Process for producing arachidonic acid-containing lipids
A process for producing lipids containing arachidonic acid comprising culturing a microorganism in which ω3 desaturase activity has been decreased or is lacking at a temperature lower than the optimum growth temperature from the start of culturing or after culturing at the optimum growth temperature, said microorganism being obtained by the mutation treatment of a microorganism capable of producing arachidonic acid and belonging to the genus Mortierella and the like; and then recovering lipids containing arachidonic acid from the culture.
1. A process for producing an arachidonic acid-containing microbial lipid comprising:
culturing Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, at a temperature lower than the optimum growth temperature from the start of culturing or after culturing at the optimum growth temperature; and then
recovering said arachidonic acid-containing microbial lipid from the culture.
2. The process according to claim 1 comprising culturing said Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, in a medium containing hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, or lipids containing them as components; or adding to the culture in which said Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, is being cultured hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, or lipids containing them as components, and then further culturing.
3. A process for producing an arachidonic acid-containing microbial lipid comprising:
culturing Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, at a temperature lower than 20° C. from the start of culturing or after culturing at 20 to 40° C.; and then
recovering said arachidonic acid-containing microbial lipid from the culture.
4. The method according to claim 3 comprising culturing said Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, in a medium containing hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, or lipids containing them as components; or adding to the culture in which said Mortierella alpina SAM2153 FERM BP-6794, is being cultured hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty acid salts, or lipids containing them as components, and then further culturing.