title: Genome sequence of the bioplastic-producing "Knallgas" bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16.
abstract: The H(2)-oxidizing lithoautotrophic bacterium Ralstonia eutropha H16 is a metabolically versatile organism capable of subsisting, in the absence of organic growth substrates, on H(2) and CO(2) as its sole sources of energy and carbon. R. eutropha H16 first attracted biotechnological interest nearly 50 years ago with the realization that the organism's ability to produce and store large amounts of poly[R-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate] and other polyesters could be harnessed to make biodegradable plastics. Here we report the complete genome sequence of the two chromosomes of R. eutropha H16. Together, chromosome 1 (4,052,032 base pairs (bp)) and chromosome 2 (2,912,490 bp) encode 6,116 putative genes. Analysis of the genome sequence offers the genetic basis for exploiting the biotechnological potential of this organism and provides insights into its remarkable metabolic versatility.
authors.affiliation: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Chausseestrasse 117, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pohlmann
authors.forename: Wolfgang Florian
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Fricke
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reinecke
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kusian
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liesegang
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cramm
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eitinger
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ewering
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pötter
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strittmatter
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinbüchel
authors.forename: Bärbel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: Botho
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bowien
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D020118:Cupriavidus necator / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011091:Polyesters / Q000378:metabolism; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002244:Carbon; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D011091:Polyesters; C003182:poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates