ARS | Publication request: OLEYL OLEATE AND HOMOLOGOUS WAX ESTERS SYNTHESIZED COORDINATELY FROM OLEIC ACID BY ACINETOBACTER AND CORYNEFORM STRAINS

Submitted to: Current Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 1, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Liquid wax esters like those from jojoba seed and sperm whale oil are used in diverse commercial products as lubricants, cosmetics, solid wax coatings and biofuel additives. Similar wax esters can also be produced by four microorganisms that we have isolated and preserved for our ARS (NRRL) Culture Collection. Production of wax ester is increased by using soybean oil and oleyl alcohol as ingredients for the microbial conversion.

Technical Abstract: Newly isolated Acinetobacter (NRRL B-14920, B-14921, B-14923) and coryneform (NRRL B-14922) strains accumulated oleyl oleate and homologous liquid wax esters. Diunsaturated oleyl oleate predominated in 75 mg liquid wax esters (280 mg lipid extract) recovered from 100 ml cultures with 810 mg oleic acid-oleyl alcohol. With soybean oil instead of oleic acid, wax esters (260 mg) were increased to approximately 50% of the lipid extract. Production of the wax esters suggests a coordinated synthesis whereby the exogenous alcohol remains unaltered, and the fatty acid is partially oxidized with removal of two-carbon units (beta-oxidations) before esterification.