Biosurfactants
Both pigmented and some nonpigmented strains
of Serratia marcescens produce a biosurfactant
that can act as a wetting agent. This wetting agent
is produced in large amounts at 30°C but not at
37°C during the stationary phase of growth.
Three aminolipids, designated W1 to W3 and
having the wetting activity, were separated by
thin-layer chromatography (Matsuyama et al.,
1986). W1 was identified as serratamolide, a
cyclodepsipeptide earlier discovered by Wasserman
et al. 1961.