Characteristics of soil origin Pseudomonas batumici Koz11 isolated from a remote island in Japan

Soil samples from a remote Japanese island (Kozushima) were processed and investigated for organisms exhibiting antimicrobial activity against pathogenic strains. A <i>Pseudomonas</i> strain demonstrating antimicrobial activity against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (<i>S. aureus</i>) was identified, prompting further investigation. Whole-genome sequencing was employed to identify the species and conduct phylogenetic analysis, followed by <i>in silico</i> molecular analysis. Chemotaxonomic and biochemical analyses were conducted to further characterize the strain. Genomic analysis identified the strain of interest as <i>Pseudomonas batumici</i> (<i>P. batumici</i>), originally isolated from soil of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in 1980. <i>P. batumici</i> Koz11 is the second <i>P. batumici</i> strain to be isolated and identified outside its initial area of discovery. Similar to the type strain, <i>P. batumici</i> Koz11 showed antimicrobial activity against various <i>S. aureus</i> strains, including methicillin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant <i>S. aureus</i> (VRSA). However, the previously reported 'batumin gene cluster', which synthesizes antimicrobial compounds, was absent from <i>P. batumici</i> Koz11. This study provides new insights into <i>P. batumici</i>. Since the type strain of <i>P. batumici</i> is exclusively deposited in the Ukrainian Collection of Microorganisms, the Koz11 strain may serve as a surrogate to facilitate continued study of <i>P. batumici</i>.