Genomic insights into the salt tolerance and cold adaptation of Planococcus halotolerans SCU63^T

Planococcus halotolerans, recently described as a novel species with SCU63^T as the type strain, is capable of thriving in up to 15% NaCl and temperatures as low as 0 °C. To better understand its adaptation strategies at the genomic level, strain SCU63^T was subjected to whole-genome sequencing and data mining. The high-quality assembly yielded 17 scaffolds with a genome size of 3,622,698 bp. Its genome harbors 3683 protein-coding sequences and 127 RNA genes, as well as three biosynthetic gene clusters and 25 genomic islands. The phylogenomic tree provided compelling insights into the evolutionary relationships of Planococcus. Comparative genomic analysis revealed key similarities and differences in the functional gene categories among Planococcus species. Strain SCU63^T was shown to have diverse stress response systems for high salt and cold habitats. Further comparison with three related species showed the presence of numerous unique gene clusters in the SCU63^T genome. The strain might serve as a good model for using extremozymes in various biotechnological processes.