Squalene epoxidase as a target for manipulation of squalene levels in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Squalene is a valuable natural substance with several biotechnological applications. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it is produced in the isoprenoid pathway as the first precursor dedicated to ergosterol biosynthesis. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of squalene epoxidase encoded by the ERG1 gene as the target for manipulating squalene levels in yeast.