Cyclooxygenases are responsible for the production of prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) from arachidonic acid. PGH2 can be converted into some bioactive prostaglandins, including prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), a potent chemical messenger used as a biological regulator in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. The chemical messenger PGF2α has been industrially produced by chemical synthesis. To develop a biotechnological process, in which PGF2α can be produced by a microorganism, we transformed an oleaginous fungus, Mortierella alpina 1S-4, rich in triacylglycerol consisting of arachidonic acid using a cyclooxygenase gene from a red alga, Gracilaria vermiculophylla. PGF2α was accumulated not only in the mycelia of the transformants but also in the extracellular medium. After 12 days of cultivation approximately 860 ng/g and 6421 µg/L of PGF2α were accumulated in mycelia and the extracellular medium, respectively. The results could facilitate the development of novel fermentative methods for the production of prostanoids using an oleaginous fungus.
Keywords: cyclooxygenase; mediated transformation; prostaglandin F.