Nutritional enhancement in plants – green and greener

The global challenges of ensuring sufficient safe and nutritious food for all are enshrined within the Sustainable Development Goals. As our planet's population continues to grow, and as the impacts of climate change and environmental pollution become more visible to all, new solutions continue to be sought as to how best address these. Transgenic crops specifically focussed on delivering health-beneficial compounds will likely play a role in this, and this review will consider several areas where good progress has been made. In particular, the transition from basic research to commercial product is a journey that more and more projects are embarking on, hopefully leading to the fulfilment of earlier promises as to the potential of genetically modified (GM) plants to deliver improved human nutrition

Delta 6 Desaturases From Primulaceae, Expressing Plants And Pufa-containing Oils (Patent US 8329993 B2)

The present invention relates to an improved method for the specific production of unsaturated ω-3 fatty acids and a method for the production of triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 fatty acids having more than three double bonds. The invention relates to the production of a transgenic organism, preferably a transgenic plant or a transgenic microorganism, having an increased content of fatty acids, oils or lipids having Δ6 double bonds due to the expression of a Δ6-desaturase from Primulaceae. The invention additionally relates to expression cassettes containing a nucleic acid sequence, a vector and organisms containing at least one nucleic acid sequence or an expression cassette. The invention further relates to unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and use thereof

Process For The Production Of Arachidonic Acid And/or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (Patent US 8258371 B2)

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in plants through the co-expression of a Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, Δ-9-elongase, Δ-8-desaturase and a Δ-5-desaturase and a process for the production of lipids or oils having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids having at least two double bonds and a 18 or 20 carbon atom chain length. Preferably the arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are produced in at least a 1:2 ratio. The invention furthermore relates to the production of a transgenic plants, preferably a transgenic crop plant, having an increased content of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid, oils or lipids containing C18- or C20-fatty acids with a double bond in position 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 or 17 of the fatty acid produced, respectively due to the expression of the Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, of the Δ-9-elongase, of the Δ-8-desaturase and of the Δ-5-desaturase in the plant. The expression of the inventive Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase leads preferably to linoleic acid and linolenic acid as products having a double bond in the position 9, 12 and 15 of the fatty acid. The invention additionally relates to specific nucleic acid sequences encoding for proteins with Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase-, Δ-9-elongase-, Δ-8-desaturase- or Δ-5-desaturase-activity, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and transgenic plants containing said nucleic acid sequences

Process For The Production Of Arachidonic Acid And/or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (Patent US 8273958 B2)

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in plants through the co-expression of a Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, Δ-9-elongase, Δ-8-desaturase and a Δ-5-desaturase and a process for the production of lipids or oils having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids having at least two double bonds and a 18 or 20 carbon atom chain length. Preferably the arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are produced in at least a 1:2 ratio. The invention furthermore relates to the production of a transgenic plants, preferably a transgenic crop plant, having an increased content of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid, oils or lipids containing C18- or C20-fatty acids with a double bond in position 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 or 17 of the fatty acid produced, respectively due to the expression of the Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, of the Δ-9-elongase, of the Δ-8-desaturase and of the Δ-5-desaturase in the plant. The expression of the inventive Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase leads preferably to linoleic acid and linolenic acid as products having a double bond in the position 9, 12 and 15 of the fatty acid. The invention additionally relates to specific nucleic acid sequences encoding for proteins with Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase-, Δ-9-elongase-, Δ-8-desaturase- or Δ-5-desaturase-activity, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and transgenic plants containing said nucleic acid sequences

Process For The Production Of Arachidonic Acid And/or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (Patent US 8017839 B2)

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in plants through the co-expression of a Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, Δ-9-elongase, Δ-8-desaturase and a Δ-5-desaturase and a process for the production of lipids or oils having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids having at least two double bonds and a 18 or 20 carbon atom chain length. Preferably the arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are produced in at least a 1:2 ratio. The invention furthermore relates to the production of a transgenic plants, preferably a transgenic crop plant, having an increased content of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid, oils or lipids containing Ciβ- or C20-fatty acids with a double bond in position Δ 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 or dffthe fatty acid produced, respectively due to the expression of the Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, of the Δ-9-elongase, of the Δ-8-desaturase and of the Δ-5-desaturase in the plant. The expression of the inventive Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase leads preferably to linoleic acid and linolenic acid as products having a double bond in the position Δ 9, 12 and 15 of the fatty acid. The invention additionally relates to specific nucleic acid sequences encoding for proteins with Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase-, Δ-9-elongase-, Δ-8-desaturase- or Δ-5-desaturase-activity, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and transgenic plants containing said nucleic acid sequences

