The present invention relates to a process for the production of
polyunsaturated fatty acids in the seed of transgenic plants for
introducing, into the organism, nucleic acids which encode polypeptides
with .omega.3-desaturase, .DELTA.12-desaturase, .DELTA.6-desaturase,
.DELTA.6-elongase, .DELTA.5-desaturase, .DELTA.5-elongase and/or
.DELTA.4-desaturase activity, preferably polypeptides with
.DELTA.6-desaturase, .DELTA.6-elongase and .DELTA.5-desaturase activity.
The nucleic acid sequences are the sequences shown in SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ
ID NO: 27, SEQ ID NO: 193, SEQ ID NO: 197, SEQ ID NO: 199 and SEQ ID NO:
201.
These nucleic acid sequences can advantageously be expressed in the
organism, if appropriate together with further nucleic acid sequences
which encode polypeptides of the biosynthesis of the fatty acid or lipid
metabolism. Especially advantageous are nucleic acid sequences which
encode a .DELTA.6-desaturase, a .DELTA.5-desaturase, .DELTA.4-desaturase,
.DELTA.12-desaturase and/or .DELTA.6-elongase activity. These desaturases
and elongases originate advantageously from Thalassiosira, Euglena or
Ostreococcus. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for the
production of oils and/or triacylglycerides with an elevated content of
long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention furthermore relates to a process
for the production of arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid or
docosahexaenoic acid and to a process for the production of triglycerides
with an elevated content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular
arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, in
transgenic plants, advantageously in the seed of the transgenic plant.
The invention relates to the generation of a transgenic plant with an
elevated content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular
arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and/or docosahexaenoic acid, as
the result of the expression of the elongases and desaturases used in the
process according to the invention.
The invention furthermore relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules
comprising the nucleic acid sequences which encode the polypeptides with
.DELTA.6-desaturase, .DELTA.6-elongase, .DELTA.5-desaturase and
.DELTA.5-elongase activity, either jointly or individually, and
transgenic plants which comprise the abovementioned recombinant nucleic
acid molecules.
A further part of the invention relates to oils, lipids and/or fatty acids
which have been produced by the process according to the invention, and
to their use. Moreover, the invention relates to unsaturated fatty acids
and to triglycerides with an elevated content of unsaturated fatty acids
and to their use.