Genome and proteome analysis of Pseudomonas chloritidismutans AW-1T that grows on n-decane with chlorate or oxygen as electron acceptor.

Growth of Pseudomonas chloritidismutans AW-1T on C7 to C12 n-alkanes with oxygen or chlorate as electron acceptor was studied by genome and proteome analysis. Whole genome shotgun sequencing resulted in a 5 Mbp assembled sequence with a G + C content of 62.5%. The automatic annotation identified 4767 protein-encoding genes and a putative function could be assigned to almost 80% of the predicted proteins. The distinct phylogenetic position of P. chloritidismutans AW-1T within the Pseudomonas stutzeri cluster became clear by comparison of average nucleotide identity values of sequenced genomes. Analysis of the proteome of P. chloritidismutans AW-1T showed the versatility of this bacterium to adapt to aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions with acetate or n-decane as substrates. All enzymes involved in the alkane oxidation pathway were identified. An alkane monooxygenase was detected in n-decane-grown cells, but not in acetate-grown cells. The enzyme was found when grown in the presence of oxygen or chlorate, indicating that under both conditions an oxygenase-mediated pathway is employed for alkane degradation. Proteomic and biochemical data also showed that both chlorate reductase and chlorite dismutase are constitutively present, but most abundant under chlorate-reducing conditions.