Cellulase Production Potentials of the Microbial Profile of Some Sugarcane Bagasse Dumping Sites in Ilorin, Nigeria

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Kamoldeen Abiodun AJIJOLAKEWU

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This research work investigated cellulase production potentials of the microbial profile of three sugarcane bagasse dumping sites at Zango area, Ilorin, Nigeria. The microbial isolates were screened for cellulase production with a view to select the best organism for eventual cellulase production. Pour Plate method was used for the isolation and a total of thirteen (13 different organisms including both fungal and bacterial species were isolated and screened. Six (6 fungal isolates identified as Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Neurospora sitophilus, Penicillium oxalicum and Penicillium citrinum were isolated, while seven (7 different bacterial species isolated include Clostridium cellobioparum, Clostridium thermocellum,Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumillus, Lactobacillus spp, Pseudomonas flavescens and Serratia spp. Generally, bacterial isolates were more in abundance than fungal species. However; fungal isolates were constant and were isolated through the experimental period of three weeks. All the isolates showed cellulase production potential in varying degrees as reflected in the clearance zone around their colonies. Fungal isolates produced more cellulase than the bacterial isolates. Mucor racemosus had the highest clearance zone (75.0 mm among the fungal isolates while Clostridium cellobioparum (35.0 mm were the best producer among bacterial isolates. The least producer among fungal isolates, Penicillium citrinum (40.0 mm, is a little more than the bacterial cellulase producer (35.0 mm and is far greater than the least bacterium Serratia spp (14.0 mm.

Production and estimation of alkaline protease by immobilized Bacillus licheniformis isolated from poultry farm soil of 24 Parganas and its reusability

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Shamba Chatterjee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Microbial alkaline protease has become an important industrial and commercial biotech product in the recent years and exerts major applications in food, textile, detergent, and pharmaceutical industries. By immobilization of microbes in different entrapment matrices, the enzyme produced can be more stable, pure, continuous, and can be reused which in turn modulates the enzyme production in an economical manner. There have been reports in support of calcium alginate and corn cab as excellent matrices for immobilization of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis, respectively. This study has been carried out using calcium alginate, κ-carrageenan, agar-agar, polyacrylamide gel, and gelatin which emphasizes not only on enzyme activity of immobilized whole cells by different entrapment matrices but also on their efficiency with respect to their reusability as first attempt. Gelatin was found to be the best matrix among all with highest enzyme activity (517 U/ml at 24 h incubation point and also showed efficiency when reused.

Biological activity of the non-microbial fraction of kefir: antagonism against intestinal pathogens.

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Iraporda, Carolina; Abatemarco Júnior, Mário; Neumann, Elisabeth; Nunes, Álvaro Cantini; Nicoli, Jacques R; Abraham, Analía G; Garrote, Graciela L

2017-08-01

Kefir is a fermented milk obtained by the activity of kefir grains which are composed of lactic and acetic acid bacteria, and yeasts. Many beneficial health effects have been associated with kefir consumption such as stimulation of the immune system and inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms. The biological activity of kefir may be attributed to the presence of a complex microbiota as well as the microbial metabolites that are released during fermentation. The aim of this work was to characterise the non-microbial fraction of kefir and to study its antagonism against Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Bacillus cereus. During milk fermentation there was a production of organic acids, mainly lactic and acetic acid, with a consequent decrease in pH and lactose content. The non-microbial fraction of kefir added to nutrient broth at concentrations above 75% v/v induced a complete inhibition of pathogenic growth that could be ascribed to the presence of un-dissociated lactic acid. In vitro assays using an intestinal epithelial cell model indicated that pre-incubation of cells with the non-microbial fraction of kefir did not modify the association/invasion of Salmonella whereas pre-incubation of Salmonella with this fraction under conditions that did not affect their viability significantly decreased the pathogen's ability to invade epithelial cells. Lactate exerted a protective effect against Salmonella in a mouse model, demonstrating the relevance of metabolites present in the non-microbial fraction of kefir produced during milk fermentation.

