GC-MS based profiling of alkanes in the filamentous yeast Hyphozyma roseoniger (Moesziomyces antarcticus).

OBJECTIVES: Hyphozyma roseoniger, a filamentous yeast, is used as a biocatalyst in the bio-transformation of terpenoids; however, the microorganism's endogenous ability to synthesise and metabolise hydrophobic terpenes and alkanes has not been characterised.

RESULTS: When grown in potato dextrose broth the organism reached the stationary phase at 14 d. The non-polar fraction from cells, harvested every second day, were obtained with ethyl acetate extraction and analysed by gas chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection. Principal component-and hierarchical cluster analysis indicated growth-dependent clustering of the sample groups. A total of 26 alkanes were annotated across the different developmental stages.

CONCLUSIONS: The major hydrocarbons comprised linear and branched structures. The dominant alkanes were all odd- or even-carbon numbered long-chain n-alkanes, C15 > C18 > C24.