The present invention relates to a method of reducing the phospholipid content in an oil or fat composition and polypeptides having PI-specific phospholipase C activity as well as polypeptides having PC, PE-specific phospholipase C activity and combinations thereof capable of catalyzing this reduction. The invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Methods for preparing and purifying 2-monoacylglyceride compounds are disclosed. In one method, an unsaturated triglyceride is reacted with water, a C.sub.1-C.sub.8 alcohol, or a mixture thereof in the presence of a lipase to produce a mixture comprising a 1,3-dihydroxy-2-monoacylglyceride and fatty esters or acids. Reaction of the 1,3-dihydroxy-2-monoacylglyceride with an aldehyde or ketone gives a mixture comprising a 2-monoacylglyceride acetal or ketal. Fatty esters or acids are removed from the mixture as an overhead product by distillation or wiped-film evaporation to isolate a purified 2-monoacylglyceride acetal or ketal. The inventive methods provide a 2-monoacylglyceride protected at the 1- and 3-positions such that the acyl unit remains at the 2-position. The products are enriched in unsaturated fatty acid content when compared with the unsaturated fatty acid content of the original unsaturated triglyceride. Each method utilizes a practical purification scheme that avoids the scale-up or toxicity issues of commonly employed purification strategies.

The present invention relates to a method of reducing the phospholipid content in an oil or fat composition and polypeptides having PI-specific phospholipase C activity as well as polypeptides having PC, PE-specific phospholipase C activity and combinations thereof capable of catalyzing this reduction. The invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

The present invention relates to a method of reducing the phospholipid content in an oil or fat composition and polypeptides having PI-specific phospholipase C activity as well as polypeptides having PC, PE-specific phospholipase C activity and combinations thereof capable of catalyzing this reduction. The invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Oils and fats having a high 2-position palmitic acid content, which are used as a raw material for an oil/fat composition containing an XPX triglyceride having palmitic acid linked to position 2 thereof and X linked to positions 1 and 3 thereof, crystalize at low reaction temperature, likely leading to troubles such as clogging of a reaction vessel (X: an unsaturated fatty acid or a saturated fatty acid having not more than 10 carbon atoms). However, according to the present invention, when such oils and fats are mixed with a particular raw material fatty acid or a lower alcohol ester thereof, the cloud point of the raw material mixture can be set to 39.5 C. or lower, and therefore, crystal deposition does not occur even at a low reaction temperature.

Disclosed herein are cells, nucleic acids, and proteins that can be used to produce branched (methyl)lipids, such as 10-methylstearic acids, and compositions that include such lipids. Cells disclosed herein comprise methyltransferase and/or reductase genes from bacteria of the class Gammaproteobacteria, which encode enzymes capable of catalyzing the production of branched (methyl)lipids from unbranched, unsaturated lipids. Saturated branched (methyl)lipids produced using embodiments of the present invention have favorable low-temperature fluidity and favorable oxidative stability, which are desirable properties for lubricants and specialty fluids.

The invention relates to carbon fibers which are produced from CO.sub.2 based on different process chains. Amongst these, there are ways to produce, from natural base materials such as algal biomass, carbon fibre base materials such as PAN from CO.sub.2, but there are also purely artificial ways to produce, by means of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, via which carbon fibre precursors are also produced from CO.sub.2. Auxiliary products such as biodiesel and nutrients, which can generate an additional benefit, are produced according to said method.

The present invention relates to diacylglycerol acyltransferase genes and proteins, and methods of their use. In particular, the invention describes genes encoding proteins having increased diacylglycerol acetyltransferase activity compared to prior art proteins, specifically for transferring an acetyl group to a diacylglycerol substrate to form acetyl-Triacylglycerols (acetyl-TAGS), for example, a 3-acetyl-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol. The present invention encompasses both native and recombinant wild-type forms of the transferase, as well as mutants and variant forms. The present invention also relates to methods of using the diacylglycerol acyltransferase genes and proteins, including their expression in transgenic organisms at commercially viable levels, for increasing production of 3-acetyl-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerols in plant oils and altering the composition of oils produced by microorganisms, such as yeast, by increasing acetyl-TAG production. Additionally, oils produced by methods of the present inventions comprising genes and proteins are contemplated for use as biodiesel fuel, in polymer production and as naturally produced food oils with reduced calories.

Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce oleaginous recombinant cells that produce triglyceride oils having desired fatty acid profiles and regiospecific or stereospecific profiles. Genes manipulated include those encoding stearoyl-ACP desaturase, delta 12 fatty acid desaturase, acyl-ACP thioesterase, ketoacyl-ACP synthase, and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. The oil produced can have enhanced oxidative or thermal stability, or can be useful as a frying oil, shortening, roll-in shortening, tempering fat, cocoa butter replacement, as a lubricant, or as a feedstock for various chemical processes. The fatty acid profile can be enriched in midchain profiles or the oil can be enriched in triglycerides of the saturated-unsaturated-saturated type.

Using as a carbon source a long chain fatty acid which has not necessarily been efficaciously used in industry, culture of a microorganism and production of a substance by the microorganism are industrially efficiently carried out. A microorganism is cultured in the presence of a carbon source including anyone of the following compositions: (1) a fatty acid composition containing at least two fatty acids selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid; and (2) a mixed composition containing at least one fatty acid selected from the group consisting of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid, and a fat and oil, and having a content of the fatty acid of not less than 10% by weight.