Genome Sequence of Hydrogenophaga sp. Strain PBC, a 4-Aminobenzenesulfonate-Degrading Bacterium

Hydrogenophaga sp. strain PBC is an effective degrader of 4-aminobenzenesulfonate isolated from textile wastewater. Here we present the assembly and annotation of its genome, which may provide further insights into its metabolic potential. This is the first announcement of the draft genome sequence of a strain from the genusHydrogenophaga. 4-Aminobenzenesulfonate (4-ABS) is a recalcitrant chemicalcompound commonly found in textile wastewater as a result of the reductive cleavage of azo dye. The microbial degradation of 4-ABS has been challenging due to the low 4-ABS permeability of the bacterial membrane and also its growth inhibitor property owing to its high homology to p-aminobenzoic acid. Hydrogenophaga intermedia S1 was the first reported bacterial strainwith the ability to degrade 4-ABS in coculture withAgrobac-terium radiobacter S2 (3). Subsequently, three additional bacterial strains with the ability to degrade 4-ABS as a pure culture were isolated from different sites (13–15). Hydrogenophaga sp. strain PBC was isolated from textile wastewater and could degrade 4-ABS in coculturewithRalstonia sp. strain PBA (5). Interestingly