Uncovering the exopolysaccharide production potential of Paracoccus spp. through comparative genomics for biotechnological applications

Paracoccus species occupy diverse habitats, yet their exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthetic capacity remains underexplored. We performed an in silico comparative analysis of four species: P.aerodenitrificans, P.saliphilus, P.sanguinis , and P.zhejiangensis , using annotated genomes. Genome-scale mining integrated orthologous clustering, functional profiling, transporter annotation, and antiSMASH-based detection of biosynthetic gene clusters. The four genomes showed comparable sizes and broadly conserved functional repertoires, with a substantial shared core and limited species-specific innovations. Saccharide-related clusters dominated the secondary-metabolite landscape. Candidate EPS loci and nucleotide-sugar pathways were conserved across species, with expansions in glycosyltransferases and transport systems consistent with EPS production. Together, these data reveal that the four analyzed Paracoccus genomes contain conserved glycan-related genes and candidate EPS-associated features, suggesting that EPS biosynthetic potential may be shared across these selected representatives while highlighting strain-level specializations.