Culturable Diversity of Thraustochytrids from Coastal Waters of Qingdao and Their Fatty Acids |
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| Authors: | Mohan Bai Biswarup Sen Shuai Wen Huike Ye Yaodong He Xiaobo Zhang Guangyi Wang |
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| Affiliation: | 1.College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;2.Center for Marine Environmental Ecology, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; (B.S.); (S.W.); (H.Y.); (Y.H.);3.Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China;4.Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China |
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| Abstract: | Thraustochytrids have gained significant attention in recent years because of their considerable ecological and biotechnological importance. Yet, the influence of seasons and habitats on their culturable diversity and lipid profile remains poorly described. In this study, a total of 58 thraustochytrid strains were isolated from the coastal waters of Qingdao, China. These strains were phylogenetically close to five thraustochytrid genera, namely Botryochytrium, Oblongichytrium, Schizochytrium, Thraustochytrium, and Sicyoidochytrium. Most of the isolated strains were classified into the genera Thraustochytrium and Oblongichytrium. Further diversity analysis revealed that samples collected from nutrient-rich habitats and during summer/fall yielded significantly higher culturable diversity of thraustochytrids than those from low-nutrient habitats and winter/spring. Moreover, sampling habitats and seasons significantly impacted the fatty acid profiles of the strains. Particularly, the Oblongichytrium sp. OC931 strain produced a significant amount (153.99 mg/L) of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), accounting for 9.12% of the total fatty acids, which was significantly higher than that of the previously reported Aurantiochytrium strains. Overall, the results of this study fill the gap in our current understanding of the culturable diversity of thraustochytrids in the coastal waters and the impact of the sampling habitats and seasons on their capacity for lipid accumulation. |
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| Keywords: | thraustochytrids diversity biomass fatty acids seasons habitats |
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