Cyanobacterial .DELTA.6-desaturase

• US 5,663,068 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayer SAS (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Rhone-Poulenc Agrochimie
• Inventors: Freyssinet, Georges L., Thomas, Terry L., Nuccio, Michael, Reddy, Avutu S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sayala, Chhaya D.
• Application Number:
  US08/478,727
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 435/220, 435/170, 435/69.1, 435/70.1, 530/825, 530/350, 536/23.7
• US Class Current: 435/220
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/74 Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for prokaryotic hosts other than E. coli, e.g. Lactobacillus, Micromonospora
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8247 involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition
• 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 7/6472 containing polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA] residues, i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 114/19003 Linoleoyl-CoA desaturase (1.14.19.3)
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 530/825 Bacteria

Abstract

Linoleic acid is converted into γ-linolenic acid by the enzyme Δ6-desaturase. The present invention is directed to an isolated nucleic acid comprising the Δ6-desaturase gene. More particularly, the isolated nucleic acid comprises the promoter, coding region and termination regions of the Δ6-desaturase gene. The present invention provides recombinant constructions comprising the Δ6-desaturase coding region in functional combination with heterologous regulatory sequences. The nucleic acids and recombinant constructions of the instant invention are useful in the production of GLA in transgenic organisms.

Claims

1. An isolated cyanobacterial Δ

6-desaturase encoded by a nucleic acid from a cyanobacteria that produces gamma linolenic acid.

2. The isolated bacterial Δ

6-desaturase of claim 1 which has an amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID NO;

2.