title: Role of malic enzyme during fatty acid synthesis in the oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina.
abstract: The generation of NADPH by malic enzyme (ME) was postulated to be a rate-limiting step during fatty acid synthesis in oleaginous fungi, based primarily on the results from research focusing on ME in Mucor circinelloides. This hypothesis is challenged by a recent study showing that leucine metabolism, rather than ME, is critical for fatty acid synthesis in M. circinelloides. To clarify this, the gene encoding ME isoform E from Mortierella alpina was homologously expressed. ME overexpression increased the fatty acid content by 30% compared to that for a control. Our results suggest that ME may not be the sole rate-limiting enzyme, but does play a role, during fatty acid synthesis in oleaginous fungi.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, People's Republic of China.
authors: Guangfei
authors: G
authors: Hao
authors: Haiqin
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Wang
authors: Zhennan
authors: Z
authors: Gu
authors: Yuanda
authors: Y
authors: Song
authors: Hao
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Chen
authors: Yong Q
authors: YQ
authors: Chen
mesh_terms: D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020094:Mortierella / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase