Correction to: Pentose degradation in archaea: Halorhabdus species degrade D-xylose, L-arabinose and D-ribose via bacterial-type pathways

The degradation of the pentoses d -xylose, l -arabinose and d -ribose in the domain of archaea, in Haloferax volcanii and in Haloarcula and Sulfolobus species, has been shown to proceed via oxidative pathways to generate α-ketoglutarate. Here, we report that the haloarchaeal Halorhabdus species utilize the bacterial-type non-oxidative degradation pathways for pentoses generating xylulose-5-phosphate. The genes of these pathways are each clustered and were constitutively expressed. Selected enzymes involved in d -xylose degradation, xylose isomerase and xylulokinase, and those involved in l -arabinose degradation, arabinose isomerase and ribulokinase, were characterized. Further, d -ribose degradation in Halorhabdus species involves ribokinase, ribose-5-phosphate isomerase and d -ribulose-5-phosphate-3-epimerase. Ribokinase of Halorhabdus tiamatea and ribose-5-phosphate isomerase of Halorhabdus utahensis were characterized. This is the first report of pentose degradation via the bacterial-type pathways in archaea, in Halorhabdus species that likely acquired these pathways from bacteria. The utilization of bacterial-type pathways of pentose degradation rather than the archaeal oxidative pathways generating α-ketoglutarate might be explained by an incomplete gluconeogenesis in Halorhabdus species preventing the utilization of α-ketoglutarate in the anabolism.