Delta 6 Desaturases From Primulaceae, Expressing Plants And Pufa-containing Oils (Patent US 2009/0222955 A1)

The present invention relates to an improved method for the specific production of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids and a method for the production of triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular omega-3 fatty acids having more than three double bonds. The invention relates to the production of a transgenic organism, preferably a transgenic plant or a transgenic microorganism, having an increased content of fatty acids, oils or lipids having Delta6 double bonds due to the expression of a Delta6-desaturase from Primulaceae. The invention additionally relates to expression cassettes containing a nucleic acid sequence, a vector and organisms containing at least one nucleic acid sequence or an expression cassette. The invention further relates to unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and use thereof

Process For The Production Of Arachidonic Acid And/or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (Patent US 2012/0017332 A1)

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in plants through the co-expression of a Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, Δ-9-elongase, Δ-8-desaturase and a Δ-5-desaturase and a process for the production of lipids or oils having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids having at least two double bonds and a 18 or 20 carbon atom chain length. Preferably the arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are produced in at least a 1:2 ratio. The invention furthermore relates to the production of a transgenic plants, preferably a transgenic crop plant, having an increased content of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid, oils or lipids containing C18- or C20-fatty acids with a double bond in position Δ5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 or 17 of the fatty acid produced, respectively due to the expression of the Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, of the Δ-9-elongase, of the Δ-8-desaturase and of the Δ-5-desaturase in the plant. The expression of the inventive Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase leads preferably to linoleic acid and linolenic acid as products having a double bond in the position 9, 12 and 15 of the fatty acid. The invention additionally relates to specific nucleic acid sequences encoding for proteins with Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase-, Δ-9-elongase-, Δ-8-desaturase- or Δ-5-desaturase-activity, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and transgenic plants containing said nucleic acid sequences

Delta6-desaturases From Primulaceae, Expressing Plants And Pufa-containing Oils (Patent US 7554008 B2)

The present invention relates to an improved method for the specific production of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids and a method for the production of triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular omega-3 fatty acids having more than three double bonds. The invention relates to the production of a transgenic organism, preferably a transgenic plant or a transgenic microorganism, having an increased content of fatty acids, oils or lipids having Delta6 double bonds due to the expression of a Delta6-desaturase from Primulaceae. The invention additionally relates to expression cassettes containing a nucleic acid sequence, a vector and organisms containing at least one nucleic acid sequence or an expression cassette. The invention further relates to unsaturated fatty acids and triglycerides having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids and use thereof

Process For The Production Of Arachidonic Acid And/or Eicosapentaenoic Acid (Patent US 2010/0043103 A1)

The present invention relates to a new process for the production of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid in plants through the co-expression of a Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, Δ-9-elongase, Δ-8-desaturase and a Δ-5-desaturase and a process for the production of lipids or oils having an increased content of unsaturated fatty acids, in particular ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids having at least two double bonds and a 18 or 20 carbon atom chain length. Preferably the arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid are produced in at least a 1:2 ratio. The invention furthermore relates to the production of a transgenic plants, preferably a transgenic crop plant, having an increased content of arachidonic acid and/or eicosapentaenoic acid, oils or lipids containing C8— or C20— fatty acids with a double bond in position 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15 or 17 of the fatty acid produced, respectively due to the expression of the Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase, of the Δ-9-elongase, of the Δ-8-desaturase and of the Δ-5-desaturase in the plant. The expression of the inventive Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase leads preferably to linoleic acid and linolenic acid as products having a double bond in the position 9, 12 and 15 of the fatty acid. The invention additionally relates to specific nucleic acid sequences encoding for proteins with Δ-12-/Δ-15-desaturase-, Δ-9-elongase-, Δ-8-desaturase- or Δ-5-desaturase-activity, nucleic acid constructs, vectors and transgenic plants containing said nucleic acid sequences