microorganisms Article Comparative Genomics Revealing Insights into Niche Separation of the Genus Methylophilus Nana Lin 1,2, Ye Tao 2,3, Peixin Gao 2, Yan Xu 1 and Peng Xing 2,* 1 School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China;
[email protected] (N.L.);
[email protected] (Y.X.) 2 State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China;
[email protected] (Y.T.);
[email protected] (P.G.) 3 College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +86-25-8688-2112; Fax: +86-25-5771-4759 Abstract: The genus Methylophilus uses methanol as a carbon and energy source, which is widely distributed in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Here, three strains (13, 14 and QUAN) related to the genus Methylophilus, were newly isolated from Lake Fuxian sediments. The draft genomes of strains 13, 14 and QUAN were 3.11 Mb, 3.02 Mb, 3.15 Mb with a G+C content of 51.13, 50.48 and 50.33%, respectively. ANI values between strains 13 and 14, 13 and QUAN, and 14 and QUAN were 81.09, 81.06 and 91.46%, respectively. Pan-genome and core-genome included 3994 and 1559 genes across 18 Methylophilus genomes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 1035 single-copy genes and 16S rRNA genes revealed two clades, one containing strains isolated from aquatic and the other from the leaf surface. Twenty-three aquatic-specific genes, such as 2OG/Fe(II) oxygenase and diguanylate cyclase, reflected the strategy to survive in oxygen-limited water and sediment.