Microbial reduction of [Co(III)–EDTA]− by Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 strain isolated from a solar salt pan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paraneeiswaran, Arunachalam; Shukla, Sudhir K.; Prashanth, K.; Rao, T. Subba

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 was used in the bioremediation of [Co(III)–EDTA] − . • The bacterial biomass adsorbed the Co–EDTA complex after its reduction. • [Co(III)–EDTA] − complex showed Bacillus spore inducing property. • B. licheniformis SPB-2 showed significantly radio-tolerance (D 10 = 250 Gy). - Abstract: Naturally stressed habitats are known to be repositories for novel microorganisms with potential bioremediation applications. In this study, we isolated a [Co(III)–EDTA] − reducing bacterium Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 from a solar salt pan that is exposed to constant cycles of hydration and desiccation in nature. [Co(III)–EDTA] − generated during nuclear waste management process is difficult to remove from the waste due to its high stability and solubility. It is reduced form i.e. [Co(II)–EDTA] 2− is less stable though it is toxic. This study showed that B. licheniformis SPB-2 reduced 1 mM [Co(III)–EDTA] − in 14 days when grown in a batch mode. However, subsequent cycles showed an increase in the reduction activity, which was observed up to four cycles. Interestingly, the present study also showed that [Co(III)–EDTA] − acted as an inducer for B. licheniformis SPB-2 spore germination. Vegetative cells germinated from the spores were found to be involved in [Co(III)–EDTA] − reduction. More detailed investigations showed that after [Co(III)–EDTA] − reduction, i.e. [Co(II)–EDTA] 2− complex was removed by B. licheniformis SPB-2 from the bulk liquid by adsorption phenomenon. The bacterium showed a D 10 value (radiation dose required to kill 90% cells) of ∼250 Gray (Gy), which signifies the potential use of B. licheniformis SPB-2 for bioremediation of moderately active nuclear waste

Microbial composition in bioaerosols of a high-throughput chicken-slaughtering facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Lues, J F R; Theron, M M; Venter, P; Rasephei, M H R

2007-01-01

The microbial composition of the air in various areas of a high-throughput chicken-slaughtering facility was investigated. Over a 4-mo period, 6 processing areas were sampled, and the influence of environmental factors was monitored. The highest counts of microorganisms were recorded in the initial stages of processing, comprising the receiving-killing and defeathering areas, whereas counts decreased toward the evisceration, air-chilling, packaging, and dispatch areas. Maximum microbial counts were as follows: coliforms, 4.9 x 10(3) cfu/m(3); Escherichia coli 3.4 x 10(3) cfu/m(3); Bacillus cereus, 5.0 x 10(4) cfu/m(3); Staphylococcus aureus, 1.6 x 10(4) cfu/m(3); Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 7.0 x 10(4) cfu/m(3); presumptive Salmonella spp., 1.5 x 10(4) cfu/m(3); Listeria monocytogenes, 1.6 x 10(4) cfu/m(3); and fungi, 1.4 x 10(4) cfu/m(3). Higher counts of airborne microorganisms found in the receiving-killing and defeathering areas indicate the importance of controlling microbial levels before processing to prevent the spread of organisms downstream. This should limit the risk of carrying over contaminants from areas known to generate high counts to areas where the final food product is exposed to air and surface contamination.

Effect of oral administration of Bacillus coagulans B37 and Bacillus pumilus B9 strains on fecal coliforms, Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. in rat animal model.

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Haldar, Lopamudra; Gandhi, D N

