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Expression of a cyanobacterial Δ6-desaturase gene results in γ-linolenic acid production in transgenic plants

Nature Biotechnology volume 14, pages 639–642 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a nutritionally important fatty acid in human and animal diets, is not produced in oil seed crops. Many oil seed plants, however, produce significant quantities of linoleic acid, a fatty acid that could be converted to GLA by the enzyme Δ6-desaturase if it were present. As a first step to producing GLA in oil seed crops, we have cloned a cyanobacterial Δ6-desaturase gene. Expression of this gene in transgenic tobacco resulted in GLA accumulation. Octadecatetraenoic acid, a highly unsaturated, industrially important fatty acid, was also found in transgenic tobacco plants expressing the cyanobacterial Δ6-desaturase. This is the first example of engineering the production of ‘novel’ poly-unsaturated fatty acids in transgenic plants.

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Author notes

  1. Avutu S. Reddy

    Present address: Crop Biotechnology Center and Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX, 77843-2123

  2. Terry L. Thomas: e-mail: tlthomas@tamu.edu.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843

    Avutu S. Reddy & Terry L. Thomas

Authors
  1. Avutu S. Reddy
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  2. Terry L. Thomas
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Reddy, A., Thomas, T. Expression of a cyanobacterial Δ6-desaturase gene results in γ-linolenic acid production in transgenic plants. Nat Biotechnol 14, 639–642 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0596-639

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0596-639

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