Genome sequence of Pseudoalteromonas tunicata D2
This green-pigmented bacterium has frequently been isolated from biofilms on marine macro-algae and tunicates, and produces a range of target-specific inhibitors, including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-algal, anti-protozoan, and anti-larval components, as revealed in the groups of Dr. Torsten Thomas and Prof. Staffan Kjelleberg at UNSW Sydney and NTU Singapore. The organism is thus a successful competitor on marine surfaces. The analysis of its genome sequence published in PLoS-ONE indicated a utilization pattern of extracellular polymers that would avoid a degradation of its recognised hosts, while potentially causing detrimental effects on other host types: the findings imply that P. tunicata does not only use its antimicrobial traits to out-compete other organisms for surface space, but might also effectively utilize the polymeric biomass of the carcass of competitor organisms for its own growth. The genome sequence was established by the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) and the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation.