Utilization of Pristane by a Yeast Candida lipolytica Fatty Acid Composition of Pristane-grown Cells

Abstract

A hydrocarbon-utilizable yeast, Candida lipolytica NRRL Y-6795, was found to utilize pristane (2, 6, 10, 14-tetramethylpentadecane) as the sole source of carbon and energy. The maximum cell yield (about 4mg dry cell/ml) was obtained in 6 to 7 days' cultivation on 1% (v/v) pristane. Pristanoic acid (2, 6, 10, 14-tetramethylpentadecanoic acid) was identified as an oxidation product of pristane. Analysis of cellular fatty acids of C. lipolytica grown on pristane showed that pristanoic acid was contained in neutral lipids as major component and in polar lipids as minor one. Accumulation of pristanoic acid in culture filtrate was not appreciable.