Yarrowia lipolytica as an Oleaginous Platform for the Production of Value-Added Fatty Acid-Based Bioproducts

Abstract

The microbial fermentation process has been used as an alternative pathway to the production of value-added natural products. Of the microorganisms, Yarrowia lipolytica, as an oleaginous platform, is able to produce fatty acid-derived biofuels and biochemicals. Nowadays, there are growing progresses on the production of value-added fatty acid-based bioproducts in Y. lipolytica. However, there are fewer reviews performing the metabolic engineering strategies and summarizing the current production of fatty acid-based bioproducts in Y. lipolytica. To this end, we briefly provide the fatty acid metabolism, including fatty acid biosynthesis, transportation, and degradation. Then, we introduce the various metabolic engineering strategies for increasing bioproduct accumulation in Y. lipolytica. Further, the advanced progress in the production of fatty acid-based bioproducts by Y. lipolytica, including nutraceuticals, biofuels, and biochemicals, is summarized. This review will provide attractive thoughts for researchers working in the field of Y. lipolytica.

Keywords: Yarrowia lipolytica; bioproducts; cell factory; fatty acid metabolism; metabolic engineering.

FIGURE 1

Overview of fatty acid metabolism for the production of its based chemicals in Y. lipolytica. Different colored arrows are used to represent different metabolic pathways; black, de novo fatty acid metabolic pathway; green, acetate metabolic pathway; red, glycerol metabolic pathway; dark red, heterologous lipid metabolic pathway; purple, ex novo fatty acid metabolic pathway; blue, heterologous alkane metabolic pathway. Pathway localization with respect to specific subcellular organelles are also depicted. ER, endoplasmic reticulum; PER, peroxisome; MIT, mitochondria; TCA cycle, tricarboxylic acid cycle; DHAP, dihydroxyacetone phosphate; GA3P, glycerol-3-phosphate; iCit, isocitrate; α-KG, α-ketoglutarate; Suc, succinate; Fum, fumarate; Mal, malate; OAA, oxaloacetate; FAS, fatty acid synthase; EFA, essential fatty acid; FFA, free fatty acid; FAEEs, fatty acid ethyl esters.