Red Oleaginous Yeast: Powerhouse of Basidiomycetes

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Red Oleaginous Yeast: Powerhouse of Basidiomycetes, Page 1 of 1

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Oleaginous red yeast belongs to the group basidiomycetes. The oleaginous yeast(s) of genus Rhodosporidium/ Rhodutorula is a single-cell mono or di-morphic, teleomorphic, and anamorphic yeast that reproduce sexually and asexually. Numerous species from these “red yeast” generate industrial bioproducts such as lipids, carotenoids, enzymes, biosurfactants, etc.. Their potential to grow on various carbon sources, comparatively simple large-scale cultivation, plethora of knowledge, and availability of several genetic tools encourage their use for devising sustainable biomanufacturing processes. Oleaginous red yeast can accumulate more than 70% of lipids as compared to other fungi. This property makes it attractive to produce 3rd generation biofuel. They accumulate high concentrations of carotenoid pigments that can be employed as nutraceuticals, giving their colonies a distinctive color range of orange, red, or pink. Carotenoids are a set of bioactive compounds that are synthesized by plants and microorganisms in response to different environmental conditions. In general, the chemical synthesis of biofuels generates hazardous wastes; therefore, the microbial production of carotenoids has garnered huge interest due to its benefits, e.g., low-cost substrates, lower production costs, minimal hazardous waste or by-products, etc.. Its color and antioxidant properties make carotene remarkably interesting in the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. The basidiomycete oleaginous red yeast accumulates and stores hydrocarbon-rich fats, also known as lipids, as primary metabolites during the early log phase and pigments like carotenoids as their secondary metabolite during the late stationary phase of growth from varied carbon sources, thus making it a powerhouse of yeast.