Patent ID: 8168858

Claim:
An isolated polynucleotide comprising: (i) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising Δ9 elongase activity and Δ5 elongase activity, wherein said polypeptide has at least 70% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said polypeptide has at least one of the following modifications to SEQ ID NO:2: (a) at amino acid residue number 5, substitution of alanine (A) with valine (V), (b) at amino acid residue number 9, substitution of proline (P) with leucine (L), (c) at amino acid residue number 62 substitution of glutamic acid (E) with aspartic acid (D), (d) at amino acid residue number 79, substitution of leucine (L) with methionine (M), (e) at amino acid residue number 80, substitution isoleucine (I) with of leucine (L), (f) at amino acid residue number 106, substitution of phenylalanine (F) with tyrosine (Y), (g) at amino acid residue number 110, substitution of histidine (H) with tyrosine (Y), (h) at amino acid residue number 117, substitution of isoleucine (I) with leucine (L), (i) at amino acid residue number 130, substitution of tyrosine (Y) with phenylalanine (F), (j) at amino acid residue number 138, substitution of glutamic acid (E) with glutamine (Q), (k) at amino acid residue number 162, substitution of isoleucine (I) with leucine (L), (l) at amino acid residue number 169, substitution of methionine (M) with leucine (L), (m) at amino acid residue number 171, substitution of methionine (M) with leucine (L), (n) at amino acid residue number 174, substitution of lysine (K) with arginine (R), (o) at amino acid residue number 191, substitution of isoleucine (I) with leucine (L), (p) at amino acid residue number 208, substitution tyrosine (Y) with tryptophan (W), (q) at amino acid residue number 213, substitution of leucine (L) with methionine (M), (r) at amino acid residue number 237, substitution of phenylalanine (F) with leucine (L), (s) at amino acid residue number 242, substitution of isoleucine (I) with leucine (L), (t) at amino acid residue number 253, substitution of methionine (M) with leucine (L), (u) at amino acid residue number 276, substitution of isoleucine (I) with leucine (L), (v) at amino acid residue number 277, substitution of threonine (T) with alanine (A), (w) at amino acid residue number 287, substitution of methionine (M) with leucine (L), or (x) at amino acid residue number 297, substitution of lysine (K) with arginine (R); or (ii) a full-length complement of the nucleotide sequence of (i).