title: The genome sequence of the hydrocarbon-degrading Acinetobacter venetianus VE-C3.
abstract: Here we report the genome sequence of Acinetobacter venetianus VE-C3, a strain isolated from the Venice Lagoon and known to be able to degrade n-alkanes. Post sequencing analyses revealed that this strain is relatively distantly related to the other Acinetobacter strains completely sequenced so far as shown by phylogenetic analysis and pangenome analysis (1285 genes shared with all the other Acinetobacter genomes sequenced so far). A. venetianus VE-C3 possesses a wide range of determinants whose molecular functions are probably related to the survival in a strongly impacted ecological niche. Among them, genes probably involved in the metabolism of long-chain n-alkanes and in the resistance to toxic metals (e.g. arsenic, cadmium, cobalt and zinc) were found. Genes belonging to these processes were found both on the chromosome and on plasmids. Also, our analysis documented one of the possible genetic bases underlying the strategy adopted by A. venetianus VE-C3 for the adhesion to oil fuel droplets, which could account for the differences existing in this process with other A. venetianus strains. Finally, the presence of a number of DNA mobilization-related genes (i.e. transposases, integrases, resolvases) strongly suggests an important role played by horizontal gene transfer in shaping the genome of A. venetianus VE-C3 and in its adaptation to its special ecological niche.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial and Molecular Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. marco.fondi@unifi.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fondi
authors.forename: Ermanno
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rizzi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Emiliani
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Orlandini
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berna
authors.forename: Maria Cristiana
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Papaleo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maida
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Bellis
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldi
authors.forename: Lenie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dijkshoorn
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaneechoutte
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fani
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D023061:Gene Order; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism; D007558:Italy; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006838:Hydrocarbons