Knockout of a PLD gene in Schizochytrium limacinum SR21 enhances docosahexaenoic acid accumulation by modulation of the phospholipid profile.

These results indicate that PLD1 mainly performs the transphosphatidylation activity in S. limacinum SR21, and its knockout promotes the migration of DHA from PLs to TAGs, which is conducive to DHA accumulation and storage in TAGs via an acyl CoA-independent pathway. This study provides a novel approach for identifying the mechanism of DHA accumulation and metabolic regulation strategies for DHA production in S. limacinum SR21.