Comparative genomic analysis of Citrobacter sp. XT1-2-2 reveals insights into the molecular mechanism of microbial immobilization of heavy metals

Background: In our previous study, Citrobacter sp. XT1-2-2 was isolated from high cadmium-contaminated soils, and demonstrated an excellent ability to decrease the bioavailability of cadmium in the soil and inhibit cadmium uptake in rice. In addition, the strain XT1-2-2 could significantly promote rice growth and increase rice biomass. Therefore, the strain XT1-2-2 shows great potential for remediation of cadmium -contaminated soils. However, the genome sequence of this organism has not been reported so far. Results: : Here the basic characteristics and genetic diversity of the strain XT1-2-2 were described, together with the draft genome and comparative genomic results. The strain XT1-2-2 is 5040459 bp long with an average G + C content of 52.09%, and contains 3787 protein-coding genes and 129 RNA genes. All genes of a complete set of sulfate reduction pathway and various putative heavy metal resistance genes in the genome were identified and analyzed. Conclusions: : These analytical results provide insights into the molecular mechanism of microbial immobilization of heavy metals .