New success in genetic engineering of vegetable oil

On March 5, 2007, the US National Academy of Sciences published a new study on genetic manipulation to complement enzyme activity in plants. Researchers at the Brookhaven National Energy Laboratory in the United States have modified a unsaturated oil made from temperate plant seeds into a more saturated species from tropical plants.

The biochemist John Shanklin, who directed the study, said that while converting unsaturated oils into saturated with increased fatty acid levels doesn't seem to be good news for those who are taking substances. Unsaturated fat, the development of new plant seed oils has the potential to bring many applications to biotechnology.

First of all, the new plant made from tropical plants has the characteristics of margarine rather than temperate vegetable oil, however, in margarine products, there is no fatty acid in the multifaceted form. . Furthermore, the oils made by genetic modification can be used to make animal feed in industrial processing processes that replace the current types made by the use of petrochemicals. Dr. Shanklin also argued that genetic manipulation could have the opposite result to help scientists create better cardiovascular food oils.

Dr Shanklin and Tam Nguyen are studying fluorescence microscopy.(Photo: Sciencedaily)

According to Dr. Shanklin, scientists have known for a long time that the ratio of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids plays an important role in plant climate adaptation , but to change this ratio. Characteristics in seeds without climate change are an interesting challenge. His team is working to better understand the enzymes and metabolic pathways to find ways to manipulate fat accumulation by genetic engineering.

Researchers are focusing on a KASII enzyme that is often used to lengthen fatty acid chains by adding two carbon atoms. Longer 18-carbon chains are likely to be affected by enzymes that make unsaturated fats. Therefore, scientists believe that if they can prevent these chains from being further extended by reducing KASII levels, they can increase the loss of saturation and increase saturated fat levels in plant particles.

And the theory has been demonstrated by scientists by identifying a plant type with genetically engineered KASII enzymes and decreasing enzymatic activity in these plants, which may have more saturated fat than types. normal. Therefore, the research team arranged to reduce KASII activity by RNAi to see if the oils from plant seeds could further increase saturation.

Brookhaven lab scientists conducted experiments on Arabidopsis a mustard plant commonly used for research. Similar to plants in temperate climates (such as canola, soybean and sunflower), Arabidopsis contains most of the 18 carbon unsaturated fatty acids in the oil. In contrast, tropical plants like palm contain higher amounts (approximately 50 percent) of 16-carbon saturated fatty acids.

Amazing research results, genetic manipulation to reduce KASII activity showed that the 16-carbon unsaturated fatty acid has increased 7 times corresponding to an unexpected 53% in vegetable oil made from seeds of Arabidopsis.

These results demonstrate the application of single enzyme activity sufficient to convert the constituents in the oil of Arabidopsis or temperate plants that characterize oil made from tropical plants such as palm oil . Dr. Shanklin said the results were great and potentially useful. Research shows that we can transform the constituents in oil with very specific changes in the metabolic system of the particle and that is a process that occurs independently of climate adaptation. temperate or tropical.

For example, the technique could help lead to genetic alterations in temperate crops to produce saturated oils like animal feed that can replace industrial processes and help with independence. Petroleum.

In contrast, methods that increase KASII activation and thereby produce 18-carbon unsaturated vegetable oils can provide a useful strategy in limiting the accumulation of saturated fatty acids in these types. Cooking oil to create better nutrition for health.

The research was supported by the Department of Basic Energy Science under the US Department of Energy Science, agricultural science organization Dow and Dow, co-directed the study of Dr. Tam Nguyen national science and doctoral laboratory. Mark Pidkowich of Columbia University, Ingo Heilmann and Till Ischebeck of Göttingen University.

Anh Phuong