GENOME-BASED RECLASSIFICATION OF Stenotrophomonas maltophilia 1800 AS S. geniculata AND GENOMIC INSIGHTS INTO ITS POTENTIAL CLINICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RELEVANCE
An in silico genomic analysis was performed on Stenotrophomonas sp. strain 1800 to clarify its taxonomic position and functional potential. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 100% similarity to S. geniculata ATCC 19374T, and both strains shared identical genome size (4.8 Mb) and G+C content (66.2%). Genome-based comparisons revealed low relatedness between strain 1800 and S. maltophilia NBRC 14161ᵀ (dDDH 47.8%, ANI 92.4%), whereas high dDDH (86.9%) and ANI (98.5%) values with S. geniculata ATCC 19374T unambiguously support the reclassification of strain 1800 as S. geniculata. Functional annotation showed that core metabolic pathways dominate the genome, with 1568 genes assigned to subsystems, mainly involved in amino acid and protein metabolism. The CAZome represents 1.81% of predicted coding sequences, indicating notable carbohydrate-transforming capacity. Additionally, the genome encodes diverse virulence-, persistence-, and antimicrobial resistance-associated determinants, as well as genes involved in xenobiotic degradation and heavy metal resistance, suggesting both the clinical relevance and bioremediation potential of this strain.