Draft Genome Sequence of the poli-extremophilic Halorubrum sp. AJ67, isolated from hyperarsenic lakes, in the Argentinean Puna.. Halorubrum sp. AJ67

Halorubrum sp. AJ67, an extreme halophilic, UV resistant archae that was isolated from Laguna Antofalla in the Argentinean Puna. The draft genome sequence suggests potent enzyme candidates that are essential to survive in multiple environmental extreme conditions, as high UV radiation, elevated salinity and the presence of critical arsenic concentration. The High Altitude Andean Lakes (HAAL) consists of several shallow lakes placed in a high altitude desert known as Puna. They are exposed to extreme environmental conditions such as high UV radiation, elevated salinity and the presence of heavy metals and metalloids, mainly arsenic. Halorubrum was identified as the dominant haloarchaea taxa in HAAL. The extremely halophilic archaeon, strain AJ67, was isolated from Antofalla salt lake located in Catamarca, Argentine, in the Argentinean Puna. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the isolate was phylogenetically related to species of the genus Halorubrum with a close relationship to Hrr. chaoviator (98.74% of identity). AJ67 strain belongs into a single euryarchaeotal order (Halobacteriales) that inhabits various hypersaline environments (3–5 M) such as salt lakes, salt ponds, and marine salterns. The genus Halorubrum belongs to the family Halobacteriaceae, as first proposed by McGenity and Grant. Previous molecular ecology studies showed that archaeal halophiles dominate these ecosystems and the genus Halorubrum are widely distributed in hypersaline habitats. Halobacteriales contains a single family Halobacteriaceae with cultivated representatives in solar salterns. These organisms are known to promote crystal formation of halite. Strain AJ67 grew in 15–35% (w/v) NaCl (extreme halophile). The temperature and pH ranges for growth were 20–52ºC and 5–10, respectively. Optimal growth occurred at 25% NaCl, 37ºC, and pH 8.5. Cells are Gram-negative, rod shaped (2–5 × 0.5–0.8 μm), and motile. Colonies are small, red–orange pigmented, smooth, and slightly raised elevated and round, 1.5–2 mm in diameter, after 15 days at 37 ºC on plates containing 26% (w/v) total salts. AJ67 is a chemo–organotrophic and aerobic archaeon. Magnesium is not required for growth. The genome sequence was obtained using a whole-genome shotgun (WGS) strategy with a 454 GS Titanium pyrosequencer at INDEAR, Argentina. Assembly was done using 454 Newbler, version 2.6, using the -urt option with 7x genome coverage. This assembly generated 50 scaffolds. The draft genome was 4,225,006 bases in length. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 63.71mol % [T(m)]. Genome annotation was done using the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for our own prokaryotic annotation pipeline and from the RAST annotation server.