2016-07-01

To investigate the effect of oral administration of two Bacillus strains on fecal coliforms, Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. in rat animal model. An in vivo experiment was conducted for 49-day period on 36 adult male albino Wister rats divided equally into to four groups. After 7-day adaptation period, one group (T1) was fed on sterile skim milk along with basal diet for the next 28 days. Second (T2) and (T3) groups received spore biomass of Bacillus coagulans B37 and Bacillus pumilus B9, respectively, suspended in sterilized skim milk at 8-9 log colony-forming units/ml plus basal diet for 28 days, while control group (T4) was supplied with clean water along with basal diet. There was a 14-day post-treatment period. A total of 288 fecal samples (8 fecal collections per rat) were collected at every 7-day interval starting from 0 to 49 days and subjected to the enumeration of the counts of coliforms and lactobacilli and Bacillus spores using respective agar media. In vitro acid and bile tolerance tests on both the strains were performed. The rats those (T2 and T3) received either B. coagulans B37 or B. pumilus B9 spore along with non-fermented skim milk showed decrease (pBacillus spore counts as compared to the control group (T4) and the group fed only skim milk (T1). In vitro study indicated that both the strains were found to survive at pH 2.0 and 3.0 even up to 3 h and tolerate bile up to 2.0% concentration even after 12 h of exposure. This study revealed that oral administration of either B. coagulans B37 or B. pumilus B9 strains might be useful in reducing coliform counts accompanied by concurrent increase in lactobacilli counts in the intestinal flora in rats.

Effect of oral administration of Bacillus coagulans B37 and Bacillus pumilus B9 strains on fecal coliforms, Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. in rat animal model

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Lopamudra Haldar

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Aim: To investigate the effect of oral administration of two Bacillus strains on fecal coliforms, Lactobacillus and Bacillus spp. in rat animal model. Materials and Methods: An in vivo experiment was conducted for 49-day period on 36 adult male albino Wister rats divided equally into to four groups. After 7-day adaptation period, one group (T1 was fed on sterile skim milk along with basal diet for the next 28 days. Second (T2 and (T3 groups received spore biomass of Bacillus coagulans B37 and Bacillus pumilus B9, respectively, suspended in sterilized skim milk at 8-9 log colony-forming units/ml plus basal diet for 28 days, while control group (T4 was supplied with clean water along with basal diet. There was a 14-day post-treatment period. A total of 288 fecal samples (8 fecal collections per rat were collected at every 7-day interval starting from 0 to 49 days and subjected to the enumeration of the counts of coliforms and lactobacilli and Bacillus spores using respective agar media. In vitro acid and bile tolerance tests on both the strains were performed. Results: The rats those (T2 and T3 received either B. coagulans B37 or B. pumilus B9 spore along with non-fermented skim milk showed decrease (p<0.01 in fecal coliform counts and increase (p<0.05 in both fecal lactobacilli and Bacillus spore counts as compared to the control group (T4 and the group fed only skim milk (T1. In vitro study indicated that both the strains were found to survive at pH 2.0 and 3.0 even up to 3 h and tolerate bile up to 2.0% concentration even after 12 h of exposure. Conclusions: This study revealed that oral administration of either B. coagulans B37 or B. pumilus B9 strains might be useful in reducing coliform counts accompanied by concurrent increase in lactobacilli counts in the intestinal flora in rats.

Use of Bacillus thuringiensis supernatant from a fermentation process to improve bioremediation of chlorpyrifos in contaminated soils.

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Aceves-Diez, Angel E; Estrada-Castañeda, Kelly J; Castañeda-Sandoval, Laura M

2015-07-01

The aim of this research was to investigate the potential of a nutrient-rich organic waste, namely the cell-free supernatant of Bacillus thuringiensis (BtS) gathered from fermentation, as a biostimulating agent to improve and sustain microbial populations and their enzymatic activities, thereby assisting in the bioremediation of chlorpyrifos-contaminated soil at a high dose (70 mg kg(-1)). Experiments were performed for up to 80 d. Chlorpyrifos degradation and its major metabolic product, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); total microbial populations were enumerated by direct counts in specific medium; and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis was measured as an index of soil microbial activity. Throughout the experiment, there was higher chlorpyrifos degradation in soil supplemented with BtS (83.1%) as compared to non-supplemented soil. TCP formation and degradation occurred in all soils, but the greatest degradation (30.34%) was observed in soil supplemented with BtS. The total microbial populations were significantly improved by supplementation with BtS. The application of chlorpyrifos to soil inhibited the enzymatic activity; however, this negative effect was counteracted by BtS, inducing an increase of approximately 16% in FDA hydrolysis. These results demonstrate the potential of B. thuringiensis supernatant as a suitable biostimulation agent for enhancing chlorpyrifos and TCP biodegradation in chlorpyrifos-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PCR-DGGE analysis of the microbial communities in three different Chinese "Baiyunbian" liquor fermentation starters.

