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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Renewable Product Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #257515
Title: Heavy Oils Produced by Aureobasidium pullulans

Author
item MANITCHOTPISIT, PENNAPA - Rangsit University
item Price, Neil
item Leathers, Timothy
item PUNNAPAYAK, HUNSA - Chulalongkorn University

Submitted to: Biotechnology Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2011
Publication Date: 2/4/2011
Citation: Manitchotpisit, P., Price, N.P., Leathers, T.D., Punnapayak, H. 2011. Heavy oils produced by Aureobasidium pullulans. Biotechnology Letters. 33(6):1151-1157.

Interpretive Summary: This research examined the production of unique microbial heavy oils made by the fungus Aureobasidium. These oils may have potential as lubricants, biodiesel, or bioactive compounds, but fundamental information is first needed on the production and properties of these bioproducts. Results of this study showed that diverse strains of Aureobasidium produced a family of related oil structures with distinctive structural properties. Results are important to researchers and may lead to the development of novel renewable products.

Technical Abstract: From a survey of more than 50 diverse strains of Aureobasidium pullulans, 21 strains were observed to produce extracellular heavy oils. These strains represented at least 6 phylogenetic clades, although more than half fell into clades 9 and 11. Oil colors ranged from bright yellow to malachite. More than half of the strains produced oil that was fluorescent. In medium containing 5% (w/v) sucrose, oil yields ranged from 0.5 g/L to 6.0 g/L. Strain CU 43 produced particularly bright yellow and highly fluorescent oil that was visible as intracellular droplets under fluorescent microscopy. MALDI-TOF MS spectra suggested that A. pullulans strains produce a family of related oil structures, and the structure of these oils may be related to the phylogenetic group of the strain.