Genome Sequence and Methylation Pattern of Haloterrigena salifodinae BOL5-1, an Extremely Halophilic Archaeon from a Bolivian Salt Mine

The halophilic archaeon Haloterrigena salifodinae BOL5-1 was isolated from a Bolivian salt mine and sequenced using single-molecule real-time sequencing. The GC-rich genome was 5.1 Mbp, with a 4.2-Mbp chromosome and 5 plasmids ranging from 96 to 281 kbp. The genome annotation was incorporated into HaloWeb ( https://halo.umbc.edu ) and the methylation patterns into REBASE ( http://rebase.neb.com ). Halophilic microbes capable of surviving extreme conditions are of interest for biotechnology and astrobiology ( 1 – 12 ). Our recent focus has been on high elevation and subsurface hypersaline environments, which yield polyextremophilic varieties. In this announcement, isolation of an extremely halophilic archaeon, Haloterrigena salifodinae BOL5-1, is reported, together with the first complete genome sequence for this species.