Disclosed are the complete polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) polyketide
synthase (PKS) systems from Schizochytrium, and biologically active
fragments and homologues thereof. More particularly, this invention
relates to nucleic acids encoding such PUFA PKS systems, to proteins and
domains thereof that comprise such PUFA PKS systems, to genetically
modified organisms (plants and microorganisms) comprising such PUFA PKS
systems, and to methods of making and using the PUFA PKS systems
disclosed herein. This invention also relates to genetically modified
plants and microorganisms and methods to efficiently produce lipids
enriched in various polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as well as other
bioactive molecules by manipulation of a PUFA polyketide synthase (PKS)
system.