We offer two strains of Ralstonia pickettii as candidates for genomic sequencing. These strains are resistant to exceptionally high concentrations of copper as well as zinc, cadmium, and nickel. The two proposed strains were isolated from the same cubic centimeter of Torch Lake sediment (an EPA superfund site). Their rRNA sequence is identical but their genomic structure differs significantly; DNA:DNA hybridizations (58%) suggest that the “strains” are different species and they vary significantly in genome size as well (3.0 Mb & 3.5 Mb). Moreover, an apparently complex Ralstonia genetic system exists in the ecosystem. Each strain possesses a unique plasmid (44 kb or 57 kb) and one strain carries a filamentous phage (7 kb). Finally, the strains are capable of reducing copper under anaerobic conditions as well as transporting metals in the environment as a consequence of metal sequestration by viable cells.

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Sequencing the Genomes of Ralstonia pickettii Isolates from Metal Contaminated Lake Sediment by Terence L. Marsh