Comparative genomics of clinical and environmental Vibrio mimicus.

Whether Vibrio mimicus is a variant of Vibrio cholerae or a separate species has been the subject of taxonomic controversy. A genomic analysis was undertaken to resolve the issue. The genomes of V. mimicus MB451, a clinical isolate, and VM223, an environmental isolate, comprise ca. 4,347,971 and 4,313,453 bp and encode 3,802 and 3,290 ORFs, respectively. As in other vibrios, chromosome I (C-I) predominantly contains genes necessary for growth and viability, whereas chromosome II (C-II) bears genes for adaptation to environmental change. C-I harbors many virulence genes, including some not previously reported in V. mimicus, such as mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA), and enterotoxigenic hemolysin (HlyA); C-II encodes a variant of Vibrio pathogenicity island 2 (VPI-2), and Vibrio seventh pandemic island II (VSP-II) cluster of genes. Extensive genomic rearrangement in C-II indicates it is a hot spot for evolution and genesis of speciation for the genus Vibrio. The number of virulence regions discovered in this study (VSP-II, MSHA, HlyA, type IV pilin, PilE, and integron integrase, IntI4) with no notable difference in potential virulence genes between clinical and environmental strains suggests these genes also may play a role in the environment and that pathogenic strains may arise in the environment. Significant genome synteny with prototypic pre-seventh pandemic strains of V. cholerae was observed, and the results of phylogenetic analysis support the hypothesis that, in the course of evolution, V. mimicus and V. cholerae diverged from a common ancestor with a prototypic sixth pandemic genomic backbone.

Comparative genomics reveals mechanism for short-term and long-term clonal transitions in pandemic Vibrio cholerae.

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, is a bacterium autochthonous to the aquatic environment, and a serious public health threat. V. cholerae serogroup O1 is responsible for the previous two cholera pandemics, in which classical and El Tor biotypes were dominant in the sixth and the current seventh pandemics, respectively. Cholera researchers continually face newly emerging and reemerging pathogenic clones carrying diverse combinations of phenotypic and genotypic properties, which significantly hampered control of the disease. To elucidate evolutionary mechanisms governing genetic diversity of pandemic V. cholerae, we compared the genome sequences of 23 V. cholerae strains isolated from a variety of sources over the past 98 years. The genome-based phylogeny revealed 12 distinct V. cholerae lineages, of which one comprises both O1 classical and El Tor biotypes. All seventh pandemic clones share nearly identical gene content. Using analogy to influenza virology, we define the transition from sixth to seventh pandemic strains as a "shift" between pathogenic clones belonging to the same O1 serogroup, but from significantly different phyletic lineages. In contrast, transition among clones during the present pandemic period is characterized as a "drift" between clones, differentiated mainly by varying composition of laterally transferred genomic islands, resulting in emergence of variants, exemplified by V. cholerae O139 and V. cholerae O1 El Tor hybrid clones. Based on the comparative genomics it is concluded that V. cholerae undergoes extensive genetic recombination via lateral gene transfer, and, therefore, genome assortment, not serogroup, should be used to define pathogenic V. cholerae clones.

Complete genome sequence of the marine cellulose- and xylan-degrading bacterium Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5.

Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5 was isolated from subseafloor sediments at Suruga Bay in Japan and is capable of efficiently hydrolyzing cellulose and xylan. The complete genome sequence of Glaciecola sp. 4H-3-7+YE-5 revealed several genes encoding putatively novel glycoside hydrolases, offering a high potential for plant biomass degradation.

Genome sequence of Kosmotoga olearia strain TBF 19.5.1, a thermophilic bacterium with a wide growth temperature range, isolated from the Troll B oil platform in the North Sea.

Kosmotoga olearia strain TBF 19.5.1 is a member of the Thermotogales that grows best at 65°C and very well even at 37°C. Information about this organism is important for understanding the evolution of mesophiles from thermophiles. Its genome sequence reveals extensive gene gains and a large content of mobile genetic elements. It also contains putative hydrogenase genes that have no homologs in the other member of the Thermotogales.

Genome sequences of Alicycliphilus denitrificans strains BC and K601T.

Alicycliphilus denitrificans strain BC and A. denitrificans strain K601(T) degrade cyclic hydrocarbons. These strains have been isolated from a mixture of wastewater treatment plant material and benzene-polluted soil and from a wastewater treatment plant, respectively, suggesting their role in bioremediation of soil and water. Although the strains are phylogenetically closely related, there are some clear physiological differences. The hydrocarbon cyclohexanol, for example, can be degraded by strain K601(T) but not by strain BC. Furthermore, both strains can use nitrate and oxygen as an electron acceptor, but only strain BC can use chlorate as electron acceptor. To better understand the nitrate and chlorate reduction mechanisms coupled to the oxidation of cyclic compounds, the genomes of A. denitrificans strains BC and K601(T) were sequenced. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of A. denitrificans strains BC and K601(T).

Genome sequence of the Arctic methanotroph Methylobacter tundripaludum SV96.

