Claims
- 1. An isolated nucleotide sequence or fragment thereof comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having elongase activity, wherein the amino acid sequence of said polypeptide has at least 50% identity to an amino acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:121.
- 2. An isolated nucleotide sequence or fragment thereof comprising or complementary to a nucleotide sequence having at least 50% nucleotide sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:119.
- 3. The isolated nucleotide sequence of claims 1 or 2 wherein said sequence encodes a functionally active elongase which utilizes a polyunsaturated fatty acid as a substrate.
- 4. The isolated nucleotide sequence of claim 1 wherein said sequence is derived from an algae.
- 5. The isolated nucleotide sequence of claim 4 wherein said algae is Pavlova sp.
- 6. A purified protein encoded by said nucleotide sequence of claims 1 or 2.
- 7. A purified polypeptide which elongates polyunsaturated fatty acids and has at least about 30% amino acid identity to the amino acid sequence of said purified protein of claim 6.
- 8. A method of producing an elongase enzyme comprising the steps of:
a) isolating a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:119; b) constructing a vector comprising: i) said isolated nucleotide sequence operably linked to ii) a promoter; c) introducing said vector into a host cell under time and conditions sufficient for expression of said elongase enzyme.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said host cell is selected from the group consisting of a eukaryotic cell or a prokaryotic cell.
- 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said prokaryotic cell is selected from the group consisting of E. coli, Cyanobacteria, and B. subtilis.
- 11. The method of claim 9 wherein said eukaryotic cell is selected from the group consisting of a mammalian cell, an insect cell, a plant cell and a fungal cell.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said fungal cell is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces spp., Candida spp., Lipomyces starkey, Yarrowia spp., Kluyveromyces spp., Hansenula spp., Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Neurospora spp., Trichoderma spp. and Pichia spp.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein said fungal cell is a yeast cell selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces spp., Candida spp., Hansenula spp. and Pichia spp.
- 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said yeast cell is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- 15. A vector comprising: a) a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:119 operably linked to b) a promoter.
- 16. A host cell comprising said vector of claim 15.
- 17. The host cell of claim 16 wherein said host cell is selected from the group consisting of a eukaryotic cell or a prokaryotic cell.
- 18. The host cell of claim 17 wherein said prokaryotic cell is selected from the group consisting of E. coli, Cyanobacteria, and B. subtilis.
- 19. The host cell of claim 17 wherein said eukaryotic cell is selected from the group consisting of a mammalian cell, an insect cell, a plant cell and a fungal cell.
- 20. The host cell of claim 19 wherein said fungal cell is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces spp., Candida spp., Lipomyces starkey, Yarrowia spp., Kluyveromyces spp., Hansenula spp., Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Neurospora spp., Trichoderma spp. and Pichia spp.
- 21. The host cell of claim 20 wherein said fungal cell is a yeast cell selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces spp., Candida spp., Hansenula spp. and Pichia spp.
- 22. The host cell of claim 21 wherein said yeast cell is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- 23. A plant cell, plant or plant tissue comprising said vector of claim 15, wherein expression of said nucleotide sequence of said vector results in production of a polyunsaturated fatty acid by said plant cell, plant or plant tissue.
- 24. The plant cell, plant or plant tissue of claim 23 wherein said polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ADA and ω3-docosapentaenoic acid.
- 25. One or more plant oils or acids expressed by said plant cell, plant or plant tissue of claim 23.
- 26. A transgenic plant comprising said vector of claim 15, wherein expression of said nucleotide sequence of said vector results in production of a polyunsaturated fatty acid in seeds of said transgenic plant.
- 27. A transgenic, non-human mammal whose genome comprises a DNA sequence encoding an elongase, operably linked to a promoter, wherein said DNA sequence comprises SEQ ID NO:119.
- 28. A fluid produced by said transgenic, non-human mammal of claim 27 wherein said fluid comprises a detectable level of at least one elongase or products thereof.
- 29. A method for producing a polyunsaturated fatty acid comprising the steps of:
a) isolating a nucleotide sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:119; b) constructing a vector comprising said isolated nucleotide sequence; c) introducing said vector into a host cell under time and conditions sufficient for expression of an elongase enzyme encoded by said isolated nucleotide sequence; and d) exposing said expressed elongase enzyme to a substrate polyunsaturated fatty acid in order to convert said substrate to a product polyunsaturated fatty acid.
- 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said substrate polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of AA and EPA, and said product polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ADA and ω3-docosapentaenoic acid, respectively.
- 31. The method according to claim 29 further comprising the step of exposing said expressed elongase enzyme to at least one desaturase in order to convert said product polyunsaturated fatty acid to another polyunsaturated fatty acid.
- 32. The method according to claim 31 wherein said product polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ADA and ω3-docosapentaenoic acid, said another polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ω6-docosapentaenoic acid, ω3-docosapentaenoic acid and docohexaenoic acid, and said at least one desaturase is Δ4-desaturase with respect to production of ω6-docosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid, and Δ19-desaturase with respect to production of ω3-docosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid.
- 33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of exposing said another polyunsaturated fatty acid to one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of at least one elongase and at least one additional desaturase in order to convert said another polyunsaturated fatty acid to a final polyunsaturated fatty acid.
- 34. The method of claim 33 wherein said final polyunsaturated fatty acid is docosahexaenoic acid.
- 35. A nutritional composition comprising at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid selected from the group consisting of said product polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 29, said another polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 31, and said final polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 33.
- 36. The nutritional composition of claim 35 wherein said product polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting of ADA and ω3-docosapentaenoic.
- 37. The nutritional composition of claim 35 wherein said another polyunsaturated fatty acid is selected from the group consisting ω6-docosapentaenoic acid, ω3-docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
- 38. The nutritional composition of claim 35 wherein said final polyunsaturated fatty acid is docosahexaenoic acid.
- 39. The nutritional composition of claim 35 wherein said nutritional composition is selected from the group consisting of an infant formula, a dietary supplement and a dietary substitute.
- 40. A pharmaceutical composition comprising 1) at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid selected from the group consisting of said product polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 29, said another polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 31, and said final polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 33 and 2) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
- 41. An animal feed comprising at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid selected from the group consisting of said product polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 29, said another polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 31 and said final polyunsaturated fatty acid produced according to the method of claim 33.
- 42. A method of preventing or treating a condition caused by insufficient intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids comprising administering to said patient said nutritional composition of claim 35 in an amount sufficient to effect said prevention or treatment.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The subject application is a Continuation-In-Part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/903,456 filed on Jul. 11, 2001, which is a Continuation-In-Part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/624,670 filed on Jul. 24, 2000, which is a Continuation-In-Part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/379,095 filed on Aug. 23, 1999, which is a Continuation-In-Part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/145,828 filed on Sep. 2, 1998, all of which are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference.
Continuation in Parts (4)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09903456 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10156911 |
May 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09624670 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
Child |
09903456 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09379095 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
09624670 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
Parent |
09145828 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Child |
09379095 |
Aug 1999 |
US |