of 20 carbon fatty acids produced by a method comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a chimeric gene operably linked to a regulatory sequence, said chimeric gene comprising:
 (i) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having fatty acyl-CoA elongase activity, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal alignment method, when compared to SEQ ID NO:5, or 
 (ii) the full complement of the nucleotide sequence. 
   (b) growing a fertile plant from the transformed plant cell of step (a);   (c) obtaining a seed from the plant of step (b); and   (d) processing the seed of step (c) to obtain oil   
       wherein the oil comprises a higher level of 20 carbon fatty acids than oil obtained from a seed obtained from a plant that was grown from a plant cell that was not transformed with the chimeric gene of step (a).