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Xiong, Xiaomao; Hu, Yuanliang; Yan, Nanfeng; Huang, Yingna; Peng, Nan; Liang, Yunxiang; Zhao, Shumiao

2014-08-01

A systematic investigation was performed on the bacterial, Bacillus, fungal, and yeast communities of the three types of Daqu (mechanically prepared, manually prepared, and mixed prepared) used in Baiyunbian Company by reconditioning PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The DGGE results showed that the microbes in the three types of Daqu were mainly thermotolerant and thermophilic microbes, and the most dominant bacterial species were Bacillus and Virgibacillus, followed by Lactobacillus and Trichococcus. Furthermore, the dominant fungi were found to be molds, such as Rasamsonia, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Monascus, and the dominant yeasts were Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Pichia anomala, and Debaryomyces hansenii. In general, the three types of Daqu showed slight differences in microbial communities, and the Shannon indexes (H') of the manually prepared and mechanically prepared Daqu were similar. The results suggest that mechanically prepared Daqu can replace manually prepared Daqu in liquor production, and this research provides useful information for liquor production and process improvement.

ANTI-MICROBIAL AND ANTI-AMOEBIC ACTIVITY SOME AZOMETHINES - POTENTIAL TEXTILE DYESTUFFS

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DJORDJEVIC Dragan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, new synthesized three azomethine derivatives applied in dyeing textiles checking the anti-microbial properties of active components, at the same time [1-3]. The emphasis is thrown on the verification of anti-microbial properties that are important for obtaining textile with significantly improved performance. All compounds were characterized and evaluated for their anti-microbial activity against 7 pathogenic bacteria, 1 parasitic protozoan and 1 fungus. It estimated anti-bacterial activity in vitro against the following microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus anthracis, Streptococcus faecalis, Enterobacter sp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Candida albicans. The anti-amoebic activity in vitro was evaluated against the HM1: IMSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica and the results were compared with the standard drug, metronidazole. The synthesized azomethines, showed very good substantivity for wool fibers, gave fine coloring, with good degree of exhaustion after dyeing. The combination of extended synthetic analogues of natural molecules leads to discovery of chemical entities which might be excellent anti-microbial and anti-amoebic compounds as depicted in our results. Being highly the effects this compound can be explored in future as an option for decreasing pathogenic potential of infecting from different sources. Azomethines containing hydrazone (dyestuff 1 and phenylhydrazone (dyestuff 2 as moiety show average yield and moderate inhibition activity while azomethines containing thiosemicarbazone (dyestuff 3 as moiety show higher yield and greater inhibition activity towards gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as a fungus.

Utilization of corn starch as sustrate for ß-Amylase by Bacillus SPP

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Corn starch was used as substrate for ß -amylase production from ten(10) amylolytic species of the genus Bacillus isolated locally from soil, waste water and food sources. Ten bacillus strains was made up of two strains each of Bacillus macerans, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus circulans. Also included are B. coagulans, ...

Potassium sensing histidine kinase in Bacillus subtilis.

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López, Daniel; Gontang, Erin A; Kolter, Roberto

2010-01-01

The soil-dwelling organism Bacillus subtilis is able to form multicellular aggregates known as biofilms. It was recently reported that the process of biofilm formation is activated in response to the presence of various, structurally diverse small-molecule natural products. All of these small-molecule natural products made pores in the membrane of the bacterium, causing the leakage of potassium cations from the cytoplasm of the cell. The potassium cation leakage was sensed by the membrane histidine kinase KinC, triggering the genetic pathway to the production of the extracellular matrix that holds cells within the biofilm. This chapter presents the methodology used to characterize the leakage of cytoplasmic potassium as the signal that induces biofilm formation in B. subtilis via activation of KinC. Development of novel techniques to monitor activation of gene expression in microbial populations led us to discover the differentiation of a subpopulation of cells specialized to produce the matrix that holds all cells together within the biofilm. This phenomenon of cell differentiation was previously missed by conventional techniques used to monitor transcriptional gene expression. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistence of Bt Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa toxin in various soils determined by physicochemical reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Helassa, N.; Noinville, S.; Déjardin, P.; Janot, J. M.; Quiquampoix, H.; Staunton, S.

