Genomic Analysis of Two Histamine-Producing Strains Isolated from Yellowfin Tuna

Psychrotrophic Morganella spp. is a typical histamine producer commonly found in seafood, exhibiting a high histamine-producing capacity. In this study, two strains of Morganella (GWT 902 and GWT 904) isolated from yellowfin tuna were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Phenotypic analysis reveals differences in growth temperature, NaCl tolerance, and D-galactose fermentation capacity between the two strains. Notably, the histamine production capacity of GWT 902 is significantly higher than that of GWT 904 at 4 °C. The complete genome sequences of strains GWT 902 and GWT 904 were sequenced, identifying GWT 902 as Morganella psychrotolerans and GWT 904 as Morganella morganii subsp. sibonii. Genomic analysis confirms the presence of histidine decarboxylase gene clusters (hdcT1, hdc, hdcT2, hisRS) in both strains, and sequence alignment shows that the amino acid sequence similarity of histidine decarboxylase encoded by the hdc gene was 95.24%. Gene function analysis further identified genes associated with putrescine biosynthesis, sulfur metabolism, lipase and protease secretion, and detected key genes in quorum sensing (QS), stress adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. This study provides valuable insights into the taxonomic analysis of psychrotrophic Morganella spp. and contributes to the development of efficient strategies for preventing histamine formation in seafood.