Modifying the lipid content and composition of plant seeds: engineering the production of LC-PUFA

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Ruiz-Lopez, N., Usher, S. L., Sayanova, O. V., Napier, J. A. and Haslam, R. P. 2015. Modifying the lipid content and composition of plant seeds: engineering the production of LC-PUFA. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 99 (1), pp. 143-154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6217-2

AuthorsRuiz-Lopez, N., Usher, S. L., Sayanova, O. V., Napier, J. A. and Haslam, R. P.
Abstract

Omega-3 fatty acids are characterized by a double bond at the third carbon atom from the end of the carbon chain. Latterly, long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5Δ5,8,11,14,17) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA; 22:6 Δ4,7,10,13,16,19), which typically only enter the human diet via the consumption of oily fish, have attracted much attention. The health benefits of the omega-3 LC-PUFAs EPA and DHA are now well established. Given the desire for a sustainable supply of omega-LC-PUFA, efforts have focused on enhancing the composition of vegetable oils to include these important fatty acids. Specifically, EPA and DHA have been the focus of much study, with the ultimate goal of producing a terrestrial plant-based source of these so-called fish oils. Over the last decade, many genes encoding the primary LC-PUFA biosynthetic activities have been identified and characterized. This has allowed the reconstitution of the LC-PUFA biosynthetic pathway in oilseed crops, producing transgenic plants engineered to accumulate omega-3 LC-PUFA to levels similar to that found in fish oil. In this review, we will describe the most recent developments in this field and the challenges of overwriting endogenous seed lipid metabolism to maximize the accumulation of these important fatty acids.

KeywordsOmega-3 fatty acids; Polyunsaturated fatty acid ; Triacylglycerol; Transgenic plant ; Oilseed ; Camelina sativa
Year of Publication2015
JournalApplied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Journal citation99 (1), pp. 143-154
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6217-2
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeDesigning Seeds for Nutrition and Health (DS)
*Design Oilseeds (Olga Sayanova)
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online25 Nov 2014
Publication process dates
Accepted05 Nov 2014
PublisherSpringer
ISSN0175-7598

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