AUTHOR=Li Yisong , Wang Meng , Sun Zhong-Zhi , Xie Bin-Bin 

TITLE=Comparative Genomic Insights Into the Taxonomic Classification, Diversity, and Secondary Metabolic Potentials of Kitasatospora, a Genus Closely Related to Streptomyces

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.683814

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.683814

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>While the genus <italic>Streptomyces</italic> (family <italic>Streptomycetaceae</italic>) has been studied as a model for bacterial secondary metabolism and genetics, its close relatives have been less studied. The genus <italic>Kitasatospora</italic> is the second largest genus in the family <italic>Streptomycetaceae</italic>. However, its taxonomic position within the family remains under debate and the secondary metabolic potential remains largely unclear. Here, we performed systematic comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses of <italic>Kitasatospora.</italic> Firstly, the three genera within the family <italic>Streptomycetaceae</italic> (<italic>Kitasatospora, Streptomyces</italic>, and <italic>Streptacidiphilus</italic>) showed common genomic features, including high G + C contents, high secondary metabolic potentials, and high recombination frequencies. Secondly, phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses revealed phylogenetic distinctions and genome content differences among these three genera, supporting <italic>Kitasatospora</italic> as a separate genus within the family. Lastly, the pan-genome analysis revealed extensive genetic diversity within the genus <italic>Kitasatospora</italic>, while functional annotation and genome content comparison suggested genomic differentiation among lineages. This study provided new insights into genomic characteristics of the genus <italic>Kitasatospora</italic>, and also uncovered its previously underestimated and complex secondary metabolism.</p>