Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for the production of cyclopropanated fatty acids
Abstract
Traditional synthesis of biodiesel competes with food sources and has limitations with storage, particularly due to limited oxidative stability. Microbial synthesis of lipids provides a platform to produce renewable fuel with improved properties from various renewable carbon sources. Specifically, biodiesel properties can be improved through the introduction of a cyclopropane ring in place of a double bond. In this study, we demonstrate the production of C19 cyclopropanated fatty acids in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica through the heterologous expression of the Escherichia coli cyclopropane fatty acid synthase. Ultimately, we establish a strain capable of 3.03 ± 0.26 g/L C19 cyclopropanated fatty acid production in bioreactor fermentation where this functionalized lipid comprises over 32% of the total lipid pool. This study provides a demonstration of the flexibility of lipid metabolism in Y. lipolytica to produce specialized fatty acids.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- 10.1007/s10295-018-2067-8
Entities
People
- Hal S. Alper
- Kelly A. Markham
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Robert A. Welch Foundation
- University of Texas at Austin