Neobacillus driksii sp. nov. isolated from a Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility and genomic potential for lasso peptide production in Neobacillus
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Hameed A, McDonagh F, Sengupta P, Miliotis G, Sivabalan SKM, Szydlowski L, Simpson A, Singh NK, Rekha PD, Raman K, Venkateswaran K.2025.Neobacillus driksii sp. nov. isolated from a Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility and genomic potential for lasso peptide production in Neobacillus. Microbiol Spectr13:e01376-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01376-24
ABSTRACT
During microbial surveillance of the Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility, two novel Gram-positive bacterial strains, potentially capable of producing lasso peptides, were identified. Characterization using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and phylogenomic analyses revealed a close genetic relationship among two strains from Mars 2020 cleanroom floors (179-C4-2-HS, 179-J1A1-HS), one strain from the Agave plant (AT2.8), and another strain from wheat-associated soil (V4I25). All four strains exhibited high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (>99.2%) and low average nucleotide identity (ANI) with Neobacillus niacini NBRC 15566T, delineating new phylogenetic branches within the genus. Detailed molecular analyses, including gyrB (90.2%) and ANI (86.4%) phylogenies, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (32.5%), indicated significant divergence from N. niacini NBRC 15566T. Consequently, these strains have been designated Neobacillus driksii sp. nov., with the type strain 179-C4-2-HST (DSM 115941T = NRRL B-65668T). N. driksii is characterized by pleomorphic morphology, growth at 4 to 45 °C, pH range of 6.0 to 9.5, and tolerance to 0.5 to 5% NaCl. The major cellular fatty acids are iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C15:0. The dominant polar lipids include diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and an unidentified aminolipid. Metagenomic analysis within NASA cleanrooms revealed that N. driksii is scarce (17 out of 236 samples). Genes encoding the biosynthesis pathway for lasso peptides were identified in all N. driksii strains and is not commonly found in other Neobacillus species, except in 7 out of 26 recognized species. This study highlights the unique metabolic capabilities of N. driksii, underscoring their potential in antimicrobial research and biotechnology.
Maximum likelihood phylogeny of strains of N. driksii (n=4) and 25 established species of Neobacillus based on WGS. Scanning electron microscopy image of N. driksii 179-C4-2-HST. Scale bar, 5 μm. Spores are depicted with arrow marks.