The possible involvement of the cell surface in aliphatic hydrocarbon utilization by an oil-degrading yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica 180

Abstract

An oil-degrading yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica 180, exhibits interesting cell surface characteristics under the growth on hydrocarbons. An electron microscopic study revealed that the cells grown on crude oil showed protrusions on the cell surface, and thicker periplasmic space and cell wall than the cells grown on glucose. Y. lipolytica cells lost its cell hydrophobicity after pronase (0.1 mg/ml) treatment. The strain produced two types of emulsifying materials during the growth on hydrocarbons; one was water-soluble extracellular materials and the other was cell wall-associated materials. Both emulsifying materials at lower concentration (0.12%) enhanced the oil-degrading activity of Moraxella sp. K12-7, which had medium emulsifying activity and negative cell hydrophobicity; however, it inhibited the oil-degrading activity of Pseudomonas sp. K12-5, which had medium emulsifying activity and cell hydrophobicity. These results suggest that the oil-degrading activity of Y. lipolytica 180 is closely associated with cell surface structure, and that a finely controlled application of Y. lipolytica 180 in combination with other oil-degrading microorganisms showed a possible enhancing efficiency of oil degradation.