Yeast Yarrowia lipolytica as a Chassis for Polyester Biodegradation—A Comparative Analysis of the Diverse Wild-Type Strains and Their Engineered Derivative That Overexpresses the LIP2 Lipase

In this study we compared seven wild-type strains of Yarrowia lipolytica as a chassis for aliphatic polyester biodegradation. To this end, we overexpressed the native Lip2 lipase under the strong UASB16-TEF promoter and compared the capability of the engineered strains towards polycaprolactone (PCL) biodegradation. The parental strains are wild types isolated from various sources and geographical regions. Despite the fact that all belong to the Yarrowia lipolytica species, a high diversity among the strains was observed. This study clearly indicates that, for biotechnological applications of the engineered strains, it is crucial to select a proper host for an efficient process.