Comparative Genomics of Paenibacillus Secondary Metabolism: Unveiling the Putative Biosynthetic Gene Cluster for Paenialvins in Paenibacillus Alvei Strain 32.

In this study, we used comparative genomics and culture-based methods to investigate Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) responsible for the production of antimicrobial peptides. Paenibacillus alvei strain 32 was isolated from a cystic fibrosis sputum. Its genome was sequenced using Illumina, showing a size of 6,584,590 bp with 239 contigs assembled in 26 scaffolds, an average coverage of 243X, and 6,832 coding sequences. ANI analysis and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization showed its affiliation inside Paenibacillus alvei, with a clear separation from other related strains, leading us to propose a distinct species-level genomic clade (genomospecies) within this group. AntiSMASH analysis predicted 22 putative BGCs in the genome of strain 32. Its culture supernatant exhibited inhibitory activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, and Enterococcus faecalis. By comparing in silico BGC predictions with activities described in the literature, we propose that strain 32 harbours a specific 110-kb cluster (cluster 6.2) with five non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes. These synthetases are predicted to direct the assembly of a 16-amino acid backbone that correlates with the structure of paenialvins, which are known anti-MRSA molecules. This study describes the putative biosynthetic pathway of the paenialvins and explains structural variations, bringing useful data on Paenibacillus secondary metabolism for future antibiotic development.