Genetic modification of the marine‐derived yeast Yarrowia lipolytica with high‐protein content using a GPI‐anchor‐fusion expression system

Abstract

Yarrowia lipolytica SWJ-1b isolated from the marine fish gut was found to contain 47.6 g of crude protein per 100 g of cell dry weight and had potential use as single cell protein. When the gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was inserted into the surface display plasmid pINA1317-YlCWP110 and expressed in uracil mutant of Y. lipolytica SWJ-1b, the corresponding protein was successfully displayed on the cell surface, and 100% of the yeast cells exhibited the anchored target proteins. We found that yeast cells displaying EGFP were similar to those of Y. lipolytica SWJ-1b. Furthermore, C(18:1) and C(18:3) fatty acids biosynthesis in the marine yeast cells displaying the heterologous EGFP was weakly enhanced compared with that in its wild-type. The results suggest that the marine-derived Y. lipolytica SWJ-1b can be armed with the heterologous protein by the genetic modification and further used as single cell protein.