Abstract
This article will focus on the modification of plant seed oils to enhance their nutritional composition. Such modifications will include C18 Δ6-desaturated fatty acids such as γ-linolenic and stearidonic acid, omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, as well as the omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (often named 'fish oils') such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. We will consider how new technologies (such as synthetic biology, next-generation sequencing and lipidomics) can help speed up and direct the development of desired traits in transgenic oilseeds. We will also discuss how manipulating triacylglycerol structure can further enhance the nutritional value of 'designer' oils. We will also consider how advances in model systems have translated into crops and the potential end-users for such novel oils (e.g. aquaculture, animal feed, human nutrition).
Highlights
It is widely accepted that omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5D5,8,11,14,17) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 D4,7,10,13,16,19) play a crucial role in maintaining optimum human health, in particular reducing our risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related precursor conditions such as metabolic syndrome (Graham et al, 2004)
The targeted manipulation of plant seed oil composition represents some of the most complex metabolic engineering in transgenic plants to date—up to 10 transgenes have been coordinately expressed in developing seeds, resulting in the accumulation of high-value fatty acids
Whilst a number of studies have ‘failed’ to achieve headline targets of accumulation of non-native fatty acids, such efforts have indicated that plant lipid metabolism is significantly more complicated than previously imagined
Summary
This article will focus on the modification of plant seed oils to enhance their nutritional composition. Such modifications will include C18 D6-desaturated fatty acids such as c-linolenic and stearidonic acid, omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid, as well as the omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (often named ‘fish oils’) such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. We will discuss how manipulating triacylglycerol structure can further enhance the nutritional value of ‘designer’ oils. We will consider how advances in model systems have translated into crops and the potential end-users for such novel oils (e.g. aquaculture, animal feed, human nutrition)
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