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Cultivation of microorganisms in the cultural medium made from squid internal organs and accumulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the cells.

Morita N, Ichise N, Yumoto I, Yano Y, Ohgiya S, Okuyama H

Research Institute of Genome-based Biofactory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 062-8517 Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, Japan. morita.n@aist.go.jp

The disposal and more efficient utilization of marine wastes is becoming increasingly serious. A culture media for microorganisms has been prepared from squid internal organs that are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Both freshwater and marine bacteria grew well in this medium and some bacteria accumulated PUFAs in their lipids, suggesting uptake of exogenous PUFAs. Higher PUFA accumulations were observed in Escherichia coli mutant cells defective either in unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis or fatty acid degradation, or both, compared to those without these mutations. Therefore, PUFA accumulation in cells can be improved by genetic modification of fatty acid metabolism in the bacteria. Squid internal organs would be a good source of medium, not only for marine bacteria but also for freshwater bacteria, and that this process may be advantageous to make efficient use of the fishery wastes and to produce PUFA-containing microbial cells and lipids.

Published 10 August 2005 in Biotechnol Lett, 27(13): 933-41.
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