Bioengineering of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in oilseed crops

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), especially very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs), are highly beneficial to human health including brain development, cardiovascular health and the immune system. Plant-derived edible oils serve as crucial dietary sources of PUFAs for humans. However, oilseed crops such as soybean, peanut, rapeseed, sesame and flax, generally contain insufficient content of LC-PUFAs and do not naturally produce VLC-PUFAs. This review discusses PUFA biosynthesis, current efforts on LC-PUFA bioengineering in oilseed crops, comparing the advantages of different genetic engineering strategies and highlights the bottlenecks encountered in this field. Combination of high-efficient enzymes from various species has enabled the improvement of LC-PUFAs and slight production of VLC-PUFAs, though under risk of generational instability. These and future intelligently designed enzymes with multidisciplinary approaches in molecular biology, biochemistry and plant physiology can be crucial in developing oilseed crops that meet the growing demand for LC-PUFAs.