Paradoxical DNA repair and peroxide resistance gene conservation in Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032.
BACKGROUND
Bacillus spores are notoriously resistant to unfavorable conditions such as UV radiation, gamma-radiation, H2O2, desiccation, chemical disinfection, or starvation. Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 survives standard decontamination procedures of the Jet Propulsion Lab spacecraft assembly facility, and both spores and vegetative cells of this strain exhibit elevated resistance to UV radiation and H2O2 compared to other Bacillus species.


RESULTS
The genome of B. pumilus SAFR-032 was sequenced and annotated. Lists of genes relevant to DNA repair and the oxidative stress response were generated and compared to B. subtilis and B. licheniformis. Differences in conservation of genes, gene order, and protein sequences are highlighted because they potentially explain the extreme resistance phenotype of B. pumilus. The B. pumilus genome includes genes not found in B. subtilis or B. licheniformis and conserved genes with sequence divergence, but paradoxically lacks several genes that function in UV or H2O2 resistance in other Bacillus species.


CONCLUSIONS
This study identifies several candidate genes for further research into UV and H2O2 resistance. These findings will help explain the resistance of B. pumilus and are applicable to understanding sterilization survival strategies of microbes.
Gioia
Jason
J
Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Yerrapragada
Shailaja
S
Qin
Xiang
X
Jiang
Huaiyang
H
Igboeli
Okezie C
OC
Muzny
Donna
D
Dugan-Rocha
Shannon
S
Ding
Yan
Y
Hawes
Alicia
A
Liu
Wen
W
Perez
Lesette
L
Kovar
Christie
C
Dinh
Huyen
H
Lee
Sandra
S
Nazareth
Lynne
L
Blyth
Peter
P
Holder
Michael
M
Buhay
Christian
C
Tirumalai
Madhan R
MR
Liu
Yamei
Y
Dasgupta
Indrani
I
Bokhetache
Lina
L
Fujita
Masaya
M
Karouia
Fathi
F
Eswara Moorthy
Prahathees
P
Siefert
Johnathan
J
Uzman
Akif
A
Buzumbo
Prince
P
Verma
Avani
A
Zwiya
Hiba
H
McWilliams
Brian D
BD
Olowu
Adeloa
A
Clinkenbeard
Kenneth D
KD
Newcombe
David
D
Golebiewski
Lisa
L
Petrosino
Joseph F
JF
Nicholson
Wayne L
WL
Fox
George E
GE
Venkateswaran
Kasthuri
K
Highlander
Sarah K
SK
Weinstock
George M
GM
D001407:Bacillus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D004260:DNA Repair; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide