Enhanced production of isobutyl and isoamyl acetate using Yarrowia lipolytica

Short-chain esters, particularly isobutyl acetate and isoamyl acetate, hold significant industrial value due to their wide-ranging applications in flavors, fragrances, solvents, and biofuels. In this study, we demonstrated the biosynthesis of acetate esters using Yarrowia lipolytica as a host by feeding alcohols to the yeast culture. Initially, we screened for optimal alcohol acyltransferases for ester biosynthesis in Y. lipolytica. Strains of Y. lipolytica expressing atf1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, produced 251 or 613 mg/L of isobutyl acetate or of isoamyl acetate, respectively. We found that introducing additional copies of ATF1 enhanced ester production. Furthermore, by increasing the supply of acetyl-CoA and refining the culture conditions, we achieved high production of isoamyl acetate, reaching titers of 3404 mg/L. We expanded our study to include the synthesis of a range of acetate esters, facilitated by enriching the culture medium with various alcohols. This study underscores the versatility and potential of Y. lipolytica in the industrial production of acetate esters.