A newly identified fatty alcohol oxidase gene is mainly responsible for the oxidation of long‐chain ω‐hydroxy fatty acids in Yarrowia lipolytica. Issue 6 (2nd July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gatter, Michael; Förster, André; Bär, Kati; Winter, Miriam; Otto, Christina; Petzsch, Patrick; Ježková, Michaela; Bahr, Katrin; Pfeiffer, Melanie; Matthäus, Falk; Barth, Gerold
• Is Part Of: FEMS yeast research. Volume 14:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 858
• Page End: 872
• Publication Date: 2014-07-02
• Subjects: Yeast -- Periodicals; Yeasts -- Periodicals; 579.562
• DOI: 10.1111/1567-1364.12176
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1567-1356

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="fyr12176-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Nine potential (fatty) alcohol dehydrogenase genes and one alcohol oxidase gene were identified in <italic>Yarrowia lipolytica</italic> by comparative sequence analysis. All relevant genes were deleted in <italic>Y. lipolytica</italic> H222ΔP which is lacking β‐oxidation. Resulting transformants were tested for their ability to accumulate ω‐hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic acids in the culture medium. The deletion of eight alcohol dehydrogenase genes (<italic>FADH</italic>, <italic> ADH1‐7</italic>), which may be involved in ω‐oxidation, led only to a slightly increased accumulation of ω‐hydroxy fatty acids, whereas the deletion of the fatty alcohol oxidase gene (<italic>FAO1</italic>), which has not been described yet in <italic>Y. lipolytica</italic>, exhibited a considerably higher effect. The combined deletion of the eight (fatty) alcohol dehydrogenase genes and the alcohol oxidase gene further reduced the formation of dicarboxylic acids. These results indicate that both (fatty) alcohol dehydrogenases and an alcohol oxidase are involved in ω‐oxidation of long‐chain fatty acids whereby latter plays the major role. This insight marks the first step toward the biotechnological production of long‐chain ω‐hydroxy fatty acids with the help of the nonconventional yeast <italic>Y. lipolytica</italic>. The overexpression of <italic>FAO1</italic> can be further used to improve existing strains for the production of dicarboxylic acids.</p> </abstract>