Efficient lipid production from macrofilamentous alga Vaucheria hamata FACHB-3853

An oleaginous macrofilamentous alga, Vaucheria hamata (No: FACHB-3853), was isolated from Shanghai, China, representing the first systematic characterization of a macrofilamentous alga for lipid production with direct harvestability that may lower lipid production costs. Under natural conditions of 16°C, 10 μE·m^-2·s^-1, this alga exhibited a lipid content of 30.0% and the maximum biomass 8.06 g·L^-1 and lipid content 68.55% of dry weight were achieved in laboratory-scale cultivation with agitation at 160 rpm. Additionally, a total of 5964 differentially expressed genes were identified by transcriptomic analysis and the results revealed that agitation treatment significantly improved lipid yields by upregulated genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, starch metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and pentose phosphate pathway. Notably, the total fatty acid content suitable for biodiesel production was 49.45% with 20 mg·L^-1 KH₂PO₄ in the medium, and the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and arachidonic acid) used in healthcare products were 13.91% and 2.41%, respectively. This study demonstrated that the macrofilamentous oleaginous alga V. hamata FACHB-3853 was an ideal candidate for both lipid production and nutritional applications, thereby expanding the potential applications of macrofilamentous algae in biotechnology.