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About the Authors:
Wei Wang
Contributed equally to this work with: Wei Wang, Hui Wei
* E-mail: [email protected] (WW); [email protected] (HW); [email protected] (MZ)
Affiliation: Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Hui Wei
Contributed equally to this work with: Wei Wang, Hui Wei
* E-mail: [email protected] (WW); [email protected] (HW); [email protected] (MZ)
Affiliation: Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Markus Alahuhta
Affiliation: Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Xiaowen Chen
Affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Deborah Hyman
Affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
David K. Johnson
Affiliation: Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Min Zhang
* E-mail: [email protected] (WW); [email protected] (HW); [email protected] (MZ)
Affiliation: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Michael E. Himmel
Affiliation: Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado, United States of America
Introduction
Yeasts are employed as the hosts of choices for the heterologous expression of proteins. In recent years, the “non-conventional” yeasts other than Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been receiving more attention in microbiological research. Among the “non-conventional” yeasts, Y. lipolytica is one of the most attractive and extensively studied model organisms for its genetic and physiological research [1], [2]. In addition, for its ability to secrete native and heterologous proteins at high levels [3]–[5], for example, wild type strains can secrete 1–2 g/l of alkaline extracellular protease (XPR2) [6], it has also been extensively used in a broad range of industrial applications. Furthermore, the availability of genome sequence of Y. lipolytica strain E150 (CLIB99) [7], [8] and the development of genetic tools such as transformation methods [9], and integrative expression cassettes [10]–[12] increase its suitability to be metabolically engineered.
Y. lipolytica has potential to become a unique model in developing biofuels. First, Y. lipolytica is known as oleaginous microorganism able to accumulate lipid intracellularly. Microbial lipid is considered to be an alternative feedstock to plant oil for biodiesel production [13]. We are interested in using this alternative lipid feedstock for direct conversion to renewable fuels. We are also interested in producing drop-in fuels...