2026-11-02 中国科学院（CAS）
中国科学院大連化学物理研究所などの研究チームは、油脂生産酵母 Rhodosporidium toruloides（ロドスポリジウム・トルロイデス）における脂質蓄積と組成変化のメカニズムを解明した。研究では、液体クロマトグラフィー質量分析法（LC-MS）を用いた高網羅的脂質解析手法を開発し、トランスクリプトーム解析と統合することで、窒素制限条件下で培養した酵母の脂質動態を調べた。その結果、26の脂質サブクラスに属する1,206種類の脂質を同定・定量し、脂質生産には二つの段階があることを発見した。培養初期にはトリアシルグリセロール（TAG）が急速に蓄積し、144時間でピークに達する。その後は主要なTAGやジアシルグリセロールが減少し、多価不飽和脂質の割合が増加した。また、培養時間によってパーム油に類似した組成や、多価不飽和脂肪酸に富む組成を実現できることを示した。本成果は、微生物油脂の収量と品質を制御する生産技術の開発に貢献する。
＜関連情報＞
マルチオミクス解析により、窒素制限下におけるRhodosporidium toruloidesの油蓄積と組成再構築が明らかになった
Multi-omics analysis revealed oil accumulation and compositional remodeling in Rhodosporidium toruloides under nitrogen limitation
Di Yu,Qitian Huang,Guoqin Ji,Liting Lyu,Xinyu Liu,Chunxiu Hu,Zongbao K. Zhao,Guowang Xu
Food Chemistry Available online: 14 October 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151581
Highlights
- High-coverage lipidomics enabled high-confidence profiling of over 1200 lipids in Rhodosporidium toruloides.
- Nitrogen limitation induced a two-stage pattern from storage lipid accumulation to compositional remodeling.
- Microbial oil produced during the accumulation stage showed palm-oil-like compositional features.
- Lipid quantity and composition were associated with distinct transcriptional modules.
Abstract
Microbial lipids from oleaginous yeasts are promising sustainable alternatives for biofuel and food applications. However, rational engineering requires a comprehensive understanding of both lipid yield and molecular composition, together with their regulatory basis. In this study, high-coverage lipidomics integrated with stage-resolved transcriptomics was applied to Rhodosporidium toruloides under nitrogen limitation. Lipidomic analysis revealed a two-phase pattern characterized by rapid triacylglycerol accumulation followed by compositional remodeling. During the accumulation window, fatty acid class distribution and derived oil parameters showed palm-oil-like compositional features, particularly in terms of saturation balance and unsaturation-related indices. Transcriptomic analysis linked these phenotypic changes to distinct regulatory modules associated with lipid assembly and turnover. These findings suggest that lipid quantity and composition are differently regulated and may be modulated through cultivation-stage control, providing a phenotypic and regulatory basis for rational engineering of microbial oils with defined functional profiles.