Methylobacter tundripaludum SV96(T) (ATCC BAA-1195) is a psychrotolerant aerobic methane-oxidizing gammaproteobacterium (Methylococcales, Methylococcaceae) living in High Arctic wetland soil. The strain was isolated from soil harvested in July 1996 close to the settlement Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Norway (78°56'N, 11°53'E), and described as a novel species in 2006. The genome includes pmo and pxm operons encoding copper membrane monooxygenases (Cu-MMOs), genes required for nitrogen fixation, and the nirS gene implicated in dissimilatory nitrite reduction to NO but no identifiable inventory for further processing of nitrogen oxides. These genome data provide the basis to investigate M. tundripaludum SV96, identified as a major player in the biogeochemistry of Arctic environments.

Complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp. strain 5H-3-7-4, polysaccharide-degrading members of the family Flavobacteriaceae.

Two members of the family Flavobacteriaceae were isolated from subseafloor sediments using artificial seawater with cellulose, xylan, and chitin as the sole carbon and energy sources. Here, we present the complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp. strain 5H-3-7-4, which both encode putatively novel enzymes involved in cellulose, hemicellulose, and chitin metabolism.

Complete genome sequence and updated annotation of Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20.

Desulfovibrio alaskensis G20 (formerly Desulfovibrio desulfuricans G20) is a Gram-negative mesophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB), known to corrode ferrous metals and to reduce toxic radionuclides and metals such as uranium and chromium to sparingly soluble and less toxic forms. We present the 3.7-Mb genome sequence to provide insights into its physiology.

Complete genome of the cellulolytic ruminal bacterium Ruminococcus albus 7.

Ruminococcus albus 7 is a highly cellulolytic ruminal bacterium that is a member of the phylum Firmicutes. Here, we describe the complete genome of this microbe. This genome will be useful for rumen microbiology and cellulosome biology and in biofuel production, as one of its major fermentation products is ethanol.

Genome sequence of Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2, a hyperthermophilic bacterium isolated from a geothermally heated region of the seafloor near Ribeira Quente, the Azores.

Thermotoga sp. strain RQ2 is probably a strain of Thermotoga maritima. Its complete genome sequence allows for an examination of the extent and consequences of gene flow within Thermotoga species and strains. Thermotoga sp. RQ2 differs from T. maritima in its genes involved in myo-inositol metabolism. Its genome also encodes an apparent fructose phosphotransferase system (PTS) sugar transporter. This operon is also found in Thermotoga naphthophila strain RKU-10 but no other Thermotogales. These are the first reported PTS transporters in the Thermotogales.

Complete genome sequence of the Thermophilic Bacterium Exiguobacterium sp. AT1b.

Here we present the genome of strain Exiguobacterium sp. AT1b, a thermophilic member of the genus Exiguobacterium whose representatives were isolated from various environments along a thermal and physicochemical gradient. This genome was sequenced to be a comparative resource for the study of thermal adaptation with a psychroactive representative of the genus, Exiguobacterium sibiricum strain 255-15, that was previously sequenced by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Joint Genome Institute (JGI) (http://genome.ornl.gov/microbial/exig/).

Genome sequence of "Candidatus Frankia datiscae" Dg1, the uncultured microsymbiont from nitrogen-fixing root nodules of the dicot Datisca glomerata.

Members of the noncultured clade of Frankia enter into root nodule symbioses with actinorhizal species from the orders Cucurbitales and Rosales. We report the genome sequence of a member of this clade originally from Pakistan but obtained from root nodules of the American plant Datisca glomerata without isolation in culture.

Genome sequence of the methanotrophic alphaproteobacterium Methylocystis sp. strain Rockwell (ATCC 49242).

Methylocystis sp. strain Rockwell (ATCC 49242) is an aerobic methane-oxidizing alphaproteobacterium isolated from an aquifer in southern California. Unlike most methanotrophs in the Methylocystaceae family, this strain has a single pmo operon encoding particulate methane monooxygenase but no evidence of the genes encoding soluble methane monooxygenase. This is the first reported genome sequence of a member of the Methylocystis species of the Methylocystaceae family in the order Rhizobiales.

Genome sequence of the mercury-methylating strain Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132.

Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strain ND132 is an anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) capable of producing methylmercury (MeHg), a potent human neurotoxin. The mechanism of methylation by this and other organisms is unknown. We present the 3.8-Mb genome sequence to provide further insight into microbial mercury methylation.

Genome Sequence of the ethene- and vinyl chloride-oxidizing actinomycete Nocardioides sp. strain JS614.

Nocardioides sp. strain JS614 grows on ethene and vinyl chloride (VC) as sole carbon and energy sources and is of interest for bioremediation and biocatalysis. Sequencing of the complete genome of JS614 provides insight into the genetic basis of alkene oxidation, supports ongoing research into the physiology and biochemistry of growth on ethene and VC, and provides biomarkers to facilitate detection of VC/ethene oxidizers in the environment. This is the first genome sequence from the genus Nocardioides and the first genome of a VC/ethene-oxidizing bacterium.

