Complete genome sequence of the haloalkaliphilic, obligately chemolithoautotrophic thiosulfate and sulfide-oxidizing γ-proteobacterium Thioalkalimicrobium cyclicum type strain ALM 1 (DSM 14477(T))

Thioalkalimicrobium cyclicum Sorokin et al. 2002 is a member of the family Piscirickettsiaceae in the order Thiotrichales. The γ-proteobacterium belongs to the colourless sulfur-oxidizing bacteria isolated from saline soda lakes with stable alkaline pH, such as Lake Mono (California) and Soap Lake (Washington State). Strain ALM 1(T) is characterized by its adaptation to life in the oxic/anoxic interface towards the less saline aerobic waters (mixolimnion) of the stable stratified alkaline salt lakes. Strain ALM 1(T) is the first representative of the genus Thioalkalimicrobium whose genome sequence has been deciphered and the fourth genome sequence of a type strain of the Piscirickettsiaceae to be published. The 1,932,455 bp long chromosome with its 1,684 protein-coding and 50 RNA genes was sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program (CSP) 2008.