Metabolic engineering of oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica for production of renewable oleochemicals

Oleochemicals, a large group of lipid-based compounds, were widely used to manufacture the detergents, lubricants, solvents, biodiesel and bioplastics. Currently, oleochemicals were almost exclusively produced from animal fat and plant oil by chemical processes embraced with a number of limitations and disadvantages including generation of numerous undesirable byproducts. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica with long history for industrial application has attracted growing attention due to its capability of accumulating lipid as an alternative feedstock for producing renewable hydrocarbon. To overcome the above limitations, we have engineered the oleaginous yeast Y. lipolytica with a great potential for the production of renewable oleochemicals from cellulosic sugars.  To efficiently manipulate this yeast, we have designed and developed a molecular toolbox for synthetic biology of Y. lipolytica. By tailoring the natural pathway for lipid accumulation in Y. lipolytica, the endogenously produced intermediates of fatty acids were directly transformed into bio-based oleochemicals via the engineered pathway. The yield was further improved by blocking the degradation pathway and optimizing the genes expression. The titers of free fatty acid and fatty alcohol can reach 2g/L and 700mg/L, respectively. We further explored to incorporate the functional efflux pumps to efficiently secrete synthesized oleochemicals. Our developed platform technology has the potential to offer a new technical route for economical and sustainable production of a suite of important oleochemicals from renewable resources.