Mortierella alpina lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase homolog for alteration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and oil content in oleaginous organisms

A method of increasing triacylglycerol content in a transformed host cell comprising:

• (a) providing a transformed host cell comprising:
• (i) at least one gene encoding a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
• and,
• (ii) a source of fatty acids;
• (b) growing the cell of step (a) under conditions whereby the at least one gene encoding a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog is expressed, resulting in the transfer of the fatty acids to triacylglycerol;
• and.
• (c) optionally recovering the triacylglycerol of step (b).

A method of increasing the ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid content of triacylglycerols in a transformed host cell comprising:

• (a) providing a transformed host cell comprising:
• (i) at least one gene encoding at least one enzyme of the ω-3/ω-6 fatty acid biosynthetic pathway;
• and.
• (ii) at least one gene encoding a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
• (b) growing the cell of step (a) under conditions whereby the genes of (i) and (ii) are expressed, resulting in the production of at least one ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid and its transfer to triacylglycerol;
• and,
• (c) optionally recovering the triacylglycerol of step (b).

A method of increasing triacylglycerol content in a transformed host cell comprising:

• (a) providing a transformed host cell comprising:
• (i) at least one gene encoding a heterologous lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
• and
• (ii) a source of fatty acids;
• wherein said transformed host has a disruption in the gene encoding the native lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme;
• (b) growing the cell of step (a) under conditions whereby the at least one gene encoding a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog is expressed, resulting in the transfer of the fatty acids to triacylglycerol;
• and
• (c) optionally recovering the triacylglycerol of step (b).

A method of increasing the ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid content of triacylglycerols in a transformed host cell comprising:

• (a) providing a transformed host cell comprising:
• (i) at least one gene encoding at least one enzyme of the ω-3/ω-6 fatty acid biosynthetic pathway;
• (ii) at least one gene encoding a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme homolog having the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2;
• wherein said transformed host has a disruption in the gene encoding the native lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase enzyme;
• (b) growing the cell of step (a) under conditions whereby the genes of (i) and (ii) are expressed, resulting in the production of at least one ω-3 or ω-6 fatty acid and its transfer to triacylglycerol;
• and
• (c) optionally recovering the triacylglycerol of step (b).