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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbiological Chemistry and Geomicrobiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1445943

Comparative Genomic Characterization of Cellulosimicrobium funkei Isolate RVMD1 from Ma'an Desert Rock Varnish Challenges Cellulosimicrobium Systematics

Provisionally accepted
Sulaiman M. Alnaimat Sulaiman M. Alnaimat *Saqr S. Abushattal Saqr S. Abushattal Seif M. Dmour Seif M. Dmour
  • Department of Medical Analysis, Princess Aisha Bint Al-Hussein College of Nursing and Health Science, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an, Jordan

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Desert environments harbor unique microbial communities. This study focuses on Cellulosimicrobium funkei isolate RVMD1, isolated from rock varnish in the Ma'an Desert. Initial identification was achieved using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, followed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for comprehensive characterization. The genome comprises 4,264,015 base pairs (857 contigs) with a high G+C content of 74.59%. A total of 4,449 proteins were predicted. Comparative analysis utilizing OrthoANI, ANI, AAI, and dDDH metrics suggests that RVMD1 belongs to the C. cellulans group, with the highest similarity to C. funkei (97.71% ANI). Phylogenomic analysis of 43 Cellulosimicrobium genomes revealed significant heterogeneity within the genus. Our results challenge current systematics, with C. cellulans potentially representing up to 9 distinct genomospecies. Isolate RVMD1 shows genetic adaptations to its desert environment, including genes for denitrification, oxygen and sulfur cycling, and diverse hydrogen metabolism. Pangenomic analysis uncovered a considerable number of unique genes within RVMD1, highlighting its genetic distinctiveness. Gene family expansions suggest evolution in response to stressors like UV radiation and nutrient limitation. This study represents the first whole-genome analysis of a bacterium isolated from Jordanian rock varnish, emphasizing the value of WGS in understanding microbial diversity and adaptation in extreme environments.

    Keywords: Rock varnish1, Cellulosimicrobium funkei2, whole genome sequencing3, phylogenomic4, comparative genomic5, taxonomic revision6, Ma'an7, Jordan8

    Received: 08 Jun 2024; Accepted: 22 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Alnaimat, Abushattal and Dmour. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Sulaiman M. Alnaimat, Department of Medical Analysis, Princess Aisha Bint Al-Hussein College of Nursing and Health Science, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma'an, Jordan

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