2009-04-01

Insecticidal Cry proteins from the soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are produced by a class of genetically modified (GM) crops, and released into soils through root exudates and upon decomposition of residues. In contrast to the protoxin produced by the Bacillus, the protein produced in GM crops does not require activation in insect midguts and thereby potentially looses some of its species specificity. Although gene transfer and resistance emergence phenomena are well documented, the fate of these toxins in soil has not yet been clearly elucidated. Cry proteins, in common with other proteins, are adsorbed on soils and soil components. Adsorption on soil, and the reversibility of this adsorption is an important aspect of the environmental behaviour of these toxins. The orientation of the molecule and conformational changes on surfaces may modify the toxicity and confer some protection against microbial degradation. Adsorption will have important consequences for both the risk of exposition of non target species and the acquisition of resistance by target species. We have adopted different approaches to investigate the fate of Cry1Aa in soils and model minerals. In each series of experiments we endeavoured to maintain the protein in a monomeric form (pH above 6.5 and a high ionic strength imposed with 150 mM NaCl). The adsorption and the desorbability of the Cry1Aa Bt insecticidal protein were measured on two different homoionic clays: montmorillonite and kaolinite. Adsorption isotherms obtained followed a low affinity interaction for both clays and could be fitted using the Langmuir equation. Binding of the toxin decreased as the pH increased from 6.5 (close to the isoelectric point) to 9. Maximum adsorption was about 40 times greater on montmorillonite (1.71 g g-1) than on kaolinite (0.04 g g-1) in line with the contrasting respective specific surface areas of the minerals. Finally, some of the adsorbed toxin was desorbed by water and more, about 36

Pathogenesis of apical periodontitis and the causes of endodontic failures.

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Nair, P N R

2004-11-01

Apical periodontitis is a sequel to endodontic infection and manifests itself as the host defense response to microbial challenge emanating from the root canal system. It is viewed as a dynamic encounter between microbial factors and host defenses at the interface between infected radicular pulp and periodontal ligament that results in local inflammation, resorption of hard tissues, destruction of other periapical tissues, and eventual formation of various histopathological categories of apical periodontitis, commonly referred to as periapical lesions. The treatment of apical periodontitis, as a disease of root canal infection, consists of eradicating microbes or substantially reducing the microbial load from the root canal and preventing re-infection by orthograde root filling. The treatment has a remarkably high degree of success. Nevertheless, endodontic treatment can fail. Most failures occur when treatment procedures, mostly of a technical nature, have not reached a satisfactory standard for the control and elimination of infection. Even when the highest standards and the most careful procedures are followed, failures still occur. This is because there are root canal regions that cannot be cleaned and obturated with existing equipments, materials, and techniques, and thus, infection can persist. In very rare cases, there are also factors located within the inflamed periapical tissue that can interfere with post-treatment healing of the lesion. The data on the biological causes of endodontic failures are recent and scattered in various journals. This communication is meant to provide a comprehensive overview of the etio-pathogenesis of apical periodontitis and the causes of failed endodontic treatments that can be visualized in radiographs as asymptomatic post-treatment periapical radiolucencies.

Geno- and phenotypic characterization of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus spp. strains isolated from African indigenous fermented food products and their applications in the food and feed industries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adimpong, David Bichala

African indigenous fermented food products are characterized by complex and diverse groups of microorganisms and therefore offer a rich source for selection of microbial strains for various applications in the biotechnology and food bio-processing sectors. There is however, a global public health...... of these strains to assess their potential industrial applications. This Thesis provided strong evidence on a high level of genomic heterogeneity among members of the Lb. delbrueckii spp. for which a new subspecies was proposed (Appendix II). The data on antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the 3 Bacillus...... species strains (Appendix III) will enable regulatory and public health authorities to accurately proposevii antimicrobial breakpoint values for these species as this Thesis has provided evidence on the inadequacy of the antimicrobial breakpoint values recommended by EFSA for the Bacillus genus...

