The growing recognition of nervonic acid's health benefits has spurred significant interest in optimizing its production. While naturally occurring in some plant seeds, the efficiency and scalability of traditional extraction methods are often limited. This has led to a surge in research focused on plant genetic engineering as a means to develop high-nervonic acid cultivars, offering a more sustainable and abundant source of this valuable fatty acid.

The core of this endeavor lies in understanding and manipulating the biosynthesis pathway of nervonic acid within plants. This pathway involves a series of enzymatic steps, with key enzymes like 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (KCS) playing a critical role as the rate-limiting factor in very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) synthesis. Genetic engineering strategies often focus on identifying and expressing specific KCS genes, or combinations of genes involved in the fatty acid elongation complex, within oilseed crops.

Significant progress has been made in this field. Researchers have successfully introduced and expressed KCS genes from nervonic acid-rich plants into common oil crops like Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica carinata, and Camelina sativa. These efforts have resulted in transgenic plants exhibiting substantially increased levels of nervonic acid in their seed oils, sometimes by several orders of magnitude compared to their wild-type counterparts. For instance, expressing specific KCS genes has led to seed oils containing up to 40% nervonic acid, while simultaneously reducing undesirable fatty acids like erucic acid.

However, challenges remain. The substrate specificity of KCS enzymes, the availability of precursor fatty acids like erucic acid, and the efficient assembly of nervonic acid into storage lipids (triacylglycerols) are crucial factors influencing the final yield. Furthermore, the selection of appropriate plant receptor species, such as those in the Cruciferae family known for their oil content and favorable growth characteristics, is vital. Advances in genomics and molecular breeding are paving the way for the development of optimized oilseed platforms capable of producing nervonic acid efficiently and economically, meeting the increasing demand for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.