Bioengineered algal lipids enriched in structured medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols, linoleate, and sn-2 palmitate for human milk fat substitutes
Triacylglycerols (TAGs) in human milkfat (HMF) provide over 50% of the calories for infant nutrition. Their unique architecture, featuring palmitic acid predominantly esterified at the sn-2 position, facilitates absorption as 2-palmitoyl monoacylglycerol after hydrolysis of the sn-1 and sn-3 fatty acids by gut lipases. Conventional vegetable oil-based infant formulas mimic the HMF fatty acid profile but lack its distinct regioisomeric structure, abundant medium- and long-chain triglycerides (MLCTs), and oleic-to-linoleic acid ratios that vary with maternal diet and geography. We have engineered the oleaginous green alga Auxenochlorella for biosynthesis of TAGs enriched in MLCTs, sn-2 palmitate, and linoleate via heterologous expression of acyl-acyl-carrier-protein (ACP) thioesterases, palmitate-specific lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases, and lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase. These structured algal lipids replicate both the major fatty acid proportions and regioisomeric composition of authentic HMF, providing single-source bioengineered alternatives to plant-derived HMF substitutes for infant formula.