Processes for producing hydrocarbon products

Abstract

The present invention relates to processes for producing industrial products such as hydrocarbon products from non-polar lipids in a vegetative plant part. Preferred industrial products include alkyl esters which may be blended with petroleum based fuels.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A process for producing non-polar lipid in a vegetative plant part, the process comprising a step of expressing in the vegetative plant part one or more exogenous polynucleotides which encode at least Wrinkled 1 (WRI1) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), wherein the vegetative plant part has a total non-polar lipid content of between 5% and 25% (w/w dry weight). 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the vegetative plant parts have one or more or all of the following features:
 a) oleic acid comprises at least 19% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts,   b) palmitic acid comprises at least 20% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts,   c) linoleic acid comprises at least 15% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts, and   d) α-linolenic acid comprises less than 15% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid of the vegetative plant parts comprises:
 a) at least 2% more oleic acid than the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part; and/or   b) at least 2% less palmitic acid than the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part.   
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the non-polar lipid of the vegetative plant parts comprises a modified level of total sterols, non-esterified sterols, steroyl esters or steroyl glycosides relative to the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the non-polar lipid comprises triacylglycerols, wherein the triacylglycerols comprise at least 90% (w/w) of the non-polar lipid. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein co-expression of WRI1 and DGAT has an effect on non-polar lipid accumulation in the vegetative plant part that is larger than an additive effect of the individual effects of each of WRI1 and DGAT expressed alone. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein the plant part is a plant leaf. 
     
     
         27 . A process for producing extracted plant lipid, the process comprising the steps of:
 a) extracting lipid from a collection of transgenic vegetative plant parts which have a total non-polar lipid content of between 5% and 25% (w/w dry weight) and which comprise one or more exogenous polynucleotides which encode at least Wrinkled 1 (WRI1) and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT); and   b) recovering the extracted lipid.   
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the step of extracting the lipid comprises:
 a) one or more of rolling, pressing, crushing or grinding the transgenic vegetative plant parts; and/or   b) the use of an organic solvent.   
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the step of extracting the lipid comprises use of an organic solvent and the organic solvent comprises hexane, diethyl ether, petroleum ether, chloroform/methanol, butanol or benzene. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 27 , further comprising a step of converting the extracted lipid to an industrial product by applying heat, chemical means, or enzymatic means, or any combination thereof to the extracted lipid. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 30 , in which at least some of the lipid is converted to the industrial product by chemical means, wherein the chemical means comprises reacting the non-polar lipid with an alcohol to produce alkyl esters. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 31 , wherein:
 a) the non-polar lipid is reacted with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst; and/or   b) the alkyl esters are blended with petroleum-based fuel.   
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 27  which comprises one or more or all of:
 a) one or more of degumming, deodorising, decolourising, drying or fractionating the extracted lipid, 
 b) removing at least some waxes and/or wax esters from the extracted lipid, and 
 c) analysing the fatty acid composition of the extracted lipid. 
 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the vegetative plant parts have one or more or all of the following features:
 a) oleic acid comprises at least 19% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts,   b) palmitic acid comprises at least 20% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts,   c) linoleic acid comprises at least 15% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts, and   d) α-linolenic acid comprises less than 15% of the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid in the vegetative plant parts.   
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the total fatty acid content in the non-polar lipid of the vegetative plant parts comprises:
 a) at least 2% more oleic acid than the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part; and/or   b) at least 2% less palmitic acid than the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part.   
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the non-polar lipid of the vegetative plant parts comprises a modified level of total sterols, non-esterified sterols, steroyl esters or steroyl glycosides relative to the non-polar lipid in a corresponding wild-type vegetative plant part. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the non-polar lipid comprises triacylglycerols, wherein the triacylglycerols comprise at least 90% (w/w) of the non-polar lipid. 
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein co-expression of WRI1 and DGAT has an effect on non-polar lipid accumulation in the vegetative plant part that is larger than an additive effect of the individual effects of each of WRI1 and DGAT expressed alone. 
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the plant part is a plant leaf.