	US 7,601,889 B2
	Elongase gene and production of Δ9-polyunsaturated fatty acids
Johnathan A. Napier, 40, The Nursery, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 3EB (United Kingdom); Colin M. Lazarus, 119 York Road, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5QG (United Kingdom); Baoxiu Qi, 4 Cumberland House, Norfolk Crescent, Bath BA1 2BG (United Kingdom); and Jens Lerchl, Onsjövägen 17, 26831 Svalöv (Sweden)
Appl. No. 10/472,321 PCT Filed Mar. 26, 2002, PCT No. PCT/EP02/03418 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Sep. 22, 2003, PCT Pub. No. WO02/077213, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 03, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 0107510.1 (GB), filed on Mar. 26, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2005/0089981 A1, Apr. 28, 2005
Int. Cl. C07H 21/04 (2006.01); C12N 15/00 (2006.01); C12N 5/04 (2006.01); C12N 9/10 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 800—281 [435/320.1; 435/193; 435/419; 536/23.2]

13 Claims

1. An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence which encodes a polypeptide which elongates α-linolenic acid (C_{18:3 d9, 12, 15}) by at least two carbon atoms whereas γ-linolenic acid (C_{18:3 d6, 9, 12}) is not elongated, selected from the group consisting of:

a) the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1;

b) a nucleic acid sequence which encodes the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2; and

c) a derivative of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, which encodes a polypeptide having at least 95% homology with the nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.