Labyrinthulomycete strains for producing docosahexaenoic acid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177255-A1
Application number	US-201514720679-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Improved labyrinthulomycetes strains that produce microbial oils having increased docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content are disclosed. The strains have increased productivity with respect to a wild type strain. Also provided are microbial oil compositions having increased DHA content. Methods of improving strains for the production of lipid, such as DHA, are also included.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A microbial oil comprising at least 25% of the total fatty acids as DHA and at least 6% of the total fatty acids as myristic acid.

2 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of DHA to DPA is at least 3.5:1.

3 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of DHA to DPA is at least 4:1.

4 . A microbial oil according to claim 3 , wherein at least 30% of the total fatty acids of the microbial oil are DHA.

5 . A microbial oil according to claim 4 , wherein at least 35% of the total fatty acids of the microbial oil are DHA.

6 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein 10% or less of the total fatty acids comprise DPA.

7 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein the total fatty acids comprise less than 2% ARA.

8 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein the total fatty acids comprise less than 1% EPA.

9 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein at least 10% of the fatty acids of the microbial oil are myristic acid.

10 . A microbial oil according to claim 9 , wherein at least 12% of the fatty acids of the microbial oil are myristic acid.

11 . A microbial oil according to claim 10 , wherein at least 15% of the fatty acids of the microbial oil are myristic acid.

12 . A product comprising a microbial oil according to claim 1 .

13 . A product according to claim 12 , wherein the product is a food product, an animal feed product, a cosmetic product, or a pharmaceutical product.

14 . A microbial oil according to claim 1 , wherein the microbial oil is isolated from a mutant microorganism.

15 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism that produces a microbial oil according to claim 1 .

16 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism that produces at least 25% of its fatty acids as DHA and at least 6% of its fatty acids as myristic acid.

17 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 16 that produces at least 30% of its fatty acids as DHA and at least 10% of its fatty acids as myristic acid.

18 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 16 , wherein the mutant microorganism produces DHA in a small scale culture at a rate of at least 100 mg/L/h, further wherein the mutant microorganism produces at least 20% more docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and at least 100% more myristic acid as a percent of total fatty acids than the wild type strain from which it is derived.

19 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 16 , wherein the total fatty acids produced by the microorganism comprise at least 30% DHA and at least 10% myristic acid.

20 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 19 , comprising an 18S rDNA sequence having at least 98% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, and SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, and SEQ ID NO:12.

21 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 20 , wherein the mutant microorganism comprises an 18S rDNA sequence having at least 98% identity to:
a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:9; a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:10; a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:7 and SEQ ID NO:11; and a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12.

22 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 21 , wherein the mutant microorganism comprises an 18S rDNA sequence having at least 98.5% identity to:
a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:5 and SEQ ID NO:9; a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:6 and SEQ ID NO:10; a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:7 and SEQ ID NO:11; and a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:8 and SEQ ID NO:12.

23 . A mutant labyrinthulomycete microorganism according to claim 22 , wherein the microorganism is the strain deposited under NRRL number 50836, the strain deposited under NRRL number 50837, or a derivative of either.

24 . A microbial biomass comprising the mutant microorganism of claim 16 .

25 . A product comprising a microbial biomass according to claim 24 .

Assignees

• Synthetic Genomics Inc

Inventors

• Radakovits Randor R
• Champagne Michele M

Classifications

• A61P3/02

  Nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals · CPC title

• C07C53/126

  Acids containing more than four carbon atoms · CPC title

• A23K20/158

  Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats · CPC title

• C07C57/03

  Monocarboxylic acids · CPC title

• C12N1/36

  Adaptation or attenuation of cells · CPC title