Thermoactinomyces daqus strain:H-18 Genome sequencing and assembly. Thermoactinomyces daqus strain:H-18

Daqu, a primary microbial source and traditional fermentation starter, has been used to produce kinds of foods such as vinegar and Chinese liquor with attractive flavor for thousands of years (1–3). The production of Bandongjing Sesame-flavor liquor was through mixed microbial fermentation, while the high temperature Daqu provided the microorganisms in this process (4). The high temperature Daqu played an important role for the quality and distillation yield of liquor (4). In previous studies, we isolated a series of bacterial strains from the high temperature Daqu of Bandongjing, Shandong province, China (Unpublished data). One of the preponderant strains, designated Thermoactinomyces daqus H-18, was a novel species of the genus Thermoactinomyces (5). The analysis of the mechanism for high-temperature tolerance and the metabolic pathways of flavor chemicals of strain H-18, combined with the studies of other strains isolated, would contribute to the understanding of the functions of high temperature Daqu for fermentation of Bandongjing Sesame-flavor liquor. Hence the genome of strain H-18 was sequenced.