Positional distribution of conjugated linoleic acid in triacylglycerol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cultivated in the presence of cis-9, trans-11 or trans-10, cis-12 isomers of free conjugated linoleic acid ( CLA), and the effects of the isomers on the regioisomerisms of triacylglycerol ( TAG) of the yeast were elucidated. Both isomers constituted about 34% of all fatty acids and increased drastically the number of different TAG species. Nearly all of the species contained CLA in at least one sn-position. In the most abundant species analyzed (20% of total species), the cis-9, trans-11 isomer appeared in combination with monounsaturated fatty acids (C16:1, C: 18: 1) whereas trans-10, cis-12 isomer was most frequently present with a medium chain fatty acid (C10:0 or C12:0) in the sn-2 position and C16: 0 in one of the end positions (14% of total species). With either isomer, the amount of TAG species in which CLA encompassed all sn-positions was ca.4%. Thus, S. cerevisiae can be used to produce edible single cell oil characterized by very heterogeneous distribution of CLA among the different TAG species.