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Ethanol-induced dimorphism and lipid composition changes in Mucor fragilis CCMI 142
I Serrano1, T Lopes da Silva, J Carlos Roseiro
1Laboratório de Microbiologia Industrial, Instituto Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial, Azinhaga dos Lameiros à Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Lisboa, Portugal.
Aims:
To study the effect of ethanol on morphology, lipid production and fatty acid profile of Mucor fragilis CCMI 142 cultures.
Methods And Results:
Cell inhibition in shake flask cultures due to alcohol toxicity grew linearly from 0.418 mol x 1(-1) to 0.816 mol x 1(-1) ethanol corresponding to a decrease of specific growth rate. The growth inhibition constant took the value of 2.27 mol x 1(-1). The germination of fungal spores into hyphae is inhibited by concentrations from 0.418 mol x 1(-1) to 0.816 mol x 1(-1) ethanol. In this range, M. fragilis CCMI 142 spores form, exclusively, budding yeast-like cells instead of filaments. Below 0.418 mol 1-1 ethanol the formation of yeast-like cells was stimulated and there was a spore germination delay.
Conclusion:
The lipid content decreased as the concentration of ethanol increased, and was associated with an increase of unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
The major conclusion of the study is the production of an enriched unsaturated fatty acids final product with particular emphasis to the presence of gamma-linolenic acid (18:3omega6) a biologically active compound with a useful impact in nutraceutical science.