Delta4-desaturase genes and uses thereof

• US 20050005329A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amanda Eun-Yeong Leonard, Jennifer Thurmond, Pradip Mukerji, Suzette L. Pereira, Tapas Das, Yung-Sheng Huang
• Original Assignee: Amanda Eun-Yeong Leonard, Jennifer Thurmond, Pradip Mukerji, Suzette L. Pereira, Tapas Das, Yung-Sheng Huang
• Inventors: Das, Tapas, Mukerji, Pradip, Huang, Yung-Sheng, Thurmond, Jennifer, Pereira, Suzette L., Leonard, Amanda Eun-Yeong
• Granted Patent: US 7,205,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/281
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 9/00 Other edible oils or fats, e.g. shortenings, cooking oils
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/158 Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/126 Snacks or the like obtained by binding, shaping or compacting together cereal grains or cereal pieces, e.g. cereal bars
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 9/12 Ready-to-eat liquid or semi-liquid desserts, e.g. puddings, not to be mixed with liquids, e.g. water, milk
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/00 Medicinal preparations containing peptides peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/02 Nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/0083 Miscellaneous (1.14.99)
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6427 Polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA], i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6434 Docosahexenoic acids [DHA]
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6472 containing polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA] residues, i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone

Abstract

The subject invention relates to the identification of genes involved in the desaturation of polyunsaturated fatty acids at carbon 4 (i.e., “Δ4-desaturase”). In particular, Δ4-desaturase may be utilized, for example, in the conversion of adrenic acid to ω6-docosapentaenoic acid and in the conversion of ω3-docosapentaenoic acid to docosahexaenoic acid. The polyunsaturated fatty acids produced by use of the enzyme may be added to pharmaceutical compositions, nutritional compositions, animal feeds, as well as other products such as cosmetics.

Claims

1. An isolated nucleotide sequence or fragment thereof comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having desaturase activity, wherein the amino acid sequence of said polypeptide has at least 90% identity to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:

55.

6. A purified polypeptide encoded by said nucleotide sequence of claims 1 or 2.

2. An isolated nucleotide sequence or fragment thereof comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:

54.

5. The nucleotide sequence of claim 2 wherein said sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:

54 is derived from the algae Isochrysis galbana.

3. (cancelled)

4. (cancelled)

7. (cancelled)

8. A method of producing a desaturase comprising the steps of:

a) isolating a nucleotide sequence comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence;

i) encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO;

55 or

ii) having at least 90% identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO;

54;

b) constructing a vector comprising;

i) said isolated nucleotide sequence operably linked to ii) a promoter;

c) introducing said vector into a host cell for a time and under conditions sufficient for expression of said desaturase.

9. A vector comprising:

a) an isolated nucleotide sequence comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence;

i) encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO;

55 or

ii) having at least 90% identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO;

54, operably linked to

b) a promoter.

10. A host cell comprising said vector of claim 9.

11. An isolated plant cell, plant or plant tissue comprising said vector of claim 9, wherein expression of said nucleotide sequence of said vector results in production of a polyunsaturated fatty acid by said plant cell, plant or plant tissue.

12. The isolated plant cell, plant or plant tissue of claim 11 wherein said polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ω

6-docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.

14. A transgenic plant comprising said vector of claim 9, wherein expression of said nucleotide sequence of said vector results in production of a polyunsaturated fatty acid in seeds of said transgenic plant.

13. (cancelled)

15-31. -31. (cancelled)