Abstract
A growth-inhibiting, aspirin-containing medium was developed to select arachidonic-acid-(ARA)-producing Mortierella species and to determine the fatty-acid content of 87 Mortierella strains. ARA was detected in 66 strains from 33 species and its production may prove useful for systematic studies on Mortierella spp. The ARA content of the 66 producing strains tested ranged from 4% to 55% of total lipids. Most of the ARA-producing strains of Mortierella (59 strains) grown on potato/glucose/agar synthesized <20% ARA. Four strains produced between 20% and 25% ARA and three produced >40%. An inverse relationship was observed between ARA and oleic-acid contents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bajpai, P.K., Bajpai, P. & Ward, O.P. 1991 Production of arachidonic acid by Mortierella alpina ATCC 32222. Journal of Industrial Microbiology 8, 179–186.
Bostock, R.M., Kuc, J.A. & Laine, R.A. 1981 Eicosapentaenoic and arachidonic acids from Phytophthora infestans elicit fungitoxic sesquiterpenes in the potato. Science 212, 67–69.
Botha, A. & Kock, J.L.F. 1993 The distribution and taxonomic value of fatty acids and eicosanoids in the Lipomycetaceae and Dipodascaceae. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 63, 111–123.
Botha, A., Kock, J.L.F., Coetzee, D. J., VanDyk, M.S., Van DerBerg, L. & Botes, P.J. 1992 Yeast eicosanoids. I. The distribution and taxonomic value of cellular fatty acids and arachidonic acid metabolites in the Dipodascaceae and related taxa. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 15, 148–154.
Gams, W. 1977 A key to the species of Mortierella. Persoonia 9, 381–391.
Losel, D.M. 1988 Fungal lipids. In Microbial Lipids, Vol. 1, pp. 699–806. New York: Academic Press.
Milko, A.A. 1974 Opredelitel Mukoralnix Gribov.. pp. 40–80, Kiev: Naukova Dunka.
Shaw, R. 1966 The polyunsaturated fatty acids of microorganisms. Advances in Lipid Research 4, 107–174.
Shimizu, S., Kawashima, H., Akimoto, K., Shinmen, Y. & Yamada, H. 1989 Microbial conversion of an oil containing α-linolenic acid to an oil containing eicosapentaenoic acid. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society 66, 342–347.
Shinmen, Y., Shimizu, S., Akimoto, K., Kawashima, H. & Yamada, H. 1989 Production of arachidonic acid by Mortierella fungi. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 31, 11–16.
Shinmen, Y., Yamada, H. & Shimizu, S. 1993 Process for production of arachidonic acid. U.S. Patent N 5 204-250.
Sultanovich, Y.A., Nechaev, A.P. & Barsukova, I.A. 1982 Author's Certificate USSR N 968072 (in Russian).
Totani, N. & Oba, K. 1987 The filamentous fungus Mortierella alpina, high in arachidonic acid. Lipids 22, 1060–1062.
Totani, N., Suzaki, K. & Kudo, T. 1987 Process for the production of arachidonic acid-containing lipids. European Patent N 223960, EPB N 23.
Vane, J.R. 1971 Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis as a mechanism of action for aspirin-like drugs. Nature, New Biology 231, 232–235.
Yamada, H., Shimizu, S. & Shinmen, Y. 1987 Production of arachidonic acid by Mortierella elongata IS-5. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 51, 785–790.
Yamada, H., Shimizu, S., Shinmen, Y., Kawashima, H. & Akimoto, K. 1989 Biotechnological processes for production of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology 10, 561–579.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Names used in this article are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eroshin, V.K., Dedyukhina, E.G., Chistyakova, T.I. et al. Arachidonic-acid production by species of Mortierella . World J Microbiol Biotechnol 12, 91–96 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327809
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00327809