Industrial Technologies
Mutant Fatty Acid Desaturase and Method for Directed Mutagenesis
Brookhaven National Laboratory
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This technology provides methods for selecting for specific 18:0 fatty acid desaturase genes that produce desaturases that have enhanced activities towards fatty acid chains containing fewer than 18 carbons. The selection procedure is simple and provides a collection of individual mutant desaturase genes.
DescriptionDescribes a selection procedure for identifying mutant 18:0 fatty acid desaturase genes obtained by site directed mutagenesis which have significantly higher enzymatic activity towards substrates with fewer than 18 carbon atom chains.
BenefitsThe selection of fatty acid desaturase genes for incorporation into oilseed plants for production of crops with increased amounts of specialty oils is greatly simplified by the selection procedure of this invention. Coupled with the continuation in part (US patent 7,323,335) invention, optimization of the mutant activity is readily accessible.
Applications and IndustriesThe cDNA fragments encoding these mutant desaturases can be introduced via expression vectors into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and can be used in the production of transgenic plants. These mutant forms of the fatty acid desaturase enzyme offer a way to modify the fatty acid content and composition of oilseed crops.
Patents and Patent ApplicationsID Number |
Title and Abstract | Primary Lab |
Date |
|---|---|---|---|
Patent 6,686,186 |
Mutant fatty acid desaturase
The present invention relates to a method for producing mutants of a fatty acid desaturase having a substantially increased activity towards fatty acid substrates with chains containing fewer than 18 carbons relative to an unmutagenized precursor desaturase having an 18 carbon atom chain length substrate specificity. The method involves inducing one or more mutations in the nucleic acid sequence encoding the precursor desaturase, transforming the mutated sequence into an unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph cell such as MH13 E. coli, culturing the cells in the absence of supplemental unsaturated fatty acids, thereby selecting for recipient cells which have received and which express a mutant fatty acid desaturase with an elevated specificity for fatty acid substrates having chain lengths of less than 18 carbon atoms. A variety of mutants having 16 or fewer carbon atom chain length substrate specificities are produced by this method. Mutant desaturases produced by this method can be introduced via expression vectors into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and can also be used in the production of transgenic plants which may be used to produce specific fatty acid products. |
Brookhaven National Laboratory | 02/03/2004
Issued |
| Technology ID | Development Stage | Availability | Published | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSA 02-01 | Prototype | Available | 03/30/2015 | 03/30/2015 |
