[Adaptation of Acidianus hospitalis W1 to oligotrophic and acidic hot spring environments].

OBJECTIVE

To study the adaptation of A. hospitalis W1 to oligotrophic and acidic hot spring environments at the whole genome level.

METHODS

We annotated the gene functions and constructed metabolic pathways of strain W1 by using different databases, such as NCBI non-redundant database (NRDB), UniProt, Sulfolobus protein database and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The metabolic pathways were polished according to the results of comparative genomics.

RESULTS

Strain W1 grew autotrophically by fixing CO2 as carbon source through 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate or dicarboxylate-4-hydroxybutyrate cycle, and gained energy for growth by oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs). Strain W1 differenced from A. ambivalens because its genome did not possess sulfur-metabolizing genes encoding sulfite: acceptor oxidoreductase, adenosine phosphosulfate reductase, sulfate adenylyl transferase and phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate reductase. Glucose was metabolized by strain W1 through non- phosphorylated Entner-Doudoroff pathway and tricarboxylic acid cycle. In addition, the sugar and amino acids transporters, as well as related hydrolysis enzymes were identified in the genome. These results suggest that strain W1 could also grow facultative autotrophically. Strain W1 cannot use H2 as electron donor due to lack of hydrogenase encoding genes.

CONCLUSION

The versatile metabolic patterns afforded A. hospitalis W1 the ability to adapt to oligotrophic and acidic hot spring environments. Furthermore, the unique metabolic features of strain W1 will help to better understand the metabolic diversities of Acidianus.