Brassica rod1 gene sequences and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to Brassica juncea ROD1 nucleic acid sequences and proteins and the use thereof to create plants with increased levels of C18:1 and reduced levels of saturated fatty acids in the seeds.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method for producing oil, comprising
 (a) harvesting seeds from  Brassica juncea  plants comprising seven ROD1 genes, wherein two ROD1 genes are knock-out ROD1 genes, wherein one knock-out ROD1 gene is a knock-out allele of the ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 2, and wherein one knock-out ROD/gene is a knock-out allele of the ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 4; and   (b) extracting the oil from said seeds.   
     
     
         23 . A method of producing food, feed, or an industrial product comprising
 (a) obtaining a  Brassica juncea  plant or a part thereof, said  Brassica juncea  plant comprising seven ROD1 genes, wherein two ROD1 genes are knock-out ROD1 genes, wherein one knock-out ROD1 gene is a knock-out allele of the ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 2, and wherein one knock-out ROD1 gene is a knock-out allele of the ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 4; and   (b) preparing the food, feed or industrial product from the plant or part thereof.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein
 (a) the food or feed is oil, meal, grain, starch, flour or protein; or   (b) the industrial product is biofuel, fiber, industrial chemicals, a pharmaceutical or a nutraceutical.   
     
     
         25 . A method for producing oil, comprising
 (a) harvesting seeds from  Brassica juncea  plants comprising seven ROD1 genes, or a cell, part, seed or progeny thereof, comprising a chimeric gene, said chimeric gene comprising the following operably linked DNA fragments:
 i) a plant-expressible promoter; 
 ii) a DNA region, which when transcribed yields an RNA molecule inhibitory to at least two ROD/genes; and optionally 
 iii) a transcription termination and polyadenylation region functional in plant cells, 
   
       wherein said RNA molecule is inhibitory to a ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 2 and to a ROD1 gene encoding a protein having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID No. 4; and
 (b) extracting the oil from said seeds.