Genome and proteome of long-chain alkane degrading Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2 isolated from a deep-subsurface oil reservoir

*TEDA School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology and
^†Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, Nankai University, 23 Hongda Street, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, China;
^‡Tianjin Research Center for Functional Genomics and Biochip, 23 Hongda Street, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, China; and
^§College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, China

Edited by David M. Karl, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, and approved February 6, 2007 (received for review November 2, 2006)

Abstract

The complete genome sequence of Geobacillus thermodenitrificans NG80-2, a thermophilic bacillus isolated from a deep oil reservoir in Northern China, consists of a 3,550,319-bp chromosome and a 57,693-bp plasmid. The genome reveals that NG80-2 is well equipped for adaptation into a wide variety of environmental niches, including oil reservoirs, by possessing genes for utilization of a broad range of energy sources, genes encoding various transporters for efficient nutrient uptake and detoxification, and genes for a flexible respiration system including an aerobic branch comprising five terminal oxidases and an anaerobic branch comprising a complete denitrification pathway for quick response to dissolved oxygen fluctuation. The identification of a nitrous oxide reductase gene has not been previously described in Gram-positive bacteria. The proteome further reveals the presence of a long-chain alkane degradation pathway; and the function of the key enzyme in the pathway, the long-chain alkane monooxygenase LadA, is confirmed by in vivo and in vitro experiments. The thermophilic soluble monomeric LadA is an ideal candidate for treatment of environmental oil pollutions and biosynthesis of complex molecules.

Footnotes

^¶To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: wanglei{at}nankai.edu.cn
Author contributions: L.F. and W.W. contributed equally to this work; L.F. and L.W. designed research; W.W., G.Z., C.G., Y.T., X.L., and W.H. performed research; L.F., W.W., J.C., Y.R., X.P., and R.L. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; L.F., W.W., J.C., Y.R., G.Z., and C.G. analyzed data; and L.F., W.W., J.C., and L.W. wrote the paper.
Conflict of interest statement: L.F., W.W., Y.T., and L.W. have a financial conflict of interest resulting from a patent application for the DNA sequence of the ladA gene.
This article is a PNAS direct submission.
Data deposition: The complete genome sequence of G. thermodenitrificans NG80-2 reported in this paper has been deposited in the GenBank database [accession nos. CP000557 (chromosome) and CP000558 (plasmid)].
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0609650104/DC1.
Abbreviation:

COG,

clusters of orthologous groups.