Potential of Bacillus spp produces siderophores insuppressing thewilt disease of banana plants

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Kesaulya, H.; Hasinu, J. V.; Tuhumury, G. NC

2018-01-01

In nature, different types of siderophore such as hydroxymate, catecholets and carboxylate, are produced by different bacteria. Bacillus spp were isolated from potato rhizospheric soil can produce siderophore of both catecholets and salicylate type with different concentrations. Various strains of Bacillus spp were tested for pathogen inhibition capability in a dual culture manner. The test results showed the ability of inhibition of pathogen isolated from banana wilt disease. From the result tested were found Bacillus niabensis Strain PT-32-1, Bacillus subtilis Strain SWI16b, Bacillus subtilis Strain HPC21, Bacillus mojavensis Strain JCEN3, and Bacillus subtilis Strain HPC24 showed different capabilities in suppressing pathogen.

Evaluation of microbial and physico-chemical qualities of some cough syrups marketed in Sana’a city, Yemen.

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Ali G. Al−Kaf

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Context: Microbial contamination of cough syrups can bring clinical hazards to the users or patients as well as physical and chemical changes in the product. Aims: To evaluate the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of two hundred samples of four different types of cough syrups marketed in Sana’a city, Yemen. Methods: All collected samples were subjected to the following examinations: the total microbial count, type of isolated microorganisms, physical parameters, and concentration of active ingredients were identified and assessed by standard techniques described in US Pharmacopeia. Results: All the cough syrup samples used contained viable microbial load within acceptable limit according Pharmacopeia specifications. Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus fulvum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the most commonly recovered bacteria. However, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium notatum, Mucor sp., and Aspergillus flavus were the most fungi isolated. The physical properties represented in the appearance, density, and pH of the analyzed samples complied with Pharmacopoeia standards. The concentrations of diphenhydramine HCl (92,51 – 108,78%, pseudoephedrine HCl (94,55 – 109,07%, and triprolidine HCl (98,20 – 104,19% were recorded. Conclusions: All cough syrups marketed in Sana’a City had good microbiological and physico-chemical qualities.

PRODUCTION OF FIBRINOLYTIC ENZYME (NATTOKINASE) FROM BACILLUS SP.

OpenAIRE

Padma Singh, Rekha Negi*, Vani Sharma, Alka Rani, Pallavi and Richa Prasad

2018-01-01

During present study Nattokinase which is a novel fibrinolytic enzyme was produced by Bacillus sp. To screen and extract nattokinase enzyme from Bacillus sp. were isolated from soil of different agricultural field by serial dilution method. Out of 10 isolate, one strain i.e. B3 produced nattokinase on screening medium. B3 was identified by biochemical characterization. The caseinolytic activity of Nattokinase was 0.526 U/ml and the selected isolate Bacillus sp. could produce active nattokinas...

Complete Genome Sequence of a thermotolerant sporogenic lactic acid bacterium, Bacillus coagulans strain 36D1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rhee, Mun Su [University of Florida, Gainesville; Moritz, Brelan E. [University of Florida, Gainesville; Xie, Gary [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Glavina Del Rio, Tijana [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Dalin, Eileen [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Tice, Hope [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Bruce, David [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Goodwin, Lynne A. [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Chertkov, Olga [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Brettin, Thomas S [ORNL; Han, Cliff [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Detter, J. Chris [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Pitluck, Sam [U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute; Land, Miriam L [ORNL; Patel, Milind [University of Florida, Gainesville; Ou, Mark [University of Florida, Gainesville; Harbrucker, Roberta [University of Florida, Gainesville; Ingram, Lonnie O. [University of Florida; Shanmugam, Keelnathan T. [University of Florida

2011-01-01

Bacillus coagulans is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that grows at 50-55 C and pH 5.0 and fer- ments various sugars that constitute plant biomass to L (+)-lactic acid. The ability of this spo- rogenic lactic acid bacterium to grow at 50-55 C and pH 5.0 makes this organism an attrac- tive microbial biocatalyst for production of optically pure lactic acid at industrial scale not only from glucose derived from cellulose but also from xylose, a major constituent of hemi- cellulose. This bacterium is also considered as a potential probiotic. Complete genome se- quence of a representative strain, B. coagulans strain 36D1, is presented and discussed.

