Complete genome sequence of Colwellia hornerae PAMC 20917, a cold-active enzyme-producing bacterium isolated from the Arctic Ocean sediment

Psychrophilic bacteria are considered a source of cold-active enzymes that can be used in industrial applications. The Arctic bacterium Colwellia hornerae PAMC 20917 strain has been isolated from the offshore sediment near Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. The optimal growth temperature of the strain was 10 degrees C on marine agar. The cell lysate showed alkaline phosphatase activities. Analysis of the enzymatic properties showed that the alkaline phosphatase was cold-active and thermolabile. To explore useful cold-active industrial enzymes further, the entire genome of the PAMC 20917 strain was sequenced. The genome of the strain contained 4,684,314 nucleotides, with 37.87% G + C content. Genome mining analysis revealed that, in the complete genome sequence, three proteins were annotated as alkaline phosphatases. The genome of PAMC 20917 encodes cold shock proteins and an ice-binding protein that inhibits the growth of ice, allowing the bacterium to adapt to cold environments. This genome information may be useful for understanding mechanisms of adaptation to cold stress.