Author(s):
Gomes, Nelma
; Aguedo, Mário
; Teixeira, J. A.
; Belo, Isabel
Date: 2005
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/4531
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Description
The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is able to grow on hydrophobic substrates such
as oils, alkanes, fatty acids1. This characteristic notably offers interesting
prospects in different industrial areas: food (production of aroma compounds2,
organic acids, proteins), environment (degradation of hydrophobic polluting
agents), pharmacy and others (production of lipases, of “single cell oils”). With
the growing interest of this species, the fundamental studies have increased,
concerning mainly the dimorphism, metabolic pathways such as peroxisomal
beta-oxidation or the one leading to the production of carboxylic acids. In some
cases it has turned a model for the study of fundamental cell aspects, as in the
generation of peroxisomes or in the interactions with lipid droplets. The entire
genome of Y. lipolytica has been sequenced recently. Investigation has been
made in our laboratory to better understand the behaviour of the yeast in
biphasic media. Thus, the studies of the surface properties of the cells3, of the
oxygen diffusion within the medium and of beta-oxidation have been
emphasized, with the main application: production of the fruity aroma gammadecalactone
through biotransformation of methyl ricinoleate. Our last results
concerning this application will be presented, namely the optimization of the
process in a bioreactor.