Expressed sequence tag analysis of marine fungus Schizochytrium producing docosahexaenoic acid

To investigate docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n − 3) biosynthesis pathway in marine fungus Schizochytrium sp. FJU-512, a cDNA library of the fungus was constructed and analyzed. The titers of primary library were up to 5.0 × 106. A total of 4005 ESTs were assembled into 1947 unigenes. Sequences annotation and function analysis were carried out by using Blast, GO and KEGG programs. Compared with other eukaryote genomes, Schizochytrium sp. FJU-512 ESTs shared at least 26.6% genes with Arabidopsis thaliana (E ≤ 10−10). The cDNA (Contig46, assembled by EH401977 and EH404532) and EH40321 were found to encode serine/threonine protein phosphatase type 1 and cell division control protein 2 which were involved in successive binary cell division. Notably, the key enzymes involved in biosynthesis of fatty acid via polyketide synthases (PKS) such as beta-ketoacyl synthase, beta-ketoacyl reductase, hydroxyacyl dehydrogenase, enoyl-CoA hydratase/isomerase, and enoyl reductase were found in the cDNA library. The results indicated that DHA synthesis in Schizochytrium sp. FJU-512 had undergone PKS pathway.