Genomic insights into the thiamin metabolism of Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus NRRL B-4156 and P. apiarius NRRL B-23460

is the model organism for studying thiaminase I, an enigmatic extracellular enzyme. Originally isolated from the feces of clinical patients suffering from thiamin deficiency, has been implicated in thiamin deficiencies in humans and other animals due to its ability to produce this thiamin-degrading enzyme. Its close relative, also produces thiaminase I and was originally isolated from dead honeybee larvae, though it has not been reported to be a honeybee pathogen. We generated draft genomes of the type strains of both species, NRRL B-4156 and NRRL B-23460, to deeply explore potential routes of thiamin metabolism. We discovered that the thiaminase I gene is located in a highly conserved operon with thiamin biosynthesis and salvage genes, as well as genes involved in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic bacimethrin. Based on metabolic pathway predictions, NRRL B-23460 has the genomic capacity to synthesize thiamin using a pathway that is rarely seen in bacteria, but NRRL B-4156 is a thiamin auxotroph. Both genomes encode importers for thiamin and the pyrimidine moiety of thiamin, as well as enzymes to synthesize thiamin from pyrimidine and thiazole.