title: Genome sequence of Methanobacterium congolense strain Buetzberg, a hydrogenotrophic, methanogenic archaeon, isolated from a mesophilic industrial-scale biogas plant utilizing bio-waste.
abstract: Methanogenic Archaea are of importance at the end of the anaerobic digestion (AD) chain for biomass conversion. They finally produce methane, the end-product of AD. Among this group of microorganisms, members of the genus Methanobacterium are ubiquitously present in anaerobic habitats, such as bioreactors. The genome of a novel methanogenic archaeon, namely Methanobacterium congolense Buetzberg, originally isolated from a mesophilic biogas plant, was completely sequenced to analyze putative adaptive genome features conferring competitiveness of this isolate within the biogas reactor environment. Sequencing and assembly of the M. congolense Buetzberg genome yielded a chromosome with a size of 2,451,457bp and a mean GC-content of 38.51%. Additionally, a plasmid with a size of 18,118bp, featuring a GC content of 36.05% was identified. The M. congolense Buetzberg plasmid showed no sequence similarities with the plasmids described previously suggesting that it represents a new plasmid type. Analysis of the M. congolense Buetzberg chromosome architecture revealed a high collinearity with the Methanobacterium paludis chromosome. Furthermore, annotation of the genome and functional predictions disclosed several genes involved in cell wall and membrane biogenesis. Compilation of specific genes among Methanobacterium strains originating from AD environments revealed 474 genetic determinants that could be crucial for adaptation of these strains to specific conditions prevailing in AD habitats.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; IBBM (Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular), CCT-CONICET-La Plata, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calles 47 y 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gonzalo Torres
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Tejerizo
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Faculty Life Sciences/Research Center "Biomass Utilization Hamburg", Laboratory for Applied Microbiology, Ulmenliet 20, 21033 Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Yong Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maus
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wibberg
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Faculty Life Sciences/Research Center "Biomass Utilization Hamburg", Laboratory for Applied Microbiology, Ulmenliet 20, 21033 Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Off
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pühler
authors.affiliation: University of Applied Sciences (HAW), Faculty Life Sciences/Research Center "Biomass Utilization Hamburg", Laboratory for Applied Microbiology, Ulmenliet 20, 21033 Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany. Electronic address: aschluet@cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schlüter
mesh_terms: D001482:Base Composition; D056804:Biofuels; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D059646:Genome Size; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D017014:Methanobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D019641:DNA, Archaeal
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Biogas production; Biomethanation; Euryarchaeota; Methanobacterium; Methanogenesis