Comparative genome analysis of fungal antagonists Marinomonas ostreistagni 398 and M. spartinae 468

The genus Marinomonas encompasses a group of moderately halophilic, aerobic, heterotrophic, Gram-negative bacteria that live in ocean water, marine sediments, corals, oysters, fish, algae, and aquatic plants. Despite the progress in understanding the diversity of these organisms, our ability to explain ecological, metabolic, and biochemical traits of marinomonads at the genomic sequence level remains limited. In this study, we characterized genomes of Marinomonas ostreistagni 398 and M. spartinae 468. These organisms were isolated from the rhizosphere of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growing in Deer Island, Mississippi. The strains were selected based on their ability to antagonize the growth of phytopathogenic fungi.