Draft genome sequences of strains SMB35, sp. MH3R3-1 and sp. SMB17 from the Verkhnekamsk potash mining region of Russia.

Halomonads are moderately halophilic bacteria that are studied as models of prokaryotic osmoadaptation and sources of enzymes and chemicals for biotechnological applications. Despite the progress in understanding the diversity of these organisms, our ability to explain ecological, metabolic, and biochemical traits of halomonads at the genomic sequence level remains limited. This study addresses this gap by presenting draft genomes of SMB35, sp. MH3R3-1 and sp. SMB17, which were isolated from potash mine tailings in the Verkhnekamsk salt deposit area of Russia. The analysis of these genomes confirmed the importance of ectoines and quaternary amines to the capacity of halomonads to tolerate osmotic stress and adapt to hypersaline environments. The study also revealed that and share 75-90% of the predicted proteome, but also harbor a set of genus-specific genes, which in amounted to approximately 0.5 Mbp. These genus-specific genome segments may contribute to the phenotypic diversity of the and the ability of these organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions and colonize new ecological niches.