Complete Genome sequence of the nematicidal Bacillus thuringiensis MYBT18246

Jacqueline Hollensteiner, Anja Poehlein, Cathrin Spröer, Boyke Bunk, Anna E. Sheppard, Philip Rosentstiel, Hinrich Schulenburg, Heiko Liesegang

10.1601/nm.5000 is a rod-shaped facultative anaerobic spore forming bacterium of the genus 10.1601/nm.4857. The defining feature of the species is the ability to produce parasporal crystal inclusion bodies, consisting of δ-endotoxins, encoded by cry-genes. Here we present the complete annotated genome sequence of the nematicidal 10.1601/nm.5000 strain MYBT18246. The genome comprises one 5,867,749 bp chromosome and 11 plasmids which vary in size from 6330 bp to 150,790 bp. The chromosome contains 6092 protein-coding and 150 RNA genes, including 36 rRNA genes. The plasmids encode 997 proteins and 4 t-RNA's. Analysis of the genome revealed a large number of mobile elements involved in genome plasticity including 11 plasmids and 16 chromosomal prophages. Three different nematicidal toxin genes were identified and classified according to the Cry toxin naming committee as cry13Aa2, cry13Ba1, and cry13Ab1. Strikingly, these genes are located on the chromosome in close proximity to three separate prophages. Moreover, four putative toxin genes of different toxin classes were identified on the plasmids p120510 (Vip-like toxin), p120416 (Cry-like toxin) and p109822 (two Bin-like toxins). A comparative genome analysis of 10.1601/nm.5000 MYBT18246 with three closely related 10.1601/nm.5000 strains enabled determination of the pan-genome of 10.1601/nm.5000 MYBT18246, revealing a large number of singletons, mostly represented by phage genes, morons and cryptic genes.