Complete Genome Sequence of a thermotolerant sporogenic lactic acid bacterium, Bacillus coagulans strain 36D1

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Mun Su; Moritz, Brélan E.; Xie, Gary; Glavina del Rio, T.; Dalin, E.; Tice, H.; Bruce, D.; Goodwin, L.; Chertkov, O.; Brettin, T.; Han, C.; Detter, C.; Pitluck, S.; Land, Miriam L.; Patel, Milind; Ou, Mark; Harbrucker, Roberta; Ingram, Lonnie O.; Shanmugam, K. T.

2011-01-01

Bacillus coagulans is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that grows at 50-55 °C and pH 5.0 and ferments various sugars that constitute plant biomass to L (+)-lactic acid. The ability of this sporogenic lactic acid bacterium to grow at 50-55 °C and pH 5.0 makes this organism an attractive microbial biocatalyst for production of optically pure lactic acid at industrial scale not only from glucose derived from cellulose but also from xylose, a major constituent of hemicellulose. This bacterium is also considered as a potential probiotic. Complete genome sequence of a representative strain, B. coagulans strain 36D1, is presented and discussed. PMID:22675583

Genetic transformation of Bacillus strains close to bacillus subtilis and isolated from the soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van, C.K.; Kuzin, Yu.Yu.; Kozlovskii, Yu.E.; Prozorov, A.A.

1986-01-01

Chromosomal and plasmid transformation was found in five out of 118 Bacillus strains, close or identical to Bacillus subtilis, and isolated from soil in Moscow or in the Moscow district. The efficiency of transformation in these strains was lower than that in derivatives of Bac. subtilis strain 168. In these strains the ability to undergo transformation was dependent on the rate of sporulation and the presence of restrictases. As in the case of Bac. subtilis 168 the strains isolated may be used as models in genetic transformation studies on Bac. subtilis

Patterns of Early-Life Gut Microbial Colonization during Human Immune Development: An Ecological Perspective

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Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Alterations in gut microbial colonization during early life have been reported in infants that later developed asthma, allergies, type 1 diabetes, as well as in inflammatory bowel disease patients, previous to disease flares. Mechanistic studies in animal models have established that microbial alterations influence disease pathogenesis via changes in immune system maturation. Strong evidence points to the presence of a window of opportunity in early life, during which changes in gut microbial colonization can result in immune dysregulation that predisposes susceptible hosts to disease. Although the ecological patterns of microbial succession in the first year of life have been partly defined in specific human cohorts, the taxonomic and functional features, and diversity thresholds that characterize these microbial alterations are, for the most part, unknown. In this review, we summarize the most important links between the temporal mosaics of gut microbial colonization and the age-dependent immune functions that rely on them. We also highlight the importance of applying ecology theory to design studies that explore the interactions between this complex ecosystem and the host immune system. Focusing research efforts on understanding the importance of temporally structured patterns of diversity, keystone groups, and inter-kingdom microbial interactions for ecosystem functions has great potential to enable the development of biologically sound interventions aimed at maintaining and/or improving immune system development and preventing disease.

Phytase Production and Development of an Ideal Dephytinization Process for Amelioration of Food Nutrition Using Microbial Phytases.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Jinender; Singh, Bijender

2017-04-01

Development of an ideal process for reduction of food phytates using microbial phytases is a demanding task by all food and feed industries all over the world. Phytase production by Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250 isolated from soil sample was optimized in submerged fermentation using statistical tools. Among all the culture variables tested, sucrose, sodium phytate and Tween-80 were identified as the most significant variables using the Placket-Burman design. Further optimization of these variables resulted in a 6.79-fold improvement in phytase production (7170 U/L) as compared to unoptimized medium. Supplementation of microbial phytases (fungal and bacterial) resulted in improved bioavailability of nutritional components with the concomitant liberation of inorganic phosphorus, reducing sugar, soluble protein and amino acids, thus mitigating anti-nutritional properties of phytic acid.

