The Draft Genome of a Hydrogen-producing Cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis NIES-46

摘要

Arthrospira is an economically important cyanobacterium that contains many useful products,including proteins, vitamins, lipids, and pigments, and it is distributed in several alkaline soda lakes.Arthrospira platensis NIES-46 produces large amounts of hydrogen. In this study, we sequenced theNIES-46 draft genome and performed comparative analyses among Arthrospira species to elucidatethe genomic background of this strain. The genome consists of 5.7 Mbp with a GC% of 44.5% andencodes 5,008 proteins. Our phylogenetic analysis using multiple orthologous proteins shows thatArthrospira is divided into two clades and that NIES-46 is closely related to A. platensis NIES-39. Thegenome structure and protein functions are highly conserved between A. platensis NIES-39 andNIES-46, suggesting that these two strains have recently diverged. Genes involved in hydrogenproduction are well-conserved among Arthrospira species, indicating conserved abilities to producehydrogen.