Draft genome sequence of Parietichytrium sp. I65-24A. Parietichytrium sp. I65-24A

n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3LC-PUFA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are beneficial both nutritionally and pharmacologically, and are used as supplements and medicines. These n-3LC-PUFA are industrially produced from oily fish. However, the decline in fish stocks due to climate change and overfishing is of concern because the supply of n-3LC-PUFA may be insufficient in the future. Thus, the sustainable production of n-3LC-PUFA using genetically modified plants and microbial fermentation is needed as an alternative to fish oil. Among unicellular microbes, thraustochytrids are highly promising industrially because they can reach high cell densities with a high DHA yield. Parietichytrium sp. is a member of the thraustochytrids and synthesizes a large amount of DHA through a mechanism other than the PUFA synthase pathway. To understand the mechanism of n-3LC-PUFAs production in Parietichytrium sp. I65-24A, we performed a draft genome sequence analysis.