FIRST INSIGHTS INTO IMPROVEMENT OF EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID CONTENT IN PHAEODACTYLUM-TRICORNUTUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) BY INDUCED MUTAGENESIS

Citation
Dl. Alonso et al., FIRST INSIGHTS INTO IMPROVEMENT OF EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID CONTENT IN PHAEODACTYLUM-TRICORNUTUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) BY INDUCED MUTAGENESIS, Journal of phycology, 32(2), 1996, pp. 339-345
Citations number
40
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences","Marine & Freshwater Biology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00223646
Volume
32
Issue
2
Year of publication
1996
Pages
339 - 345
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-3646(1996)32:2<339:FIIIOE>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
A strain improvement program was initiated based on mutagenesis with t he goal of commercial production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)from EP A-overproducing microalgal strains. Two rounds of mutation. and select ion were conducted using Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin UTEX #640 as the parent strain. After the first round of mutagenesis, a putative m utant (provisionally labeled I14) was obtained. The EPA content (ro of dry weight) of this mutant strain was 37% higher than that of the wil d type. I14 was further mutated and another putative mutant (provision ally cabled II242) was isolated, the EPA content of which was 44% high er than that of the wild type. When cultured with aeration in 1-L flas ks, EPA content of the wild type and putative mutants I14 and II242 wa s 17.3 mg . g(-1), 31.5 mg . g(-1), and 38.6 mg . g(-1) dry biomass, r espectively. EPA productivity was 3.48 mg . L(-1). d(-1), 4.01 mg . L( -1). d(-1), and 4.98 mg . L(-1). d(-1), respectively These figures com pare favorably with many other promising EPA-producing microorganisms and suggest that the use of a single methodology such as mutation and selection is a way to improve the polyunsaturated fatty acid content o f microalgae and other microorganisms.