ω-3 fatty acid desaturase

• US 6,194,167 B1
• Filed: 02/18/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Washington State University
• Original Assignee: Washington State University
• Inventors: Spychalla, James P., Browse, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElwain, Elizabeth F.
• Application Number:
  US09/025,578
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 800/281, 800/298, 435/69.1, 435/71.1, 435/440, 435/468, 435/471, 435/410, 435/419, 435/252.3, 435/254.2
• US Class Current: 435/69.1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8247 involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/0014 acting on the CH-NH2 group of donors (1.4)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/0083 Miscellaneous (1.14.99)

Abstract

Recombinant expression of fat-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans in a wide variety of cells, including cells of Arabidopsis thaliana and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produces a polypeptide having ω-3 desaturase activity.

Claims

1. A host cell transformed with a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence as set forth as SEQ ID NO:

2, and wherein the polypeptide desaturates an ω

-6 fatty acid to a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid.

2. A host cell transformed with a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the recombinant polynucleotide comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth as SEQ ID NO:

1, and wherein the polypeptide desaturates an ω

-6 fatty acid to a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid.

3. A method of desaturating an ω

-6 fatty acid to a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid, comprising;

providing a host cell transformed with a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide has a sequence as set forth as SEQ ID NO;

2; and

growing the host cell under conditions under which the polypeptide is expressed and desaturates an ω

-6 fatty acid to produce a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid.

4. A method of desaturating an ω

-6fatty acid to a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid, comprising;

providing a host cell transformed with a recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the polynucleotide has a sequence as set forth as SEQ ID No;

1; and

growing the host cell under conditions under which the polypeptide is expressed and desaturates an ω

-6fatty acid to produce a corresponding ω

-3 fatty acid.