Isolation and characterization of a Δ-9 fatty acid desaturase gene from the oleaginous yeastCryptococcus curvatus CBS 570

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Abstract
The oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus is of industrial interest because it can accumulate triacylglycerols up to 60% of the cell dry weight. We are aiming at genetic modification of fatty acid biosynthesis for the production of tailor‐made triacylglycerols in C. curvatus. As a first step in the development of a transformation and expression system a gene encoding the Δ‐9 fatty acid desaturase of C. curvatus (CBS 570) was cloned. The 1470 bp gene encodes a protein of 493 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 55 kDa. The gene shows strong similarity to previous cloned Δ‐9 desaturase genes from rat and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 62 and 72%, respectively. Expression of the Δ‐9 desaturase gene was studied. Supplementation of the growth medium with oleic acid (C18:1(c9)) showed a strong repression (90%) on the mRNA level, while supplementation with petroselinic acid (C18:1(c6)) had no effect on the amount of mRNA.