Technology Commercialization and Partnerships | BSA 04-11: Mutant Fatty Acid Desaturase and Method for Directed Mutagenesis

Categories: biotechnology & health, environment

BSA 04-11: Mutant Fatty Acid Desaturase and Method for Directed Mutagenesis

BNL Reference Number: BSA 04-11

Patent Status: U.S. Patent Number 7,323,335 was issued on January 29, 2008

Summary

This technology provides methods for specifically optimizing the activity of enzymes in a desired direction. By identifying the amino acids in the active site of the enzymes that participate in catalytic activity, this method provides a way to simultaneously select the optimal amino acid to replace each native residue such that mutant enzymes with optimally changed activities are discovered.

Description

The method for site-directed mutagenesis is specifically applied to fatty acid desaturase enzymes to derive enzymes that have significantly higher enzymatic activity towards substrates with fewer than 18 carbon atom chains. (Continuation in part of patent 6,686,186)

Benefits

The method can be used to alter the function of a protein by producing a library of mutants of the protein using directed mutagenesis and selecting for mutants which exhibit the desired alteration of function. Although this method is applicable to any enzyme for which a selection method is available, it has been specifically applied to acyl ACP desaturases.

Applications and Industries

The cDNA fragments encoding these mutant desaturases can be introduced via expression vectors into prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and can be used in the production of transgenic plants. These mutant forms of the fatty acid desaturase enzyme offer a way to modify the fatty acid content and composition of oilseed crops.