Complete Genome of the Chitin-Degrading Bacterium, Paenibacillus xylanilyticus W4.

Chitinases possess an extraordinary ability to directly hydrolyze highly insoluble chitin polymers to low-molecular-weight chito-oligomers, which possess particular biological functions, such as elicitor action and antitumor activity. A novel strain, Paenibacillus xylanilyticus W4, which was isolated from soil, showed strong chitin degradation activity. Here, we first reported the complete genome information of P. xylanilyticus. Paenibacillus xylanilyticus W4 contains a 5,532,141 bp single circular chromosome with 47.33% GC content. The genome contains 5,996 genes, including 39 rRNA- and 109 tRNA-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis and Genome-to-Genome Distance revealed its taxonomic characterization into a separate family. Six glycoside hydrolase 18 (GH18) and 2 GH23 enzymes involved in chitin degradation. Although many of the chitinases were conserved in Paenibacillus, several GH18 chitinases share high similarity with Bacillus circulans. The genome information provided here could benefit for understanding the chitin-degrading properties of P. xylanilyticus as well as its potential application in biotechnological and pharmaceutical fields.