INCREASING THE LIPID CONTENT IN MICROALGAE BY GENETICALLY MANIPULATING A TRIACYLGLYCEROL (TAG) LIPASE

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of increasing the lipid content in an organism, in particular a micro algae by modulating the activity of a triacylglycerol (TAG) lipase. The invention also concerns organisms produced by this method, or microalgae, with increased lipid content, as well as their use in industry and medicine; in particular to obtain omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids. The invention relates furthermore to a nucleic acid from Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which encodes a new TAG lipase, and its use in influencing the proportion of fatty acids, in particular the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in biomass.