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Overexpression of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in Yarrowia lipolytica and its effect on production of organic acids

  • Applied Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology
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Abstract

The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is one of the most intensively studied “non-conventional” yeast species. Its ability to secrete various organic acids, like pyruvic (PA), citric, isocitric, and alpha-ketoglutaric (KGA) acid, in large amounts is of interest for biotechnological applications. We have studied the effect of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH) complex on the production process of KGA. Being well studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae this enzyme complex consists of three subunits: alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, dihydrolipoyl transsuccinylase, and lipoamide dehydrogenase. Here we report the effect of overexpression of these subunits encoding genes and resulting increase of specific KGDH activity on organic acid production under several conditions of growth limitation and an excess of carbon source in Y. lipolytica. The constructed strain containing multiple copies of all three KGDH genes showed a reduced production of KGA and an elevated production of PA under conditions of KGA production. However, an increased activity of the KGDH complex had no influence on organic acid production under citric acid production conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia and co-financed by the European Union.

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  1. Anne Kretzschmar

    Present address: Laboratoriumsmedizin Köln, Dres. Med. Wisplinghoff and Kollegen, Classen-Kappelmann-Straße 24, 50931, Köln, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany

    Martina Holz, Christina Otto, Anne Kretzschmar, Venelina Yovkova & Gerold Barth

  2. Umwelt- und Biotechnologisches Zentrum (UBZ), Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Andreas Aurich

  3. Evonik Degussa GmbH, Creavis Technologies and Innovation, Paul-Baumann-Straße 1, 45772, Marl, Germany

    Markus Pötter

  4. Evonik Degussa GmbH, International Sales, Rodenbacher Chaussee 4, 63457, Hanau-Wolfgang, Germany

    Achim Marx

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  1. Martina Holz
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  2. Christina Otto
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Correspondence to Martina Holz or Gerold Barth.

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Holz, M., Otto, C., Kretzschmar, A. et al. Overexpression of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in Yarrowia lipolytica and its effect on production of organic acids. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 89, 1519–1526 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2957-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2957-9

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