Production of single cell oil by two novel nonconventional yeast strains of Curvibasidium sp. isolated from medicinal lichen

Oleaginous yeasts utilize renewable resources to produce lipids, which benefits sustainable development, and it is of great interest to screen robust lipid producers. Curvibasidium sp. belongs to nonconventional yeast that are very limitedly studied. Here, two cold-adaptive strains of Curvibasidium sp., namely, Y230 and Y231, isolated from the medicinal lichen Usnea diffracta were investigated for their potential in lipid production. Genome mining of Curvibasidium sp. Y231 was performed, and the special features related to fatty acid biosynthesis were revealed. Glucose, xylose, and glycerol were tested as sole carbon sources for yeast cell growth and lipid production. The total lipid contents of Curvibasidium sp. Y230 and Y231 range from 38.43% to 54.62% of the cell dry cell weight at 20°C, and glucose is the optimal carbon source. These results indicate that the Curvibasidium sp. strains are promising for sustainable lipid production. Our study provides basis for exploration of lichen-derived strains for biotechnological applications, and also benefits utilization of other nonconventional yeasts for sustainable production based on genome-based studies.