Production of arachidonic acid in oilseed plants
Oilseed plants which have been transformed to produce arachidonic acid, recombinant constructs used in such transformations, methods for producing arachidonic acid in a plant are described and uses of oils and seeds obtained from such transformed plants in a variety of food and feed applications are described.
1. A transgenic oilseed plant comprising:
(a) a first recombinant construct comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to a polynucleotide encoding at least one delta-8 desaturase polypeptide;
(b) a second recombinant construct comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to a polynucleotide encoding at least one delta-9 elongase polypeptide;
(c) a third recombinant construct comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to a polynucleotide encoding at least one delta-5 desaturase polypeptide; and
(d) decreased delta-15 desaturase activity relative to a wild-type or non-transformed plant;
wherein the transqenic oilseed plant produces mature seeds in which the total seed fatty acid profile comprises at least 10.0% arachidonic acid and less than 5% gamma-linolenic acid.
2. The transgenic oilseed plant of claim 1 , wherein the total seed fatty acid profile comprises less than 1% gamma-linolenic acid.
3. The transgenic oilseed plant of claim 1 wherein the total seed fatty acid profile comprises less than 1% gamma-linolenic acid and less than 1% total omega-3 fatty acids having at least eighteen carbon atoms and at least four double bonds.
4. Seeds obtained from the transgenic plant of claim 1 .
5. At least one product which has incorporated therein the seeds of claim 4 , wherein said product is selected from the group consisting of a pet food, an aquafeed, and an animal feed.
6. A whole seed product made from the seeds of claim 4 .