The tenacious association between strains of the heterotrophic alphaproteobacterial genus Acidiphilium and chemolithotrophic iron oxidizing bacteria has long been known. In this context the genome of the heterotroph Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1, an isolate from an iron oxidizing mixed culture derived from a pilot plant for bioremediation of acid mine drainage, was determined with the aim to reveal metabolic properties that are fundamental for the syntrophic interaction between Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1 and the co-occurring chemolithoautotrophic iron oxidizer. The genome sequence consists of 4.18 Mbp on 297 contigs and harbors 4015 protein-coding genes and 50 RNA genes. Additionally, the molecular and functional organization of the Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1 draft genome was compared to those of the close relatives Acidiphilium cryptum JF-5, Acidiphilium multivorum AIU301 and Acidiphilium sp. PM DSM 24941. The comparative genome analysis underlines the close relationship between these strains and the highly similar metabolic potential supports the idea that other Acidiphilium strains play a similar role in various acid mine drainage communities. Nevertheless, in contrast to other closely related strains Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1 may be able to take up phosphonates as an additional source of phosphor.
Keywords: AMD; Acidiphilium sp. JA12-A1; acid mine drainage; acidophilic bacteria; microbial community.