Omega-9 quality brassica juncea

Abstract

The invention relates to improved Brassica species, including Brassica juncea , improved oil and meal from Brassica juncea , methods for generation of such improved Brassica species, and methods for selection of Brassica lines. Further embodiments relate to seeds of Brassica juncea comprising an endogenous oil having increased oleic acid content and decreased linolenic acid content relative to presently existing commercial cultivars of Brassica juncea , seeds of Brassica juncea having traits for increased oleic acid content and decreased linolenic acid content in seed oil stably incorporated therein, and one or more generations of progeny plants produced from said seeds.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An unmodified  Brassica juncea  oil with a fatty acid content comprising at least 70.0% oleic acid by weight and less than 3.0% linolenic acid by weight, wherein the oil comprises a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:36, and SEQ ID NO:38. 
     
     
         2 . The unmodified  B. juncea  oil of  claim 1 , wherein the oil has a fatty acid content comprising 70.0% to 85.0% oleic acid by weight. 
     
     
         3 . The unmodified  B. juncea  oil of  claim 1 , wherein the oil has a fatty acid content comprising 70.0% to 85.0% oleic acid by weight. 
     
     
         4 . An oil extracted from the seeds of a  Brassica juncea  plant that is genetically stabilized for an endogenous fatty acid content comprising at least 70.0% oleic acid by weight and less than 3.0% linolenic acid by weight,
 wherein the oil comprises a polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:36, and SEQ ID NO:38.   
     
     
         5 . The  B. juncea  seed oil of  claim 4 , wherein the oil has a fatty acid content comprising 70.0% to 85.0% oleic acid by weight. 
     
     
         6 . A transgenic  Brassica juncea  plant whose seeds have an endogenous fatty acid content comprising between about 70% and 78% oleic acid by weight and between about 2% and 3% linolenic acid by weight, wherein the plant contains a fad2 or fad3 allele encoding a mutant delta-12 fatty acid desaturase. 
     
     
         7 . The transgenic  Brassica juncea  plant of  claim 6 , whose seeds have an endogenous fatty acid content comprising between about 70.0% and 77.8% oleic acid by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The transgenic protein  Brassica juncea  plant of  claim 6 , wherein the plant contains a fad2 or fad3 allele encoding a mutant delta-12 fatty acid desaturase having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:5-7. 
     
     
         9 . A seed of the transgenic  Brassica juncea  plant of  claim 1 , containing a fad2 or fad3 allele encoding a mutant delta-12 fatty acid desaturase protein, wherein the seed has an endogenous fatty acid content comprising between about 70% and 78% oleic acid by weight—and between about 2% and 3% linolenic acid by weight. 
     
     
         10 . The seed of  claim 1 , wherein the fad2 or fad3 allele encoding a mutant delta-12 fatty acid desaturase protein has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:5-7. 
     
     
         11 . The seed of  claim 4  having total extractable oils comprising an oleic acid content of 70.0% to 77.8% by weight. 
     
     
         12 . The seed of  claim 4  having total extractable oils comprising an oleic acid content of between 70.0% and 85.0% by weight and a linolenic acid content of between about 0.1% and 3% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . Oil of the  Brassica juncea  seed of  claim 4 , having a fatty acid content comprising between about 70% and 78% oleic acid and between about 2% and 3% linolenic acid by weight, otherwise having the characteristics of  B. juncea  seed oil. 
     
     
         14 . The oil of  claim 13  having an oleic acid content of 70.0% to 77.8% by weight.