Diacylgylcerol acyl transferase (DGA1) polynucleotides, and methods of increasing yeast cell lipid production by overexpression of heterologous DGA1

An isolated host cell comprising a heterologous polynucleotide from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 4, SEQ ID NO:
• 6, SEQ ID NO:
• 8, SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 12, SEQ ID NO:
• 14, SEQ ID NO:
• 16, or SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or a complement thereof;
• and
• b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 4, SEQ ID NO:
• 6, SEQ ID NO:
• 8, SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 12, SEQ ID NO:
• 14, SEQ ID NO:
• 16, or SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or a complement thereof.

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

• a) providing a transformed host cell comprising:
• i. a heterologous polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:
• 1. a nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 4, SEQ ID NO:
• 6, SEQ ID NO:
• 8, SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 12, SEQ ID NO:
• 14, SEQ ID NO:
• 16, or SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or a complement thereof;
• and
• 2. a nucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 4, SEQ ID NO:
• 6, SEQ ID NO:
• 8, SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 12, SEQ ID NO:
• 14, SEQ ID NO:
• 16, or SEQ ID NO:
• 18, or a complement thereof;
• said polynucleotide encoding a DGA1 polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:
• i) amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3, SEQ ID NO:
• 5, SEQ ID NO:
• 7, SEQ ID NO:
• 9, SEQ ID NO:
• 1 1, SEQ ID NO:
• 13, SEQ ID NO:
• 15, or SEQ ID NO:
• 17, or a biologically-active portion thereof;
• and ii) a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 3, SEQ ID NO:
• 5, SEQ ID NO:
• 7, SEQ ID NO:
• 9, SEQ ID NO:
• 1 1, SEQ ID NO:
• 13, SEQ ID NO:
• 15, or SEQ ID NO:
• 17, or a biologically-active portion thereof;
• b) growing the cell of step (a) under conditions whereby the nucleic acid molecule encoding DGA1 polypeptide is expressed, resulting in the production of lipids;
• and
• c) recovering the lipids of step (b).