S82: Sustainable source of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid by metabolic engineering of Yarrowia lipolytica

Demand for the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is increasing, while marine fisheries that supply them remain limited.  A sustainable, land-based source is needed.  Metabolic engineering of oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica led to the generation of strains for commercial production of EPA-rich lipid and EPA-rich biomass by fermentation. The EPA lipid has been used as human nutritional supplement; and the EPA-rich biomass has been used as salmon feed to raise brand salmon, Verlasso^R (www.verlasso.com).  The yeast lipid has a unique profile with EPA >56% of total fatty acids and saturated fatty acids at <5% (by weight), the highest and the lowest respectively among known EPA sources.  This achievement was a result of careful selection of host organism and EPA production pathway, balanced expression of pathway genes, and modification of host metabolism to enhance lipid accumulation and remodeling.   The bioengineering of Yarrowia generates a platform technology to produce high value lipid and biomass with tailored omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acid compositions. Our land-based production of EPA, DHA, ARA or GLA provides a superior source for these essential molecules for applications in nutritional supplements, functional foods, infant foods, medical foods, pharmaceuticals, and animal feeds.