Physaria fendleri FAD3-1 overexpression increases ɑ-linolenic acid content in camelina seeds

Camelina ( Camelina sativa ) is an oil crop with a short growing period, resistance to drought and cold, low fertilizer requirements, and can be transformed using floral dipping. Camelina seeds have a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially ɑ-linolenic acid (ALA) at 32–38%. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid (FA) that is a substrate for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the human body. In this study, ALA content was further enhanced by seed-specific expression of Physaria fendleri ( Pf ) FAD3-1 in camelina. When PfFAD3- 1 was introduced into camelina using the seed-specific glycinin promoter, ALA content increased by 48% in T2 seeds and 50% in T3 seeds. In addition, the weight and size of seeds increased. The expression of FA metabolism related genes in GlyP:PfFAD3-1 transgenic camelina was different than that in the wild type, in which the expression of Camelina sativa ( Cs ) FAD2 decreased and that of CsFAD3 increased. In summary, we developed a high omega-3 FA containing camelina with up to 50% ALA content by introducing PfFAD3-1 . This line can be used for genetic engineering to obtain EPA and DHA from seeds.