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Industrial production of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid by a Δ5 desaturase-defective mutant of Mortierella alpina 1S-4 Fungus

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Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

Dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA)-containing oil (triacylglycerol) was produced by the fungus Mortierella alpina S14, which is a Δ5 desaturase-defective mutant of the arachidonic acid-producing strain 1S-4. Using soy flour as the nitrogen source, S14 produced 8.1 g DGLA/L of culture medium in a 50-L jar fermenter. Shifting the cultivation temperature from 26 to 28°C resulted in reduction of the percentage of DGLA in total fatty acids. Under optimal conditions in a 10-kL industrial fermenter, DGLA production reached 7.0 g/L (percentage of DGLA, 43.9%) at day 12 of cultivation. The other fatty acids were palmitic (18.2%), stearic (7.9%), oleic (7.5%), linoleic (4.4%), γ-linolenic (3.2%), arachidonic (0.4%), and lignoceric (7.7%) acids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Fundamental Research, Suntory Ltd., Yamazaki 5-2-5, Shimamoto-cho, 618-0001, Mishima-gun, Osaka, Japan

    Hiroshi Kawashima, Kengo Akimoto, Kenichi Higashiyama & Shigeaki Fujikawa

  2. Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, 606-8502, Kyoto, Japan

    Sakayu Shimizu

Authors
  1. Hiroshi Kawashima
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  2. Kengo Akimoto
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  3. Kenichi Higashiyama
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  4. Shigeaki Fujikawa
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  5. Sakayu Shimizu
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Kawashima.

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Kawashima, H., Akimoto, K., Higashiyama, K. et al. Industrial production of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid by a Δ5 desaturase-defective mutant of Mortierella alpina 1S-4 Fungus. J Amer Oil Chem Soc 77, 1135–1139 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-000-0178-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-000-0178-2

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