Abstract
A metabolic, genomic and proteomic assessment of Fervidobacterium pennivorans strains was undertaken to clarify the metabolic and genetic capabilities of this Thermotogales species. The type strain Ven5 originally isolated from a hot mud spa in Italy, and a newly isolated strain (DYC) from a hot spring at Ngatamariki, New Zealand, were compared for metabolic and genomic differences. The fermentation profiles of both strains on cellobiose generated similar major end products (acetate, alanine, glutamate, H2, and CO2). The vast majority of end products produced were redox neutral, and carbon balances were in the range of 95–115%. Each strain showed distinct fermentation profiles on sugar substrates. The genome of strain DYC was sequenced and shown to have high sequence similarity and synteny with F. pennivorans Ven5 genome, suggesting they are the same species. The unique genome regions in Ven5, corresponded to genes involved in the Entner–Doudoroff pathway confirming our observation of DYC’s inability to utilize gluconate. Genome analysis was able to elucidate pathways involved in production of the observed end-products with the exception of alanine and glutamate synthesis which were resolved with less clarity due to poor sequence identity and missing critical enzymes within the pathway, respectively.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Genome Canada, through the Applied Genomics Research in Bioproducts or Crops (ABC) program for the grant titled, “Microbial Genomics for Biofuels and Co-Products from Biorefining Processes” and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery grant (RGPIN-06173-2014) held by Dr. Sparling. The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa Runanga Trust for their enthusiasm for our research, and assistance in access and sampling of the Ngatamariki geothermal features; Ki ngā tāngata whenua, ngā mihi nui mō tō koutou manaaki i te kaupapa. Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa are acknowledged as the having mana whenau (customary rights) over this strain and genome. Support for this work was provided by Geothermal Resources of New Zealand (GRN) Programme at GNS Science.
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Communicated by F. Robb.
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Wushke, S., Fristensky, B., Zhang, X.L. et al. A metabolic and genomic assessment of sugar fermentation profiles of the thermophilic Thermotogales, Fervidobacterium pennivorans. Extremophiles 22, 965–974 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-018-1053-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-018-1053-4