Genome sequence of hybrid Vibrio cholerae O1 MJ-1236, B-33, and CIRS101 and comparative genomics with V. cholerae.

The genomes of Vibrio cholerae O1 Matlab variant MJ-1236, Mozambique O1 El Tor variant B33, and altered O1 El Tor CIRS101 were sequenced. All three strains were found to belong to the phylocore group 1 clade of V. cholerae, which includes the 7th-pandemic O1 El Tor and serogroup O139 isolates, despite displaying certain characteristics of the classical biotype. All three strains were found to harbor a hybrid variant of CTXPhi and an integrative conjugative element (ICE), leading to their establishment as successful clinical clones and the displacement of prototypical O1 El Tor. The absence of strain- and group-specific genomic islands, some of which appear to be prophages and phage-like elements, seems to be the most likely factor in the recent establishment of dominance of V. cholerae CIRS101 over the other two hybrid strains.

Complete genome sequence of the cellulolytic thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis OB47T.

Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis OB47(T) (ATCC BAA-2073, JCM 16842) is an extremely thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium capable of hydrolyzing plant-derived polymers through the expression of multidomain/multifunctional hydrolases. The complete genome sequence reveals a diverse set of carbohydrate-active enzymes and provides further insight into lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis at high temperatures.

Comparative genomic analysis reveals evidence of two novel Vibrio species closely related to V. cholerae.

BACKGROUND: In recent years genome sequencing has been used to characterize new bacterial species, a method of analysis available as a result of improved methodology and reduced cost. Included in a constantly expanding list of Vibrio species are several that have been reclassified as novel members of the Vibrionaceae. The description of two putative new Vibrio species, Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 for which we propose the names V. metecus and V. parilis, respectively, previously characterized as non-toxigenic environmental variants of V. cholerae is presented in this study. RESULTS: Based on results of whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), rpoB similarity, MLSA, and phylogenetic analysis, the new species are concluded to be phylogenetically closely related to V. cholerae and V. mimicus. Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 demonstrate features characteristic of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, respectively, on differential and selective media, but their genomes show a 12 to 15% divergence (88 to 85% ANI and 92 to 91% AAI) compared to the sequences of V. cholerae and V. mimicus genomes (ANI <95% and AAI <96% indicative of separate species). Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 share 2104 ORFs (59%) and 2058 ORFs (56%) with the published core genome of V. cholerae and 2956 (82%) and 3048 ORFs (84%) with V. mimicus MB-451, respectively. The novel species share 2926 ORFs with each other (81% Vibrio sp. RC341 and 81% Vibrio sp. RC586). Virulence-associated factors and genomic islands of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, including VSP-I and II, were found in these environmental Vibrio spp. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this analysis demonstrate these two environmental vibrios, previously characterized as variant V. cholerae strains, are new species which have evolved from ancestral lineages of the V. cholerae and V. mimicus clade. The presence of conserved integration loci for genomic islands as well as evidence of horizontal gene transfer between these two new species, V. cholerae, and V. mimicus suggests genomic islands and virulence factors are transferred between these species.

A horizontal gene transfer event defines two distinct groups within Burkholderia pseudomallei that have dissimilar geographic distributions.

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the etiologic agent of melioidosis. Many disease manifestations are associated with melioidosis, and the mechanisms causing this variation are unknown; genomic differences among strains offer one explanation. We compared the genome sequences of two strains of B. pseudomallei: the original reference strain K96243 from Thailand and strain MSHR305 from Australia. We identified a variable homologous region between the two strains. This region was previously identified in comparisons of the genome of B. pseudomallei strain K96243 with the genome of strain E264 from the closely related B. thailandensis. In that comparison, K96243 was shown to possess a horizontally acquired Yersinia-like fimbrial (YLF) gene cluster. Here, we show that the homologous genomic region in B. pseudomallei strain 305 is similar to that previously identified in B. thailandensis strain E264. We have named this region in B. pseudomallei strain 305 the B. thailandensis-like flagellum and chemotaxis (BTFC) gene cluster. We screened for these different genomic components across additional genome sequences and 571 B. pseudomallei DNA extracts obtained from regions of endemicity. These alternate genomic states define two distinct groups within B. pseudomallei: all strains contained either the BTFC gene cluster (group BTFC) or the YLF gene cluster (group YLF). These two groups have distinct geographic distributions: group BTFC is dominant in Australia, and group YLF is dominant in Thailand and elsewhere. In addition, clinical isolates are more likely to belong to group YLF, whereas environmental isolates are more likely to belong to group BTFC. These groups should be further characterized in an animal model.

Complete genome sequence of the Antarctic Halorubrum lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34.

Halorubrum lacusprofundi is an extreme halophile within the archaeal phylum Euryarchaeota. The type strain ACAM 34 was isolated from Deep Lake, Antarctica. H. lacusprofundi is of phylogenetic interest because it is distantly related to the haloarchaea that have previously been sequenced. It is also of interest because of its psychrotolerance. We report here the complete genome sequence of H. lacusprofundi type strain ACAM 34 and its annotation. This genome is part of a 2006 Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program project to sequence genomes of diverse Archaea.