Fatty Acid Desaturation and Elongation Reactions of Trichoderma sp 1-OH-2-3

The fatty acid desaturation and elongation reactions catalyzed by Trichoderma sp. 1-OH-2-3 were investigated. This strain converted palmitic acid (16: 0) mainly to stearic acid ( 18: 0), and further to oleic acid (c9-18:1), linoleic acid (c9, c12-18:2), and a-linolenic acid (c9, c12, c15-18:3) through elongation, and Delta 9, Delta 12, and Delta 15 desaturation reactions, respectively. Palmitoleic acid (c9-16:1) and cis-9, cis-12-hexadecadienoic acid were also produced from 16: 0 by the strain. This strain converted n-tridecanoic acid (13: 0) to cis-9-heptadecenoic acid and further to cis-9, cis-12-heptadecadienoic acid through elongation, and D9 and D12 desaturation reactions, respectively. trans-Vaccenic acid (t11-18:1) and trans-12-octadecenoic acid (t12-18:1) were desaturated by the strain through Delta 9 desaturation. The products derived from t11-18:1 were identified as the conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) of cis-9, trans-11-octadecadienoic acid and trans-9, trans-11-octadecadienoic acid. The product derived from t12-18:1 was identified as cis-9, trans-12-octadecadienoic acid. cis-6, cis-9-Octadecadienoic acid was desaturated to cis-6, cis-9, cis-12-octadecatrienoic acid by this strain through Delta 12 desaturation. The broad substrate specificity of the elongation, and Delta 9 and Delta 12 desaturation reactions of the strain is useful for fatty acid biotransformation.