Patent ID: 8021874

Claim:
A method of producing at least one very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA) having a chain length of at least 28 carbons, comprising: providing a recombinant cell which comprises at least one Elovl4 nucleic acid expression system which encodes an ELOVL4 protein which has ELOVL4 elongase activity; culturing the recombinant cell under conditions effective in causing expression of the ELOVL4 protein wherein the ELOVL4 protein causes elongation of an unsaturated fatty acid precursor molecule having 18-26 carbon atoms to form at least one VLC-PUFA having a chain length of at least 28 carbons in the recombinant cell; and harvesting the at least one VLC-PUFA from the cultured recombinant cell.