The production of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in transgenic plants.

Abstract

Very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) are valuable commodities currently sourced either from vulnerable natural (marine) stocks or via expensive microbial fermentation. The advent of plant genetic engineering has raised the possibility of producing PUFAs in transgenic plants. This technology allows the transfer of a particular gene or trait into a non-native (heterologous) host, and has the potential to revolutionize modern agriculture. In the case of PUFAs, it is possible to envisage “designer” oilseeds in which the crop plant has been engineered to make very long chain PUFAs, even though these fatty acids do usually occur in higher plant oil seeds (1). Considering the cost-benefits of genetically-engineered oilseeds as an alternative supply to conventional sources, it is perhaps unsurprising that considerable resources have been focused on achieving this goal. We would therefore like to review the progress in this field, focusing on the underpinning molecular biology which is enabling this (potential) biotechnology revolution.