Advenella kashmirensis WT001 Genome sequencing
The family Alcaligenaceae is a phylogenetically coherent assemblage of environmentally as well as physiologically distinctive betaproteobacteria. Its members range from soil-dwelling xenobiotic-degraders (e.g., Achromobacter xylosoxidans) and sulfur-oxidizing chemoautotrophs (e.g., Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis, recently reclassified as Advenella kashmirensis) to pathogens of various animals groups (e.g., species of Bordetella, Taylorella etc.).  Crucial effect of DNA acquisition, genome reduction and genome optimization in the differential evolution of pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants within bacterial families and genera have been demonstrated in Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this complex scenario of extensive environmental and physiological diversification within such a consistent monophyletic group as Alcaligenaceae (where different genera have ~96% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), it is imperative to comprehensively understand the dynamics of genome evolution within the group and assess the importance of DNA acquisition, genome reduction and genome optimization (rearrangements and mutations) in the adaptive specialization of the different members. Complete genome sequences of the mammalian parasites B. bronchiseptica, B. pertussis and B. parapertussis were long available along with that of the phylogenetically distinct poultry pathogen B. avium. Of late, the genome of the haloaromatic acid-degrading soil isolate Achromobacter xylosoxidans has been published, paving the way for an objective genomic comparison between the pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants of this group. In this report, we present the complete genome sequence of the thiosulfate- and tetrathionate-oxidizing facultative chemoautotroph Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis together with a comparative analysis of the genomes of the two abovementioned soil bacteria vis-à-vis the Bordetella spp.