Molecular Biology

“ Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis” is widely found in full-scale wastewater treatment plants, where it has been identified as the key organism for biological removal of phosphorus. Since aeration can account for 50% of the energy use during wastewater treatment, microaerobic conditions for wastewater treatment have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to conventional biological nutrient removal processes. Our report provides strong genomics-based evidence not only that “ Ca . Accumulibacter phosphatis” is the main organism contributing to phosphorus removal under microaerobic conditions but also that this organism simultaneously respires nitrate and oxygen in this environment, consequently removing nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater. Such activity could be harnessed in innovative designs for cost-effective and energy-efficient optimization of wastewater treatment systems.

The draft genome sequence of the green filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic (FAP) bacterium “ Candidatus Viridilinea halotolerans” strain Chok-6, isolated from a cold saline sulfide-rich spring near Lake Chokrak, is presented. The genome sequence is annotated for elucidation of the taxonomic position of Chok-6 and to extend the public genome database.

The draft genome sequence of “ Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” strain YNJS7C, isolated from a navel orange tree in Yunnan Province, China, is presented here. The YNJS7C strain has a genome size of 1,258,986 bp, with a G+C content of 36.6%, 1,174 predicted open reading frames, and 53 RNA genes.

The genome of “ Candidatus Sulcia muelleri” strain KPTW1 from Kolla paulula , a vector of Xylella fastidiosa that causes Pierce’s disease (PD) of grapevine in Taiwan, was sequenced. The strain has a genome size of 253,942 bp, GC content of 22.7%, 237 predicted protein-coding genes, and 34 RNA genes.

We report here the near-complete genome sequence of “ Candidatus Spirobacillus cienkowskii,” a spiral-shaped, red-pigmented uncultivated bacterial pathogen of Daphnia spp. The genome is 2.74 Mbp in size, has a GC content of 32.1%, and contains genes associated with bacterial motility and the production of carotenoids, which could explain the distinctive red color of hosts infected with this pathogen.

Metagenomic sequencing of fracture fluid from South Africa recovered a nearly complete “ Candidatus Bathyarchaeota” archaeon genome. The metagenome-assembled genome of BE326-BA-RLH contains genes involved in methane metabolism and dissimilatory nitrate reduction.