Naganishia friedmannii llullensis, genome sequence

Here we report the draft genome sequence of a <i>Naganishia friedmannii</i> (formerly <i>Cryptococcus friedmannii</i>) isolate, a Basidiomycota yeast that is commonly found in some of the most extreme environments of the Earth’s cryosphere. We isolated <i>N. friedmannii</i> strain Llullensis from soils 6000 m above sea level on Volcán Llullaillaco, Argentina. The genome was 22.2 Megabases with 6,251 identified protein coding genes. Proteins known to be associated with thermal, osmotic, and radiation stress were identified in the genome. Comparative analysis with seven additional <i>Naganishia</i> genomes revealed unique features that explain the polyextremophilic lifestyle of <i>N. friedmannii</i>. <i>N. friedmannii</i> showed an expansion of genes involved in breakdown of plant-derived carbohydrates, supporting the hypothesis that this organism survives at high-elevations by metabolizing aeolian deposited organic matter. Surprisingly, many genes involved in cell-cycle checkpoints and DNA repair processes were missing from the genome of <i>N. friedmannii</i>, as well as from several other <i>Naganishia</i> species. This extensive loss may be adaptive in extreme environments prone to stressful abiotic changes, where a high mutation rate may provide the opportunity for generation of advantageous traits and reduced cell cycle control may allow for faster reproduction that would be advantageous for rapid growth during brief periods of soil wetting following rare snow events.