Dihomo-?-linolenic acid (DGLA) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that plays important roles in human health. However, only very limited DGLA (<0.02 %) can be generated by human body from linoleic acid (LA) through biochemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes. Scientific studies have shown that DGLA supplementation can significantly improve the efficacy of anti-cancer and anti-aging drugs. Soybean oil is rich in linoleic acid (LA) (up to 51%), but it does not contain DGLA because the crop lacks the enzymes for DGLA biosynthesis. Our general goal is to develop transgenic soybean varieties that produce high DGLA content for pharmaceutical uses. With funding from ND Soybean Council for the first two years, we have cloned genes expressing the two enzymes for production of DGLA, introduced them into soybean through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and generated transgenic plants from soybean cultivars William 82 and Thorne. Transgenic soybean plants producing GLA and DGLA oil have been obtained, but the DGLA amount is relatively low. In this proposal, we will continue to improve expression of the genes for DGLA production in soybean plants. Completion of the project will enhance the value of soybean product and expand the markets of soybean since the DGLAenriched soybean oil has various applications in pharmaceutical industry for anti-cancer and antiaging therapies.

1. Develop new gene constructs to enhance expression of the gene for D6E required for converting GLA to DGLA.
2. Generate transgenic soybean plants with the new gene constructs.
3. Evaluate DGLA and other oil contents of transgenic soybean plants.

Transgenic soybean varieties that produce high DGLA content in oil will be developed for soybean production to meet pharmaceutical industry needs for anti-cancer and anti-aging treatments.

Updated November 19, 2021:
Improving DGLA production in soybean for pharmaceutical applications

View uploaded report

Soybean oil accounts for over 40 percent of the intake of linoleic acids (LA) and alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA) in the United States because of its widespread use, but no DGLA is produced by the soybean crop because it lacks the enzymes for DGLA biosynthesis. By introducing the genes for expressing the two enzymes, ?6 desaturase and ?6 elongase, into soybean plants, we developed transgenic soybean plants that produce GLA and DGLA in soybean oil. Our research will improve the DGLA productivity. The soybean-derived DGLA product has a huge potential market because of its function in cancer therapy and anti-aging. By planting soybean varieties producing DGLA-enriched soybean oil, the farmers will have a better economic return due to the extended and enhanced value of soybean oil in healthcare and pharmaceutical industry, especially in cancer therapy and anti-aging treatment.