<div><p><i>Acetobacter pasteurianus</i>, an acetic acid resistant bacterium belonging to alpha-proteobacteria, has been widely used to produce vinegar in the food industry. To understand the mechanism of its high tolerance to acetic acid and robust ability of oxidizing ethanol to acetic acid (> 12%, w/v), we described the 3.1 Mb complete genome sequence (including 0.28 M plasmid sequence) with a G+C content of 52.4% of <i><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1601/nm.10550" target="_blank">A. pasteurianus</a></i> Ab3, which was isolated from the traditional Chinese rice vinegar (Meiguichu) fermentation process. Automatic annotation of the complete genome revealed 2,786 protein-coding genes and 73 RNA genes. The comparative genome analysis among <i><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1601/nm.10550" target="_blank">A. pasteurianus</a></i> strains revealed that <i>A</i>. <i>pasteurianus</i> Ab3 possesses many unique genes potentially involved in acetic acid resistance mechanisms. In particular, two-component systems or toxin-antitoxin systems may be the signal pathway and modulatory network in <i><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1601/nm.10550" target="_blank">A. pasteurianus</a></i> to cope with acid stress. In addition, the large numbers of unique transport systems may also be related to its acid resistance capacity and cell fitness. Our results provide new clues to understanding the underlying mechanisms of acetic acid resistance in <i>Acetobacter</i> species and guiding industrial strain breeding for vinegar fermentation processes.</p></div
