Complete genome sequence of the orange-red pigmented, radioresistant Deinococcus proteolyticus type strain (MRP(T))

Abstract

Deinococcus proteolyticus (ex Kobatake et al. 1973) Brook and Murray 1981 is one of currently 47 species in the genus Deinococcus within the family Deinococcaceae. Strain MRP(T) was isolated from feces of Lama glama and possesses extreme radiation resistance, a trait is shares with various other species of the genus Deinococcus, with D. proteolyticus being resistant up to 1.5 Mrad of gamma radiation. Strain MRP(T) is of further interest for its carotenoid pigment. The genome presented here is only the fifth completed genome sequence of a member of the genus Deinococcus (and the forth type strain) to be published, and will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of how members of this genus adapted to high gamma- or UV ionizing-radiation. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. The 2,886,836 bp long genome with its four large plasmids of lengths 97 kbp, 132 kbp, 196 kbp and 315 kbp harbors 2,741 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes and is a part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.

Keywords: Deinococcaceae; GEBA; Gram-positive; carotenoid pigments; chemoorganotrophic; mesophile; non-motile; proteolytic; radioresistant; strictly aerobic; tetrad-forming cocci.

Figure 1

Phylogenetic tree highlighting the position of D. proteolyticus relative to the type strains of the other species within the family Deinococcaceae. The tree was inferred from 1,377 aligned characters [20,21] of the 16S rRNA gene sequence under the maximum likelihood (ML) criterion [22]. Rooting was done initially using the midpoint method [23] and then checked for its agreement with the current classification (Table 1). The branches are scaled in terms of the expected number of substitutions per site. Numbers adjacent to the branches are support values from 750 ML bootstrap replicates [24] (left) and from 1,000 maximum parsimony bootstrap replicates [25] (right) if larger than 60%. Lineages with type strain genome sequencing projects registered in GOLD [26] are labeled with one asterisk, those also listed as 'Complete and Published' with two asterisks [27-29]. The genome of D. radiodurans published by White et al. in 1999 [30] later turned out not to be from the type strain [31].

Figure 2

Scanning electron micrograph of D. proteolyticus MRP^T

Figure 3

Graphical circular map of the chromosome (plasmids not shown, but accessible through the img/er pages on the JGI web pages [48]); From outside to the center: Genes on forward strand (color by COG categories), Genes on reverse strand (color by COG categories), RNA genes (tRNAs green, rRNAs red, other RNAs black), GC content (black), GC skew (purple/olive).