The fatty acid (FA) profiles of two strains of the yeasts Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Blastobotrys (Arxula) adeninivorans at cultivation temperatures from 15 to 30 °C were characterized. Besides the common even-numbered C16 and C18 FAs, substantial proportions of the uneven-numbered C17:1 were found in both species. C18:3(n-3) (alpha linolenic acid) made up to 3% of the total FAs in all strains. Considerable strain differences occurred, with regard to both the presence of single FAs and parameters like the double binding index (DBI) and C16:C18 ratio. W. anomalus J121 formed C18:1(n-5) (up to 10.9% of the total FAs) but no C18:1(n-7), whereas in W. anomalus VKM160, no C18:1(n-5) was found but up to 14.6% C18:1(n-7). Similarly, B. adeninivorans CBS 8244 formed exclusively C18:1(n-7) (maximum 9%) and CBS 7377 C18:1(n-5) (maximum 12.6%). W. anomalus J121 had the lowest DBI (0.72) at 15 °C and the highest (0.92) at 20 °C, at which point the values decreased with increasing temperatures. In W. anomalus VKM160 and both B. adeninivorans strains, DBI was highest at 15 °C and decreased with increasing temperature. In J121, the C16:C18 ratio was highest at 15 °C, decreasing at higher temperatures, whereas in the other strains, the opposite trend was observed.
Keywords: fatty acid saturation; incubation temperature; intra- specific diversity; lipids; yeasts.
© 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.