Microcystis aeruginosa is a freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium that is distributed worldwide. M. aeruginosa can be divided into at least 8 phylogenetic groups (A-G and X) at the intraspecific level. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of M. aeruginosa NIES-2481, which was isolated from Lake Kasumigaura, Japan, and is assigned to group G. The complete genome sequence of M. aeruginosa NIES-2481 comprises a 4.29-Mbp circular chromosome and a 147,539-bp plasmid; the circular chromosome and the plasmid contain 4,332 and 167 protein-coding genes, respectively. Comparative analysis with the complete genome of M. aeruginosa NIES-2549, which belongs to the same group with NIES-2481, showed that the genome size is the smallest level in previously sequenced M. aeruginosa strains, and the genomes do not contain a microcystin biosynthetic gene cluster in common. Synteny analysis revealed only small-scale rearrangements between the two genomes.
Keywords: Microcystis; algal bloom; cyanobacteria; genome.