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The Hydrocarbon-Degrading Oleaginous Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

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Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology

Abstract:

Yarrowia lipolytica is one of the most important non-conventional oleaginous yeasts. This review summarizes the recent advances in the taxonomy, physiology, growth requirements and environmental distribution of this particular yeast. It provides as well an extensive summary of its genomic features. Due to the remarkable potential to accumulate and modify lipids and the ability to grow on various hydrophobic substrates, Y. lipolytica has been now seriously considered as a bioconversion model for production of single-cell proteins, enzymes and lipid-derived compounds. Its presence in a variety of environments polluted with petroleum and in particular with its heavy fractions, witnesses its pivotal role in degradation of recalcitrant organic compounds. Some of them (naphthalene, dibenzofuran, and trinitrotoluene) have been already successfully tested and the process has proved to be functional. Y. lipolytica is also found in a variety of marine and hypersaline environments, thus the use of this yeast as a model system for salt-stress studies could be envisaged. Newly developed genetic tools and available genome sequence data will allow more complete exploration of this yeast in the areas of biocatalysis, bioconversion, and bioremediation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology and Biocatalysis, Department of Biochemical and Microbial Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    J. Sabirova

  2. Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, University of Pune, Pune, India

    S. Zinjarde

Authors
  1. A. Beopoulos
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  2. T. Desfougeres
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  3. J. Sabirova
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  4. S. Zinjarde
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  5. C. Neuvéglise
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  6. J.-M. Nicaud
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Kenneth N. Timmis (Professor) (Professor)

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Beopoulos, A., Desfougeres, T., Sabirova, J., Zinjarde, S., Neuvéglise, C., Nicaud, JM. (2010). The Hydrocarbon-Degrading Oleaginous Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica . In: Timmis, K.N. (eds) Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_152

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