Lipid Metabolism in Fungal Growth and Development

Fungal biotechnology has enormously contributed to the growing bio- and circular economy. With the capabilities of individual fungal strains in diverse applications, the fundamentals of their growth development and metabolic traits significantly impact the process development of industrial production. Lipids are cellular biomolecules that play dynamic functions during vegetative growth and development, and environmental adaptation. Regarding the structural and functional roles of lipid molecules, intensive studies have been given to understanding the physiological and molecular regulations in the lipid metabolism of filamentous fungi, particularly in the potential oleaginous strains. Hence, a link between fungal growth, morphological development and lipid phenotypes, is presented. Vegetative growth phases of fungi are distinguishable based on their lipid content and profile. Cell morphology can be controlled by physical and genetic manipulations. Through multidimensional technologies and emerging tools, more biological insights into a systematic regulation underlying lipid metabolisms, precursors, and other related metabolites are described. In the end, a correlation of phenotypic and genotype characteristics in growth and lipid dynamics on various substrate and culture conditions is elaborated. The informative data bridging towards industrial biotechnology for the establishment of fungal bio-manufacturing platforms are discussed not only for diversified lipid production but also for developing the eco-friendly and economically feasible production process.

Keywords: Abiotic factor, Ascomycota, Bioprocess, Cell morphology, Desaturase, Developmental stage, Fatty acid biosynthesis, Fermentation, Filamentous fungi, Lipid degradation, Lipid particle, Membrane lipids, Neutral lipids, Nitrogen source, Oleaginous strain, Polyunsaturated fatty acids, Sporulation, Spore germination, Vegetative growth, Zygomycota.