Genome sequence of Ensifer sp. TW10; a Tephrosia wallichii (Biyani) microsymbiont native to the Indian Thar Desert

Nisha Tak,Sunil Choudhary,Krishna Palaniappan,Lynne Goodwin,Tanja Woyke,Konstantinos Mavromatis,Wayne Reeve,Ravi Tiwari,James Han,Natalia Ivanova,Lambert Bräu,Rui Tian,Muskan Kaushik,Victor Markowitz,Amrita Pati,Yvette Hill,Konstantinos Liolios,Marcel Huntemann,Nikos C Kyrpides ,H S Gehlot

doi:10.4056/sigs.4598281

Abstract

Ensifer sp. TW10 is a novel N2-fixing bacterium isolated from a root nodule of the perennial legume Tephrosia wallichii Graham (known locally as Biyani) found in the Great Indian (or Thar) desert, a large arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Strain TW10 is a Gram-negative, rod shaped, aerobic, motile, non-spore forming, species of root nodule bacteria (RNB) that promiscuously nodulates legumes in Thar Desert alkaline soil. It is fast growing, acid-producing, and tolerates up to 2% NaCl and capable of growth at 40oC. In this report we describe for the first time the primary features of this Thar Desert soil saprophyte together with genome sequence information and annotation. The 6,802,256 bp genome has a GC content of 62% and is arranged into 57 scaffolds containing 6,470 protein-coding genes, 73 RNA genes and a single rRNA operon. This genome is one of 100 RNB genomes sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopedia for Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project.

Highlights

The Great Indian Desert is a large, hot, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent
The Thar Desert region is characterized by low annual precipitation (50 to 300 mm), high thermal load and alkaline soils that are poor in texture and fertility [2]
Ensifer was found to occupy the nodules of all four species of Tephrosia examined [5]

Summary

Introduction

The Great Indian (or Thar) Desert is a large, hot, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Ensifer was found to occupy the nodules of all four species of Tephrosia examined [5]. This strain has 99% sequence identity at the 16S rRNA sequence level to E. kostiense LMG 19227 and 100% 16S rRNA sequence identity to other Indian Thar Desert Ensifer species (JNVU IC18 from a nodule of Indigofera and JNVU TF7, JNVU TP6 and TW8 from nodules of Tephrosia). Root nodule of Tephrosia wallic hii TAS [5]

Results

Conclusion