Identification of psychrophile Shewanella sp. KMG427 as an eicosapentaenoic acid producer.

An isolate from holothurians was identified as an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-producing bacterium KMG427, which is characterized by EPA synthesis efficiency, by thin layer and gas chromatographic analyses. The EPA production was maximized to more than 10% of the total fatty acids by incubation at 4o degrees C after cell proliferation at 20 degrees C. The isolated bacterium was categorized as Gramnegative, rod-shaped, aerobic, and motile with a single polar flagellum. According to phylogenetic analysis based on morphological and physiological specificities as an EPA-producing bacterium, the isolate KMG427 was found to belong to the genus Shewanella. The 16S rDNA of KMG427 was revealed to have 100% of sequence identity to that of S. hanedai CIP 103207T. Therefore, the isolate might be classified and identified as Shewanella sp. KMG427.