Vegetable oils and uses therefor

Abstract

The specification relates to plants and their seeds and oil obtained therefrom, and to methods of producing same comprising oil having modified fatty acid compositions, such that 28% to 80% of the total fatty acid content in the seedoil is palmitic acid, 0% to 16% is palmitoleic acid, 0% to 4% is C16:2 fatty acid, 3% to 33% is stearic acid, 1% to 40% is oleic acid, 4% to 50% is linoleic acid and 0% to 10% is linolenic acid. The specification describes nucleic acid molecules encoding RNA capable of conferring these properties, in particular, RNA that inhibits expression of an oil biosynthesis gene encoding KASII in seeds of a plant. Genetic constructs and cells comprising the nucleic acid molecules are also described and claimed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A process for producing oilseed oil, comprising the steps of:
 (a) obtaining oilseed, other than  Arabidopsis thaliana  seed, which has a reduced level relative to wild-type oilseed of ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII), wherein said reduced level results from decreasing the expression of a gene encoding KASII, wherein in the oil of the oilseed
 i) 28% to about 80% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16 fatty acid, 
 ii) about 3% to about 33% by weight of the total fatty acid content is stearic acid, 
 iii) about 1% to about 40% by weight of the total fatty acid content is oleic acid, 
 iv) about 4% to about 50% by weight of the total fatty acid content is linoleic acid, and 
 v) 0% to about 10% by weight of the total fatty acid content is linolenic acid; 
   (b) extracting the oil from the oilseed; and   (c) recovering the oilseed oil.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein 0% to about 16% by weight of the total fatty acid content is palmitoleic acid. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the total fatty acid content of the oilseed comprises 11% by weight of palmitoleic acid. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein 0% to about 4% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16:2 fatty acid. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein 30% to about 80% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16 fatty acid. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein at least 95% by weight of the total fatty acid content in the oilseed oil is in the form of triacylglycerols. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein step (ii) comprises crushing the oilseed. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein step (iii) comprises purifying the oilseed oil. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein decreasing the expression of the gene encoding KASII is achieved by an antisense technique, RNA interference, a ribozyme, cosuppression, or mutagenesis. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the oilseed is homozygous for a silencing construct targeting the KASII gene. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the oilseed is capable of producing a male-fertile oilseed plant. 
     
     
         32 . Oilseed, other than  Arabidopsis thaliana  seed, which has a reduced level relative to wild-type oilseed of ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII), wherein said reduced level results from decreasing the expression of a gene encoding KASII, wherein in the oil of the oilseed
 i) 28% to about 80% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16 fatty acid,   ii) about 3% to about 33% by weight of the total fatty acid content is stearic acid,   iii) about 1% to about 40% by weight of the total fatty acid content is oleic acid,   iv) about 4% to about 50% by weight of the total fatty acid content is linoleic acid, and   v) 0% to about 10% by weight of the total fatty acid content is linolenic acid.   
     
     
         33 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein 0% to about 16% by weight of the total fatty acid content is palmitoleic acid. 
     
     
         34 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein the total fatty acid content of the oilseed comprises 11% by weight of palmitoleic acid. 
     
     
         35 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein 0% to about 4% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16:2 fatty acid. 
     
     
         36 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein 30% to about 80% by weight of the total fatty acid content is C16 fatty acid. 
     
     
         37 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein at least 95% by weight of the total fatty acid content in the seed oil is in the form of triacylglycerols. 
     
     
         38 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein decreasing the expression of the gene encoding KASII is achieved by an antisense technique, RNA interference, a ribozyme, cosuppression, or mutagenesis. 
     
     
         39 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , wherein the oilseed is homozygous for a silencing construct targeting the KASII gene. 
     
     
         40 . The oilseed of  claim 32 , which is capable of producing a male-fertile oilseed plant. 
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 21 , wherein the oil extracted from the oilseed is palm oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, mustard seed oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, or linseed oil.