An alternative pathway for the effective production of the omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturates EPA and ETA in transgenic oilseeds.

ABSTRACT: The synthesis and accumulation of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic Camelina sativa is demonstrated using the so-called alternative pathway. This aerobic pathway is found in a small number of taxonomically unrelated unicellular organisms and utilizes a C18 Δ9-elongase to generate C20 PUFAs. Here, we evaluated four different combinations of seed-specific transgene-derived activities to systematically determine the potential of this pathway to direct the synthesis of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in transgenic plants. The accumulation of EPA and the related omega-3 LC-PUFA eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA) was observed up to 26.4% of total seed fatty acids, of which ETA was 9.5%. Seed oils such as these not only represent an additional source of EPA, but also an entirely n

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Lopez N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4973703 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature