title: Genome Analysis of the Fruiting Body-Forming Myxobacterium Chondromyces crocatus Reveals High Potential for Natural Product Biosynthesis.
abstract: Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the type strain of the myxobacterial genus Chondromyces, Chondromyces crocatus Cm c5. It presents one of the largest prokaryotic genomes featuring a single circular chromosome and no plasmids. Analysis revealed an enlarged set of tRNA genes, along with reduced pressure on preferred codon usage compared to that of other bacterial genomes. The large coding capacity and the plethora of encoded secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters are in line with the capability of Cm c5 to produce an arsenal of antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic compounds. Known pathways of the ajudazol, chondramide, chondrochloren, crocacin, crocapeptin, and thuggacin compound families are complemented by many more natural compound biosynthetic gene clusters in the chromosome. Whole-genome comparison of the fruiting-body-forming type strain (Cm c5, DSM 14714) to an accustomed laboratory strain which has lost this ability (nonfruiting phenotype, Cm c5 fr-) revealed genetic changes in three loci. In addition to the low synteny found with the closest sequenced representative of the same family, Sorangium cellulosum, extensive genetic information duplication and broad application of eukaryotic-type signal transduction systems are hallmarks of this 11.3-Mbp prokaryotic genome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaburannyi
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Boyke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bunk
authors.affiliation: ATG:biosynthetics GmbH, Merzhausen, Germany.|IStLS, Information Services to Life Science, Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany rolf.mueller@helmholtz-hzi.de.|German Center for Infection Research, Hannover-Braunschweig Site, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D009231:Myxococcales / Q000235:genetics*; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products