The present application relates to methods to improve biomass or lipid production in a microorganism from one or more fatty acid and one or more simple carbon co-substrates. Produced lipids may include unsaturated C.sub.6-C.sub.24 fatty acids, alcohols, aldehydes, and acetates which may be useful as final products or precursors to insect pheromones, fragrances, flavors, and polymer intermediates. The application further relates to recombinant microorganisms modified for improved production of biomass or lipid, or improved lipid selectivity. Also provided are methods of producing one or more lipid using the recombinant microorganisms, as well as compositions comprising the recombinant microorganisms and/or optionally one or more of the product lipid.

The present invention relates to yeast cells capable of producing ?13 desaturated fatty acyl-CoAs and optionally desaturated fatty alcohols, said yeast cells expressing heterologous ?13 desaturases. Said compounds are precursors of sex pheromone components of several insects, such as the navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella, the grape leaffolder Desmia funeralis, Cedar processionary moth Thaumetopoea bonjeani, the iron prominent Notodonta dromedarius, and others.

The present disclosure relates to methods for production of (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol in a yeast cell using desaturases and fatty acyl-CoA reductase. Also disclosed are methods for production of (Z)-11-hexadecenal in a yeast cell. Also disclosed are methods for production of (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-yl acetate in a yeast cell. The disclosure also provides for nucleic acid constructs and yeast cells useful for performing the present methods, as well as to pheromone compositions.

The present invention relates to methods of producing Amyelois transitella pheromone precursors and genetically modified plants and microorganisms capable of producing Amyelois transitella pheromone precursors. The genetically modified plants and microorganisms include a heterologous gene encoding a first fatty-acyl desaturase and a second fatty-acyl desaturase in combination, and a fatty-acyl reductase.

Herein are provided methods for increasing enzymatic activity of desaturases and fatty acyl reductases by co-expressing NAD(P)H cytochrome b5 reductases (EC 1.6.2.2, Ncb5or), as well as to methods for production of compounds comprised in pheromones, in particular moth pheromones, such as saturated and desaturated fatty alcohols, and saturated and desaturated fatty alcohol acetates and fatty acids, and derivatives thereof, in a cell.