2022
Improving DGLA production in soybean for pharmaceutical applications
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Contributor/Checkoff:
North Dakota Soybean Council
Category:
Food
Keywords:
Human foodHuman health
Parent Project:
Genetic Engineering of Soybean for Production of DGLA-enriched Oil
Lead Principal Investigator:
Shaobin Zhong, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
QSSB
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
North Dakota Soybean Council
$48,620
Institution Funded:
North Dakota State University
$48,620
Brief Project Summary:
Scientists are exploring how compounds derived from soybeans could be used to benefit human health. The research team is developing soybeans that can produce oil with higher levels of the fatty acid dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, or DGLA, to use in certain pharmaceuticals. Researchers at North Dakota State University found that DGLA has inhibitory effects on certain types of cancer cells in mice. But DGLA is not commonly found and a lot is needed to treat cancer. The project looking at developing soybean lines that produce a higher amount of enzymes in order to make DGLA.
Key Beneficiaries:
#doctors, #farmers, #scientists, #soybean breeders
Unique Keywords:
#dgla, #fatty acids, #foods use, #human health, #pharmaceuticals, #soybean oil
Information And Results
Project Summary

Dihomo-Gamma-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.

Project Objectives

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.

Project Deliverables

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.

Progress Of Work

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

View uploaded report Word file

Updated July 7, 2022:

Final Project Results

Updated December 1, 2022:
Improving DGLA production in soybean for pharmaceutical applications

View uploaded report Word file

View uploaded report 2 Word file

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

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.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.