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April 21, 2020

Complete Genome Sequence of Bradyrhizobium sp. Strain ORS3257, an Efficient Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterium Isolated from Cowpea in Senegal.

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Bradyrhizobium sp. strain ORS3257, which forms efficient symbioses with cowpea, peanut, or groundnut. These genomic data will be useful to identify genes associated with symbiotic performance and host compatibility on several legumes, including Aeschynomene species, with which a Nod-independent type III secretion system (T3SS)-dependent symbiosis can be established.


April 21, 2020

Genome sequence of Methylocystis hirsuta CSC1, a polyhydroxyalkanoate producing methanotroph.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable plastics that can be produced by some methanotrophic organisms such as those of the genus Methylocystis. This allows the conversion of a detrimental greenhouse gas into an environmentally friendly high added-value bioproduct. This study presents the genome sequence of Methylocystis hirsuta CSC1 (a high yield PHB producer). The genome comprises 4,213,043 bp in 4 contigs, with the largest contig being 3,776,027 bp long. Two of the other contigs are likely to correspond to large size plasmids. A total of 4,664 coding sequences were annotated, revealing a PHA production cluster, two distinct particulate methane monooxygenases with active catalytic sites, as well as a nitrogen fixation operon and a partial denitrification pathway. © 2018 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


April 21, 2020

Characteristics of crude oil-degrading bacteria Gordonia iterans isolated from marine coastal in Taean sediment.

Crude oil is a major pollutant of marine and coastal ecosystems, and it causes environmental problems more seriously. It is believed ultimate and complete degradation is accomplished mainly by microorganisms. In this study, we aim to search out for bacterial strains with high ability in degrading crude oil. From sediments contaminated by the petroleum spilled in 2007, an accident in Taean, South Korea, we isolated thirty-one bacterial strains in total with potential application in crude oil contamination remediation. In terms of removal percentage after 7 days, one of the strains, Co17, showed the highest removal efficiency with 84.2% of crude oil in Bushnell-Haas media. The Co17 strain even exhibited outstanding ability removing crude oil at a high salt concentration. Through the whole genome sequencing annotation results, many genes related with n-alkane degradation in the genome of Gordonia sp. Co17, revealed alkane-1-monooxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase. Specially, for confirmation of gene-level, alkB gene encoding alkane hydroxylase (alkane-1-monooxygenase) was found in the strain Co17. The expression of alkB upregulated 125-fold after 18 hr accompany with the removal of n-alkanes of 48.9%. We therefore propose the strain Gordonia iterans Co17, isolated from crude oil-contaminated marine sediment, could be used to offer a new strategy for bioremediation with high efficiency. © 2018 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


April 21, 2020

Complete genome sequence of Nitratireductor sp. strain OM-1: A lipid-producing bacterium with potential use in wastewater treatment.

Reducing CO2 emissions is necessary to alleviate rising global temperature. Renewable sources of energy are becoming an increasingly important substitute for fossil fuels. An important step in this direction is the isolation of novel, technologically relevant microorganisms. Nitratireductor sp. strain OM-1 can convert volatile short-chain fatty acids in wastewater into 2-butenoic acid and its ester and can accumulate intracellularly esterified compounds up to 50% of its dried cell weight under nitrogen-depleted conditions. It is believed that a novel fatty acid biosynthesis pathway including an esterifying enzyme is encoded in its genome. In this study, we report the whole-genome sequence (4.8 Mb) of OM-1, which comprises a chromosome (3,977,827 bp) and a megaplasmid (857,937 bp). This sequence information provides insight into the genome organization and biochemical pathways of OM-1. In addition, we identified lipid biosynthesis pathways in OM-1, paving the way to a better understanding of its biochemical characterization.


April 21, 2020

Leishmania tarentolae: Taxonomic classification and its application as a promising biotechnological expression host.

In this review, we summarize the current knowledge concerning the eukaryotic protozoan parasite Leishmania tarentolae, with a main focus on its potential for biotechnological applications. We will also discuss the genus, subgenus, and species-level classification of this parasite, its life cycle and geographical distribution, and similarities and differences to human-pathogenic species, as these aspects are relevant for the evaluation of biosafety aspects of L. tarentolae as host for recombinant DNA/protein applications. Studies indicate that strain LEM-125 but not strain TARII/UC of L. tarentolae might also be capable of infecting mammals, at least transiently. This could raise the question of whether the current biosafety level of this strain should be reevaluated. In addition, we will summarize the current state of biotechnological research involving L. tarentolae and explain why this eukaryotic parasite is an advantageous and promising human recombinant protein expression host. This summary includes overall biotechnological applications, insights into its protein expression machinery (especially on glycoprotein and antibody fragment expression), available expression vectors, cell culture conditions, and its potential as an immunotherapy agent for human leishmaniasis treatment. Furthermore, we will highlight useful online tools and, finally, discuss possible future applications such as the humanization of the glycosylation profile of L. tarentolae or the expression of mammalian recombinant proteins in amastigote-like cells of this species or in amastigotes of avirulent human-pathogenic Leishmania species.


