Metabolic engineering of oleaginous yeasts to enhance single cell oil production

The perpetual increase in global population has led to a sharp hike in the per capita consumption of vegetable oils. To meet the demands for both edible and non-edible oils, scientists have developed alternative sources of fuel that are sustainable yet eco-friendly. Oleaginous yeasts are capable of producing lipids that form up to 20% of their total biomass and are mostly stored in the form of neutral lipids, also known as triacylglycerol (TAG). Yeast grows quickly and accumulates fatty acids that are very similar to vegetable oils. The production of single cell oil (SCO) from yeast can be easily enhanced genetically to meet the rising global demand for edible and renewable fuels as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Thus, SCO could serve as a promising platform for oil production, thereby preventing the current food-fuel competition in land use. This review will focus on the recent understanding of TAG metabolic pathways and the subsequent metabolic engineering of the related genes involved in oleaginous yeasts that paved the platform for enhanced SCO production. Practical applications Oleaginous yeast single cell oil is a non-plant-based, renewable lipid source that can be used for the production of bio-based oleochemicals.