Current advances in alteration of fatty acid profile in Rhodotorula toruloides: a mini-review

Abstract

Microbial lipids are considered promising and environmentally friendly substitutes for fossil fuels and plant-derived oils. They alleviate the depletion of limited petroleum storage and the decrement of arable lands resulting from the greenhouse effect. Microbial lipids derived from oleaginous yeasts provide fatty acid profiles similar to plant-derived oils, which are considered as sustainable and alternative feedstocks for use in the biofuel, cosmetics, and food industries. Rhodotorula toruloides is an intriguing oleaginous yeast strain that can accumulate more than 70% of its dry biomass as lipid content. It can utilize a wide range of substrates, including low-cost sugars and industrial waste. It is also robust against various industrial inhibitors. However, precise control of the fatty acid profile of the lipids produced by R. toruloides is essential for broadening its biotechnological applications. This mini-review describes recent progress in identifying fatty synthesis pathways and consolidated strategies used for specific fatty acid-rich lipid production via metabolic engineering, strain domestication. In addition, this mini-review summarized the effects of culture conditions on fatty acid profiles in R. toruloides. The perspectives and constraints of harnessing R. toruloides for tailored lipid production are also discussed in this mini-review. Graphical abstract

An Evolved Strain of the Oleaginous Yeast Rhodotorula toruloides, Multi-Tolerant to the Major Inhibitors Present in Lignocellulosic Hydrolysates, Exhibits an Altered Cell Envelope

“…Therefore, the interest in non-Saccharomyces yeasts, like it is the case of basidiomycetes species of the Rhodotorula genus, is gaining momentum [16,[20][21][22]. R. toruloides is an oleaginous red yeast species that is attracting great interest due to its ability to use the main C sources present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates (glucose, xylose, and acetic acid) to efficiently produce lipids and carotenoids [2,[22][23][24][25]. Moreover, this species can also efficiently use other less usual and difficult-to-catabolize carbon sources, as is the case of the acid sugar Dgalacturonic acid and the neutral sugar L-arabinose, present in sugar beet pulp hydrolysates and hydrolysates from other pectin-rich agro-industrial residues [23].…”

Tuning Fatty Acid Profile and Yield in Pichia pastoris

“…Oleaginous yeasts, such as Yarrowia lipolytica, Rhodosporidium toruloides, or Lipomyces starkeyi, are known for their natural ability to accumulate lipids up to 70% of their CDW under nutrient-limiting conditions, and most of the lipids are stored in the form of triacylglycerols (TAGs) [21]. These yeasts, which also have the GRAS status, harbor robust lipid synthesis pathways and have been further engineered for enhanced FA and oleochemical production [22][23][24] or for tailoring the chain-length of produced FAs and their derivatives [25,26].…”