Whole genome sequencing of Faecalibaculum rodentium ALO17, isolated from C57BL/6J laboratory mouse feces

Background: Intestinal microorganisms affect host physiology, including ageing. Given the difficulty in controlling for human studies of the gut microbiome, mouse models provide an alternative avenue to study such relationships. In this study, we report on the complete genome of Faecalibaculum rodentium ALO17, a bacterium that was isolated from the faeces of a 9-month-old female C57BL/6J mouse. This strain will be utilized in future in vivo studies detailing the relationships between the gut microbiome and ageing. Results: The whole genome sequence of F. rodentium ALO17 was obtained using single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) technique on a PacBio instrument. The assembled genome consisted of 2,542,486 base pairs of double-stranded DNA with a GC content of 54.0 % and no plasmids. The genome was predicted to contain 2794 open reading frames, 55 tRNA genes, and 38 rRNA genes. The 16S rRNA gene of ALO17 was 86.9 % similar to that of Allobaculum stercoricanis DSM 13633(T), and the average overall nucleotide identity between strains ALO17 and DSM 13633(T) was 66.8 %. After confirming the phylogenetic relationship between F. rodentium ALO17 and A. stercoricanis DSM 13633(T), their whole genome sequences were compared, revealing that F. rodentium ALO17 contains more fermentation-related genes than A. stercoricanis DSM 13633(T). Furthermore, F. rodentium ALO17 produces higher levels of lactic acid than A. stercoricanis DSM 13633(T) as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Conclusion: The availability of the F. rodentium ALO17 whole genome sequence will enhance studies concerning the gut microbiota and host physiology, especially when investigating the molecular relationships between gut microbiota and ageing.