Production of .gamma.-linolenic acid by a .DELTA.6-desaturase
AssigneeRhone-Poulenc Agrochimie
InventorsTerry L. Thomas, Avutu S. Reddy, Michael Nuccio, Georges L. Freyssinet
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Abstract
Linoleic acid is converted into .gamma.-linolenic acid by the enzyme .DELTA.6-desaturase. The present invention is directed to an isolated nucleic acid comprising the .DELTA.6-desaturase gene. More particularly, the isolated nucleic acid comprises the promoter, coding region and termination regions of the .DELTA.6-desaturase gene. The present invention provides recombinant constructions comprising the .DELTA.6-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.
Claims23
An isolated nucleic acid encoding cyanobacterial .DELTA.6-desaturase wherein said isolated nucleic acid is isolatable from a cyanobacteria that produces gamma linolenic acid.
An isolated nucleic acid having the sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.
An isolated nucleic acid encoding a Synechocystis .DELTA.6-desaturase.
A method of inducing production of gamma linolenic acid (GLA) in a bacteria deficient or lacking in GLA and linoleic acid (LA) which comprises transforming said bacteria with an isolated nucleic acid encoding cyanobacterial .DELTA.6-desaturase and an isolated nucleic acid encoding .DELTA.12-desaturase.
A method of inducing production of gamma linolenic acid (GLA) in a bacteria deficient or lacking in GLA and linoleic acid (LA) which comprises transforming said bacteria with at least one expression vector comprising an isolated nucleic acid encoding cyanobacterial .DELTA.6-desaturase and an isolated nucleic acid encoding .DELTA.12-desaturase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.