Method to develop high oleic acid soybeans using conventional soybean breeding techniques
Inventors
Bilyeu, Kristin D. • Shannon, James Grover • Lee, Jeong-Dong • Pham, Anh Tung
Assignees
US Department of Agriculture USDA • University of Missouri St Louis
Publication Number
US-10087454-B2
Publication Date
2018-10-02
Expiration Date
2032-01-17
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a soybean plant with mutations in FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B. Moreover, the present invention is directed to seeds from said plants with altered ratios of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats. In particular, the present invention is directed to plants where the plants exhibit elevated levels of oleic acid.
Core Innovation
The present invention is directed to soybean plants having mutations in the FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B genes, resulting in seeds with altered ratios of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, specifically exhibiting elevated levels of oleic acid. The invention further provides soybean seeds from these plants where the oleic acid content is substantially increased, reaching about 65% to about 85% oleic acid in the seed oil. The mutants in FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B act synergistically to elevate the oleic acid levels beyond what is achievable by mutations in either gene alone.
The problem being addressed arises from the need for novel vegetable oil compositions with improved fatty acid profiles for edible and industrial uses. Conventional soybeans typically contain about 20% oleic acid, which is insufficient for certain health and industrial applications where higher oleic acid content is desired. Although transgenic methods have been used to increase oleic acid content, there has been a demand for generating high oleic acid soybean lines through conventional, non-genetically modified breeding techniques to avoid the regulatory burdens and market acceptance issues associated with transgenic plants.
Claims Coverage
The patent includes one independent claim focused on a stably reproducing soybean seed population with specific mutations; the main inventive features involve genetic mutations in two desaturase genes and the resulting oleic acid content.
Mutant FAD2-1A polynucleotide sequence with single adenine deletion
The population comprises a mutant FAD2-1A gene with a single base deletion of adenine at position 543 or 544 of SEQ ID NO: 9 leading to nonfunctional or reduced activity compared to wild-type FAD2-1A.
Mutant FAD2-1B polynucleotide sequence with non-conserved amino acid substitutions
The population comprises a mutant FAD2-1B gene encoding a protein with at least one mutation selected from non-conserved amino acid substitutions at position 137 or 143 of SEQ ID NO: 12, resulting in nonfunctional or reduced activity compared to wild-type FAD2-1B.
Oleic acid content in soybean seed oil
The resulting soybean seed oil from the population contains about 65% to about 85% oleic acid content.
The independent claim covers soybean seeds carrying specific mutant alleles in FAD2-1A (single base deletion) and FAD2-1B (non-conserved amino acid substitutions) that confer substantially elevated oleic acid content in seed oil, with oleic acid levels between about 65% to 85%.
Stated Advantages
Provides a conventional non-transgenic method to create soybean plants with high oleic acid content, avoiding expensive and time-consuming regulatory processes for transgenic crops.
Enables stable inheritance and expression of enhanced oleic acid traits across multiple environments.
Allows efficient incorporation of high oleic acid traits into elite soybean varieties using molecular markers and conventional breeding.
Produces soybean oil with improved nutritional profile and functionality for food and industrial uses, including better cold flow in biodiesel and improved lubricant properties.
Documented Applications
Use of high oleic acid soybean oil in food industry for cooking oils, salad dressings, spreads, margarine, bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and snack foods.
Use in industrial markets such as biodiesel fuel and biolubricants, benefiting from improved cold flow and stability due to low saturated fatty acid content.
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