Genome Sequence of Halobiforma lacisalsi AJ5, an Extremely Halophilic Archaeon Which Harbors a bop Gene

The draft genome sequence (4,398,155 bp, with 65.35 % GC content) of Halobiforma lacisalsi AJ5, an extremely halophilic archaeon isolated from a salt lake, is reported here. This is the first genome report for a species of the Halobiforma genus. Bacteriorhodopsin, encoded by the bop gene, is a membrane protein that functions as a photoactive proton pump (14). It was first found in the purple membrane of the halophilic ar-chaeon Halobacterium salinarum. The structure of the protein was described later, in the early 1970s (5, 15). Due to its photoelectric properties, bacteriorhodopsin has many useful applications in biochemical and bioelectronics devices, such as three-dimensional (3D) memory systems, targeted drug deliv-ery systems, and biocatalytic reactors (17). Halobiforma lacis-alsi strain AJ5 is an extremely halophilic archaeon that was isolated from a salt lake in Xinjiang, China (19). The bop gene from this strain was obtained, and the properties of the bac