Extremophiles and Genomics in the DEEPSTAR Group of JAMSTEC
Koki Horikoshi
Director general, Frontier Research Program for Deep-Sea Extremophiles
The DEEPSTAR Group was established in 1990 as the first projective research group in JAMSTEC. Since then, extremophiles thriving in the deep sea have been main target of our work. Main research results are i) discovery of novel extremophiles including industrially useful ones, ii) microbial diversity in Mariana Trench, iii) Piezo-(baro-) physiology, and iv) genome analysis of an alkaliphilic bacterium, Bacillus halodurans C-125. These results are published in a book1), more than 300 scientific papers, 15 patents and so on.
Genome analysis of Bacillus halodurans C-125 is one of the most important topics in our research.2) The whole genome sequence of 4.2 Mb was determined by the shotgun technique within about 1.3 years. We have developed a computer software named "GAMBLER" to perform speedy analysis of the above. The bacterium produces many useful enzymes for industrial applications such as alkali cellurase for detergents and CGTase for cyclodextrin production etc. The genome information, of course, gives us some new methodology to improve the enzyme activity and/or enzyme productivity. The "Bio-Venture Center for Deep-Sea Extremophiles" will be launched in April 2001 to utilize the genome information mentioned above. In this Center, we shall develop the following technologies together with enterprises: i) genome analysis of useful extremophiles, ii) search for novel enzymes, iii) improvement of enzyme activity and productivity, iv) application of deep-sea microbes of more than 2000 strains.
Genomic research in microbiology is now in rapid growing stage. It is doubtless at the beginning of 21st century that genome analysis and its applications are one of the most active and hot fields in both science and technologies of microbiology.
1) Extremophiles in Deep-Sea Environments, ed. by K. Horikoshi and K. Tsujii, Springer-Verlag, Tokyo (1999).
2) H. Takami. K. Nakasone, Y. Takaki, G. Maeno, R. Sasaki, N. Masui, F. Fuji, C. Hirama, Y. Nakamura, N. Ogasawara, S . Kuhara and K. Horikoshi, Nucleic Acids Research, 2000, 28 (21), in press.
