Genome sequencing and multifaceted taxonomic analysis of novel strains of violacein-producing bacteria and non-violacein-producing close relatives.

Violacein is a water-insoluble violet pigment produced by various Gram-negative bacteria. The compound and the bacteria that produce it have been gaining attention due to the antimicrobial and proposed antitumour properties of violacein and the possibility that strains producing it may have broad industrial uses. Bacteria that produce violacein have been isolated from diverse environments including fresh and ocean waters, glaciers, tropical soils, trees, fish and the skin of amphibians.