Complete genome of the chemolithoautotrophic nitrite oxidizing bacterium Nitrospira lenta BS10

The Nitrospira genus is considered to be the most widespread and abundant group of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in natural and man-made ecosystems. However, the ecophysiological versatility observed within this phylogenetic group remains highly understudied. To further expand our understanding of this biotechnologically important genus, we analyzed the high quality draft genome of Nitrospira lenta strain BS10, a sublineage II Nitrospira that was isolated from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Hamburg, Germany. Thorough genome annotation allowed the reconstruction of the N. lenta core metabolism providing important insights into the genomic diversity of the genus Nitrospira and a better understanding of the nitrification process.