Genomic analysis of picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus from Lake Baikal

Abstract

The genus Synechococcus comprises photosynthetic picocyanobacteria that, as autotrophic microorganisms, make a significant contribution to the production of organic matter and oxygen in marine and freshwater ecosystems. The wide distribution of representatives of the genus Synechococcus is due to their genetic diversity and ecological plasticity. Of particular interest is the study of these microorganisms in unique natural ecosystems, such as Lake Baikal – a freshwater oligotrophic deep-water lake with a high percentage of endemism among its inhabiting species. This work presents an analysis of two genomes of Synechococcus representatives recovered from metagenomic data of microbial communities from the water of Lake Baikal (MAGs): Synechococcus sp. bin7 and Synechococcus sp. bin8. A structural and functional characterization of the genomes is provided, and genes for antibiotic resistance and secondary metabolite synthesis are identified. Phylogenetic analysis, including 90 closely related freshwater and marine representatives of the genus Synechococcus alongside the studied MAGs, showed that the genomes belong to different, rather distant, phylogenetic clades.