Fujifilm Corporation

Suntory Limited

Suntory Holdings Limited

Hiroshima University

Tsunehiro Aki

Kazuhisa Ono

Masayuki Kawakami

Masayoshi Kojima

Hiroyuki Komazawa

Seiji Kawamoto

Kengo Akimoto

Kenichi Higashiyama

Seiko Shigeta

Osamu Suzuki

Kenichi Suntory Limited Higashiyama

An object of the present invention is to provide a transformation system for Labyrinthulomycota that allows the elucidation of biosynthetic mechanisms of lipids such as PUFA and carotenoids as well as for the construction of a high production system and the design and development of novel functional lipid molecules by the control of the mechanisms. The present invention provides a method for introducing a transgene into a cell of Labyrinthulomycota, which comprises introducing into a cell of Labyrinthulomycota a recombinant vector comprising a transgene and a nucleotide sequence which is homologous to a part of chromosomal DNA of Labyrinthulomycota and is capable of homologous recombination with the chromosomal DNA, and then inducing homologous recombination in this homologous nucleotide sequence.

[object Object]

An object of the present invention is to provide a microorganism which has a high ability of producing docosahexaenoic acid. The present invention provides astrain which has an ability of producing docosahexaenoic acid, and use thereof.

Microorganism having an ability of producing docosahexaenoic acid and use thereof

The present invention provides a process for producing a highly unsaturated fatty acid-containing lipid which is less expensive than existing ones, which comprises culturing a microorganism belonging to the genuswith the use of, as a medium carbon source, a saccharified starch, which is less expensive than glucose, does not contribute to an increase in osmotic pressure of the culture medium, and can be utilized by themicroorganism, and collecting a highly unsaturated fatty acid-containing lipid from the culture.

Process for producing highly unsaturated fatty acid-containing lipid

An object of the present invention is to provide a transformation system forthat allows the elucidation of biosynthetic mechanisms of lipids such as PUFA and carotenoids as well as for the construction of a high production system and the design and development of novel functional lipid molecules by the control of the mechanisms. The present invention provides a vector for the transformation ofwith a transgene, which comprises at least (1) a nucleotide sequence which is homologous to a part of chromosomal DNA ofand is capable of homologous recombination with the chromosomal DNA, (2) a selection marker gene having a promoter sequence located upstream and a terminator sequence located downstream, and (3) a cloning site for transgene insertion having a promoter sequence located upstream and a terminator sequence located downstream.

A method for producing highly unsaturated fatty acids comprising culturing a microorganism, belonging to the genusand having resistance to a carbon source, in a medium having a carbon source concentration of at least 4% by weight, and collecting highly unsaturated fatty acids from the cultured products. Culturing the microorganism for about a week gives at least about 7 g/L of highly unsaturated fatty acids.

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Higashihiroshima, Japan

Tsunehiro Aki