@article{ed0e9c21a5d34eb58d52d99c55a4fd11,
title = "Streptomyces thermoautotrophicus does not fix nitrogen",
abstract = "Streptomyces thermoautotrophicus UBT1 has been described as a moderately thermophilic chemolithoautotroph with a novel nitrogenase enzyme that is oxygen-insensitive. We have cultured the UBT1 strain, and have isolated two new strains (H1 and P1-2) of very similar phenotypic and genetic characters. These strains show minimal growth on ammonium-free media, and fail to incorporate isotopically labeled N 2 gas into biomass in multiple independent assays. The sdn genes previously published as the putative nitrogenase of S.Thermoautotrophicus have little similarity to anything found in draft genome sequences, published here, for strains H1 and UBT1, but share >99% nucleotide identity with genes from Hydrogenibacillus schlegelii, a draft genome for which is also presented here. H. schlegelii similarly lacks nitrogenase genes and is a non-diazotroph. We propose reclassification of the species containing strains UBT1, H1, and P1-2 as a non-Streptomycete, non-diazotrophic, facultative chemolithoautotroph and conclude that the existence of the previously proposed oxygen-Tolerant nitrogenase is extremely unlikely.",
author = "Drew Mackellar and Lucas Lieber and Norman, {Jeffrey S.} and Anthony Bolger and Cory Tobin and Murray, {James W.} and Mehtap Oksaksin and Chang, {Roger L.} and Ford, {Tyler J.} and Nguyen, {Peter Q.} and Jimmy Woodward and Permingeat, {Hugo R.} and Joshi, {Neel S.} and Silver, {Pamela A.} and Bj{\"o}rn Usadel and Rutherford, {Alfred W.} and Friesen, {Maren L.} and J{\"u}rgen Prell",
note = "Funding Information: DCM was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number F32GM105122. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. JWM was supported for part of this work by a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship (BB/F023308/1). “Nitrogen Ideas Lab: Oxygen-Tolerant Nitrogenase” (BB/L011468/1, NSF 1331218) supported LL, MLF, JSN, JWM, and AWR. LL was also supported by Agencia Nacional de Promoci{\'o}n Cient{\'i}fica y Tecnol{\'o}gica from Argentina. RLC was supported by Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation GBMF 2550.04 Life Sciences Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. We wish to thank many members of the nitrogenase community for helpful discussions.",
year = "2016",
month = feb,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1038/srep20086",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "6",
journal = "Scientific reports",
issn = "2045-2322",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
}