April 21, 2020

Genome mining identifies cepacin as a plant-protective metabolite of the biopesticidal bacterium Burkholderia ambifaria.

Beneficial microorganisms are widely used in agriculture for control of plant pathogens, but a lack of efficacy and safety information has limited the exploitation of multiple promising biopesticides. We applied phylogeny-led genome mining, metabolite analyses and biological control assays to define the efficacy of Burkholderia ambifaria, a naturally beneficial bacterium with proven biocontrol properties but potential pathogenic risk. A panel of 64 B.?ambifaria strains demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against priority plant pathogens. Genome sequencing, specialized metabolite biosynthetic gene cluster mining and metabolite analysis revealed an armoury of known and unknown pathways within B.?ambifaria. The biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for the production of the metabolite cepacin was identified and directly shown to mediate protection of germinating crops against Pythium damping-off disease. B.?ambifaria maintained biopesticidal protection and overall fitness in the soil after deletion of its third replicon, a non-essential plasmid associated with virulence in Burkholderia?cepacia complex bacteria. Removal of the third replicon reduced B.?ambifaria persistence in a murine respiratory infection model. Here, we show that by using interdisciplinary phylogenomic, metabolomic and functional approaches, the mode of action of natural biological control agents related to pathogens can be systematically established to facilitate their future exploitation.


April 21, 2020

Characterization and Complete Genome Analysis of the Carbazomycin B-Producing Strain Streptomyces luteoverticillatus SZJ61.

Members of marine Actinobacteria have been highly regarded as potentially important sources of antimicrobial compounds. Here, we isolated a strain of Actinobacteria, SZJ61, and showed that it inhibits the in vitro growth of fungi pathogenic to plants. This new isolate was identified as Streptomyces luteoverticillatus by morphological, biochemical and genetic analyses. Antifungal compounds were isolated from S. luteoverticillatus strain SZJ61 and characterized as carbazomycin B by nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. We then sequenced the genome of the S. luteoverticillatus SZJ61 strain, which consists of only one 7,367,863 bp linear chromosome that has a G+C content of 72.05%. Thirty-five putative biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites, including a variety of bioactive products, were found. Mining of the genome sequence information revealed the putative biosynthetic gene cluster of carbazomycin B. This genomic information is valuable for interpreting the biosynthetic mechanisms of diverse bioactive compounds that have potential applications in the pharmaceutical industry.


April 21, 2020

Complete Genome Sequence of Actinosynnema pretiosum X47, An Industrial Strain that Produces the Antibiotic Ansamitocin AP-3.

Ansamitocins are extraordinarily potent antitumor agents. Ansamitocin P-3 (AP-3), which is produced by Actinosynnema pretiosum, has been developed as a cytotoxic drug for breast cancer. Despite its importance, AP-3 is of limited applicability because of the low production yield. A. pretiosum strain X47 was developed from A. pretiosum ATCC 31565 by mutation breeding and shows a relatively high AP-3 yield. Here, we analyzed the A. pretiosum X47 genome, which is ~8.13 Mb in length with 6693 coding sequences, 58 tRNA genes, and 15 rRNA genes. The DNA sequence of the ansamitocin biosynthetic gene cluster is highly similar to that of the corresponding cluster in A. pretiosum ATCC 31565, with 99.9% identity. However, RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression levels of ansamitocin biosynthetic genes were significantly increased in X47 compared with the levels in the wild-type strain, consistent with the higher yield of AP-3 in X47. The annotated complete genome sequence of this strain will facilitate understanding the molecular mechanisms of ansamitocin biosynthesis and regulation in A. pretiosum and help further genetic engineering studies to enhance the production of AP-3.


April 21, 2020

The Reference Genome Sequence of Scutellaria baicalensis Provides Insights into the Evolution of Wogonin Biosynthesis.

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is important in Chinese traditional medicine where preparations of dried roots, “Huang Qin,” are used for liver and lung complaints and as complementary cancer treatments. We report a high-quality reference genome sequence for S. baicalensis where 93% of the 408.14-Mb genome has been assembled into nine pseudochromosomes with a super-N50 of 33.2 Mb. Comparison of this sequence with those of closely related species in the order Lamiales, Sesamum indicum and Salvia splendens, revealed that a specialized metabolic pathway for the synthesis of 4′-deoxyflavone bioactives evolved in the genus Scutellaria. We found that the gene encoding a specific cinnamate coenzyme A ligase likely obtained its new function following recent mutations, and that four genes encoding enzymes in the 4′-deoxyflavone pathway are present as tandem repeats in the genome of S. baicalensis. Further analyses revealed that gene duplications, segmental duplication, gene amplification, and point mutations coupled to gene neo- and subfunctionalizations were involved in the evolution of 4′-deoxyflavone synthesis in the genus Scutellaria. Our study not only provides significant insight into the evolution of specific flavone biosynthetic pathways in the mint family, Lamiaceae, but also will facilitate the development of tools for enhancing bioactive productivity by metabolic engineering in microbes or by molecular breeding in plants. The reference genome of S. baicalensis is also useful for improving the genome assemblies for other members of the mint family and offers an important foundation for decoding the synthetic pathways of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants.Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


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