Roles of autophagy in the degradation of lipid droplets in the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi and the generation of strains accumulating higher amounts of triacylglycerol

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05801
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38020:Applied microbiology-related
• Research Institution: Nigata University of Phermacy and Applied Life Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Yamazaki Harutake 新潟薬科大学, 応用生命科学部, 准教授 (20456776)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 油脂酵母 / Lipomyces starkeyi / 脂肪滴 / トリアシルグリセロール / オートファジー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autophagy is considered to play a role in the degradation of triacylglycerol (TAG) stored in lipid droplets, but the details of the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, autophagy-related genes involved in the degradation of TAG in the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi are investigated. The deletion strains of Atg1 or Atg2, key participants in macroautophagy, accumulated a larger amount of TAG per cell than the wild-type strain, suggesting that Atg1 and Atg2 function in the process of TAG degradation.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

オートファジーに関する分子レベルの解析は進んでいるが、脂肪滴を標的としたオートファジーの機構の解析は不十分である。本研究は脂肪滴分解の際にどのオートファジー関連遺伝子が脂肪滴の分解に関与するかの統一見解を得ていくのに重要な知見を提供したと考えられる。また本研究は油糧酵母の油脂蓄積性向上による産業利用の促進にも寄与するものである。