Insights into the Hydrocarbon Tolerance of Two Devosia Isolates, D. chinhatensis Strain IPL18(T) and D. geojensis Strain BD-c194(T), via Whole-Genome Sequence Analysis

Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) was among the most commonly used pesticides after the Second World War. The extensive use of this hydrocarbon for almost six decades has created a contamination problem on a global scale, and bioremediation methods are being extensively explored. The reported ability of some Devosia species to grow in the presence of appreciable amounts of hydrocarbons (2,000 mg/kg of contaminated soil) is attracting closer attention. Here, we report the de novo genome assembly of two hydrocarbon-tolerating Devosia isolates, D. chinhatensis strain IPL18(T) and D. geojensis strain BD-c194(T), as a first step toward understanding the metabolic pathways involved in their environmental adaptation and tolerance toward hydrocarbons.