Comparative genome analysis of Subtercola boreus, an Actinobacterium retrieved from Antarctic rocks, soil and freshwater

Abstract

The actinobacterium Subtercola boreus is psychrophilic species capable of growth at temperatures down to -2 ºC with an optimum at 15-17 ºC. This strain was first discovered in permanently cold groundwater but it was also found in several places at the Antarctica including rocks, terrestrial soil and freshwater. Here, we report the fully assembled genome sequence of S. boreus K300 to find out how this psychrophile can adapt to extreme environments. And the genomic structure and gene content of the type and 5 strains of this psychrophilic bacteria isolated from various Antarctic environments were analyzed and compared. The genome sequence of the S. boreus type strain and the comparative analyses with other Subtercola strains provided a better understanding of psychrophilic adaptation and growth within different environments in this genus.