An alternative to fish oils: Metabolic engineering of oil-seed crops to produce omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It is now accepted that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5Delta5,8,11,14,17) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6Delta4,7,10,13,16,19) play important roles in a number of aspects of human health, with marine fish rich in these beneficial fatty acids our primary dietary source. However, over-fishing and concerns about pollution of the marine environment indicate a need to develop alternative, sustainable sources of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) such as EPA and DHA. A number of different strategies have been considered, with one of the most promising being transgenic plants "reverse-engineered" to produce these so-called fish oils. Considerable progress has been made towards this goal and in this review we will outline the recent achievements in demonstrating the production of omega-3 VLC-PUFAs in transgenic plants. We will also consider how these enriched oils will allow the development of nutritionally-enhanced food products, suitable either for direct human ingestion or for use as an animal feedstuff. In particular, the requirements of aquaculture for omega-3 VLC-PUFAs will act as a strong driver for the development of such products. In addition, biotechnological research on the synthesis of VLC-PUFAs has provided new insights into the complexities of acyl-channelling and triacylglycerol biosynthesis in higher plants.
Venegas-Calerón
Mónica
M
Department of Biological Chemistry, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ, UK.
Sayanova
Olga
O
Napier
Johnathan A
JA
D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D006801:Humans; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism*
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D010938:Plant Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid