Production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in oleaginous yeasts
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to methods for the production of ω-3 and/or ω-6 fatty acids in oleaginous yeast. Thus, desaturases and elongases able to catalyze the conversion of linoleic acid (LA) to γ-linolenic acid (GLA); α-linoleic acid (ALA) to stearidonic acid (STA); GLA to dihomo-γ-linoleic acid (DGLA); STA to eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA); DGLA to arachidonic acid (ARA); ETA to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); DGLA to ETA; EPA to docosapentaenoic acid (DPA); and ARA to EPA have been introduced into the genome of Yarrowia for synthesis of ARA and EPA.
1. A method for producing ω-3 acids comprising: a) providing an oleaginous yeast which produces at least 25% of its dry cell weight as oil; comprising the genes encoding a functional ω-3 fatty acid biosynthetic pathway; b) growing the yeast of step (a) in the presence of a fermentable carbon source whereby one or more ω-3 fatty acids are produced; and c) optionally recovering the ω-3 or fatty acid.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the genes encoding a functional ω-3 fatty acid biosynthetic pathway are selected from the group consisting of: Δ12 desaturase, Δ6 desaturase, elongase, Δ5 desaturase, Δ17 desaturase, Δ15 desaturase, Δ9 desaturase and Δ4 desaturase.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the fermentable carbon source is selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, oligosacoharides, polysaccharides, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, methanol and carbon-containing amines.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the oleaginous yeast is selected from the group consisting of Yarrowia, Candida, Rhodotorula, Rhodosporidium, Cryptococcus, Trichosporon and Lipomyces.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the oleaginous yeast is Yarrowia lipolytica.