Genome Sequence of the Dioxin-Mineralizing Bacterium Sphingomonas wittichii RW1

Pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins pose a serious threat to human and environmental health. Natural attenuation of these compounds by microorganisms provides one promising avenue for their removal from contaminated areas. Over the past 2 decades, studies of the bacteriumSphingomonas wittichii RW1 have provided a wealth of knowledge about how bacteria metabolize chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons. Here we describe the finished genome sequence ofS. wittichii RW1 and major findings from its annotation.