Draft genome sequence of Acinetobacter sp. neg1 capable of degrading ochratoxin A

Abstract

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic and potentially carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. It is one of the major mycotoxins contaminating grain, grapes and a variety of food products, and the development of methods for reducing pre- and post-harvest contamination has drawn considerable attention. In the current study, we isolated and sequenced the genome of a novel free-living Acinetobacter strain able to degrade OTA. Biochemical studies suggest that the degradation reaction proceeds via peptide bond hydrolysis.

Keywords: Acinetobacter; degradation; ochratoxin A.