The oleaginous fungus Mortierella alpina has distinct advantages in long-chain PUFAs production, and it is the only source for dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) certificated by FDA and European Commission. This review provides an overall introduction to M. alpina, including its major research methods, key factors governing lipid biosynthesis, metabolic engineering and omics studies. The current research interests in M. alpina focus on improving lipid yield and fatty acid desaturation degree by enhancing fatty acid precursors and the reducing power NADPH, and genetic manipulation on PUFAs synthetic pathways is carried to optimise fatty acid composition. Besides, multi-omics studies have been applied to elucidate the global regulatory mechanism of lipogenesis in M. alpina. Current research challenges lie in strain breeding and cost control due to the coenocytic mycelium, long fermentation period and insufficient conversion rate from carbon to lipid. In this review, we also proposed future research goals based on a multidimensional engineering: obtaining ideal chassis by directional evolution and high-throughput screening; rewiring central carbon metabolism and inhibiting competitive pathways by multi-gene manipulation system to enhance carbon-lipid conversion rate; optimization of protein function based on post-translational modification; application of dynamic fermentation strategies suitable for different fermentation phases. By reviewing the comprehensive research progress of this oleaginous fungus, we aim to further comprehend the fungal lipid metabolism and provide reference information and guidelines for the exploration of microbial oils from the perspectives of fundamental research to industrial application.

产油真菌Mortierella alpina在长链PUFAs生产中具有明显优势，是FDA和欧盟委员会认证的唯一膳食花生四烯酸（ARA）来源。本综述全面介绍了M. alpina，包括其主要研究方法、控制脂质生物合成的关键因素、代谢工程和组学研究。M. alpina目前的研究兴趣集中在通过增强脂肪酸前体和还原力NADPH来提高脂质产量和脂肪酸去饱和度，并对PUFAs合成途径进行基因操作以优化脂肪酸组成。此外，多组学研究已被应用于阐明脂肪生成的全球调控机制。M. alpina. 由于菌丝体多核、发酵周期长、碳转化为脂质的转化率不足，目前的研究挑战在于菌株育种和成本控制。在这篇综述中，我们还提出了基于多维工程的未来研究目标：通过定向进化和高通量筛选获得理想的底盘；通过多基因操纵系统重新连接中心碳代谢并抑制竞争途径以提高碳脂转化率；基于翻译后修饰的蛋白质功能优化；应用适合不同发酵阶段的动态发酵策略。通过回顾这种油性木耳的综合研究进展，