J Genomics 2022; 10:49-56. doi:10.7150/jgen.74788 This volume
Research Paper
1. Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 CNRS Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France.
2. Texas State University, Department of Biology, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
The genomes of two nitrogen-fixing Frankia strains, Ag45/Mut15 and AgPM24, isolated from root nodules of Alnus glutinosa are described as representatives of a novel candidate species. Phylogenomic and ANI analyses confirmed that both strains are related to cluster 1 frankiae, and that both strains belong to a novel species. At 6.4 - 6.7 Mb, their genomes were smaller than those of other cultivated Alnus-infective cluster 1 strains but larger than that of the non-cultivated Alnus-infective cluster 1 Sp+ strain AgTrS that was their closest neighbor as assessed by ANI. Comparative genomic analyses identified genes essential for nitrogen-fixation, gene composition as regards COGs, secondary metabolites clusters and transcriptional regulators typical of those from Alnus-infective cluster 1 cultivated strains in both genomes. There were 459 genes present in other cultivated Alnus-infective strains lost in the two genomes, spread over the whole of the genome, which indicates genome erosion is taking place in these two strains.
Keywords: Frankia, Actinorhizal symbiosis, genome, nitrogen-fixing frankiae, biosynthetic gene clusters