New Multidrug Efflux Systems in a Microcystin-Degrading Bacterium Blastomonas fulva and Its Genomic Feature

Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Sep 17;23(18):10856. doi: 10.3390/ijms231810856.

Abstract

A microcystin-degrading bacterial strain, Blastomonas fulva T2, was isolated from the culture of a microalgae Microcystis. The strain B. fulva T2 is Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic, non-spore-forming and phototrophic. The cells of B. fulva T2 are able to grow in ranges of temperature from 15 to 37 °C, with a pH of 6 to 8 and a salinity of 0 to 1% NaCl. Here, we sequenced the complete genome of B. fulva T2, aiming to better understand the evolutionary biology and the function of the genus Blastomonas at the molecular level. The complete genome of B. fulva T2 contained a circular chromosome (3,977,381 bp) with 64.3% GC content and a sizable plasmid (145.829 bp) with 60.7% GC content which comprises about 3.5% of the total genetic content. A total of 3842 coding genes, including 46 tRNAs and 6 rRNAs, were predicted in the genome. The genome contains genes for glycolysis, citric acid cycle, Entner-Doudoroff pathways, photoreaction center and bacteriochlorophylla synthesis. A 7.9 K gene cluster containing mlrA, mlrB, mlrC and mlrD1,2,3,4 of microcystin-degrading enzymes was identified. Notably, eight different efflux pumps categorized into RND, ABC and MFS types have been identified in the genome of strain T2. Our findings should provide new insights of the alternative reaction pathway as well as the enzymes which mediated the degradation of microcystin by bacteria, as well as the evolution, architectures, chemical mechanisms and physiological roles of the new bacterial multidrug efflux system.

Keywords: ABC transporter; Blastomonas fulva; MFS; RND pumps; microcystin degradation; multidrug efflux system.

MeSH terms

  • Genomics
  • Microcystins* / genetics
  • Sodium Chloride / metabolism
  • Sphingomonadaceae* / genetics

Substances

  • Microcystins
  • Sodium Chloride

Supplementary concepts

  • Blastomonas fulva

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) through project to develop eco-friendly new materials and processing technology derived from wildlife, funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) (2021003240004) and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).