Draft Genome Sequences of Synechococcus sp. strains CCAP1479/9, CCAP1479/10, CCAP1479/13, CCY0621, and CCY9618: Five Freshwater Syn/Pro Clade Picocyanobacteria.

Abstract

Picocyanobacteria are essential primary producers in freshwaters yet little is known about their genomic diversity and ecological niches. We report here five draft genomes of freshwater picocyanobacteria: Synechococcus sp. CCAP1479/9, Synechococcus sp. CCAP1479/10, and Synechococcus sp. CCAP1479/13 isolated from Lake Windermere in the Lake District, UK; and Synechococcus sp. CCY0621 and Synechococcus sp. CCY9618 isolated from lakes in The Netherlands. Phylogenetic analysis reveals all five strains belonging to sub-cluster 5.2 of the Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus clade of Cyanobacteria. These five strains are divergent from Synechococcus elongatus, an often-used model for freshwater Synechococcus. Functional annotation revealed significant differences in the number of genes involved in the transport and metabolism of several macro-molecules between freshwater picocyanobacteria from sub-cluster 5.2 and Synechococcus elongatus, including amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Comparative genomic analysis identified further differences in the presence of photosynthesis-associated proteins while gene neighbourhood comparisons revealed alternative structures of the nitrate assimilation operon nirA.