Structuring fats and methods of producing structuring fats
View Patent ↗Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce oleaginous recombinant cells that produce triglyceride oils having desired fatty acid profiles and regiospecific or stereospecific profiles. Genes manipulated include those encoding stearoyl-ACP desturase, delta 12 fatty acid desaturase, acyl-ACP thioesterase, ketoacyl-ACP synthase, and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. The oil produced can have enhanced oxidative or thermal stability, or can be useful as a frying oil, shortening, roll-in shortening, tempering fat, cocoa butter replacement, as a lubricant, or as a feedstock for various chemical processes. The fatty acid profile can be enriched in midchain profiles or the oil can be enriched in triglycerides of the saturated-unsaturated-saturated type.
1. A recombinant microalgal cell, the cell comprising exogenous nucleic acids encoding a C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A (FATA), wherein the oil produced by the recombinant microalgal cell is enriched in stearic-oleic-stearic (SOS), palmitic-oleic-palmitic (POP) and/or palmitic-oleic-stearic (POS) triglycerides, as compared to non-recombinant microalgal cells.
2. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 1 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Brassica FATA or a Garcinia FATA.
3. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 2 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Garcinia FATA.
4. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 3 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Garcinia mangostana FATA.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Brassica FATA.
6. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant microalgal cell further comprises nucleic acids that encode sucrose invertase.
7. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 1 , wherein the oil produced by the recombinant microalgal cell comprises at least 50% SOS, or optionally at least 70% SOS.
8. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 1 , wherein the microalgal cell is of the genus Prototheca or Chlorella.
9. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 8 , wherein the microalgal cell is of the species Prototheca moriformis.
10. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 1 , wherein the exogenous nucleic acids are codon optimized for expression in a cell of the genus Prototheca.
11. A method of producing a microalgal oil enriched in stearic-oleic-stearic (SOS), palmitic-oleic-palmitic (POP) and/or palmitic-oleic-stearic (POS) triglycerides, as compared to non-recombinant microalgal cells, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a recombinant microalgal cell, the cell comprising exogenous nucleic acids encoding a C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A (FATA);
b) cultivating the recombinant microalgal cell; and
c) isolating the microalgal oil from the microalgal cell.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Brassica FATA or a Garcinia FATA.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Garcinia FATA.
14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Garcinia mangostana FATA.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the C16:0 or C18:0 preferring acyl-ACP thioesterase A is a Brassica FATA.
16. The recombinant microalgal cell of claim 11 , wherein the recombinant microalgal cell further comprises nucleic acids that encode sucrose invertase.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the oil produced by the recombinant microalgal cell comprises at least 50% SOS, or optionally at least 70% SOS.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the microalgal cell is of the genus Prototheca or Chlorella.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the microalgal cell is of the species Prototheca moriformis.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the exogenous nucleic acids are codon optimized for expression in a cell of the genus Prototheca.