Whole genome sequencing and analysis of Bacillus sp. TTMP2, a tetramethylpyrazine-producing bacterium

Tetramethylpyrazine has been extensively studied as an anticancer substance and a flavor substance in the fields of medicine and food industry. A strain with high tetramethylpyrazine production was screened from the fermented grains of Danquan winery. Genome sequencing can reveal the potential roles of bacteria by thoroughly examining the connection between genes and phenotypes from a genomic perspective.

In this study, whole genome of this strain was sequenced and analyzed. This paper summarized the genomic characteristics of strain TTMP2 and analyzed genes related to the synthesis of tetramethylpyrazine. Bacillus sp. TTMP2 has a complete metabolic pathway for acetoin and tetramethylpyrazine metabolism. Gene function was analyzed by COG annotation, GO annotation, KEGG annotation and functional annotations for lipoproteins, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and pathogen-host interactions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Bacillus velezensis had the high homology with Bacillus sp. TTMP2. Genomes of 16 Bacillus species cover all genes of Bacillus, suggesting that genus Bacillus has an open pan-genome and can survive in diverse environments.

The analysis of genome sequencing data from Bacillus sp. TTMP2 showed that its metabolic characteristics could be deeply understood, indicating that this bacterium had a particular role in tetramethylpyrazine synthesis.