The first isolation and genome characterization of wild-type Myroides odoratimimus in ornamental fish

Myroides odoratimimus has recently been reported as an emerging human pathogen due to its extensive virulence gene repertoire and has also been described as a pan-resistant species harboring numerous antimicrobial resistance genes. In this study, M. odoratimimus strain 156P, isolated from ornamental fish, was characterized to explore its genomic features and potential ecological and functional roles. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of a hybrid biosynthetic gene cluster with 72% similarity to the flexirubin polyketide cluster, suggesting the strain’s capacity for producing bioactive metabolites. Contrary to previous reports, strain 156P was found to lack virulence genes and possess only a single antimicrobial resistance gene, indicating it is a wild-type strain. The strain was sequenced and analyzed using tools such as BV-BRC’s integrated Genome Assembly Tool, NCBI Prokaryotic Genome Annotation Pipeline (PGAP), Virulence Factor Database (VFDB), Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) tool, antiSMASH, and Protologger web tools for ecological profiling. The genome of strain 156P consists of 3,936,345 base pairs with a GC content of 32.7%. It demonstrates adaptability across diverse environments, including human and animal microbiomes as well as wastewater systems. Notably, resistance genes were located near biosynthetic clusters, suggesting a possible evolutionary link between these traits. These findings highlight strain 156P as a unique wild-type strain, potentially useful for functional studies. Its distinct genomic profile and ecological adaptability underscore its importance as a reservoir for resistance genes and its potential applications in microbial research.