DECONTAMINATION ASSESSMENT OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS, BACILLUS SUBTILIS, AND GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS SPORES ON INDOOR SURFACTS USING A HYDROGEN PERIOXIDE GAS GENERATOR

Science.gov (United States)

Aims: To evaluate the decontamination of Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores on indoor surface materials using hydrogen peroxide gas. Methods and Results: B. anthracis, B. subtilis, and G. Stearothermophilus spores were dried on seven...

Heavy metals and their radionuclides uptake by Bacillus Licheniformis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramadan, A.A.; Ahmed, M.M.; Abo-state, M.A.M.; Sarhan, M.; Faroqe, M.

2007-01-01

Bacillus licheniformis is a gram positive spore forming bacterium. Different concentrations of cobalt affected the ability of Co uptake and growth of Bacillus licheniformis. As the concentration increased, both the uptake and growth were decreased. Maximum Co uptake was found at ph 7.0, while for growth was ph 8.0. The optimum temperature for uptake and growth was 40 degree C and 20% inoculum size represents the maximum cobalt uptake by Bacillus licheniformis. Also, maximum uptake was recorded after 72 hours, incubation period. As the concentration of cesium was increased till 400 mg/l, the uptake was also increased. The optimum cesium uptake and growth was at ph 8.0. The optimum growth was at 45 degree C while Cs uptake was found at 35 degree C and 15% inoculum size represented the maximum Cs uptake. After 72 hour incubation period, maximum Cs uptake was recorded. Generally, Bacillus licheniformis removed more than 80% of Co and 50% of Cs from the broth medium. Addition of clay to Bacillus licheniformis increased both Co or Cs uptake. Bacillus licheniformis was gamma resistant and 10 KGy reduced the viability by 5.3 log cycles. The irradiated and non-irradiated cultures can grow on 500 or 700 mg Co or Cs. Bacillus licheniformis removed 99.32% of the Co radionuclides and 99.28% of Cs radionuclides

Sustainable Power Generation in Continuous Flow Microbial Fuel Cell Treating Actual Wastewater: Influence of Biocatalyst Type on Electricity Production

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Zainab Z. Ismail

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Microbial fuel cells (MFCs have the potential to simultaneously treat wastewater for reuse and to generate electricity. This study mainly considers the performance of an upflow dual-chambered MFC continuously fueled with actual domestic wastewater and alternatively biocatalyzed with aerobic activated sludge and strain of Bacillus Subtilis. The behavior of MFCs during initial biofilm growth and characterization of anodic biofilm were studied. After 45 days of continuous operation, the biofilms on the anodic electrode were well developed. The performance of MFCs was mainly evaluated in terms of COD reductions and electrical power output. Results revealed that the COD removal efficiency was 84% and 90% and the stabilized power outputs were clearly observed achieving a maximum value of 120 and 270 mW/m2 obtained for MFCs inoculated with mixed cultures and Bacillus Subtilis strain, respectively.

Influence of Gamma and Electron Beam Irradiation on Microbial Load of Pueraria mirifica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eamsiri, J.; Pewlong, W.; Sajjabut, S.; Chookaew, S.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of gamma ray and electron beam on the microbial load of Pueraria mirifica at selected storage period post exposure to irradiation. The samples were irradiated at 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kGy and then analyzed for the total bacteria, total yeast and mold, and the presence of Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens after 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of storage. Results demonstrated that both irradiation techniques significantly reduced microbial contamination. As the reduction in bacteria count decreased linearly with the absorbed dose, the dose of 5 kGy was found to be sufficient in eliminating pathogens with the total bacteria count decreased to the value accepted by the Thai Industrial standard 1441/2552. In addition, we found that total bacteria, total yeast and mold and pathogens did not change significantly after storage up to 12 months post irradiation.

Antivirulence Properties of Probiotics in Combating Microbial Pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Surendran Nair, M; Amalaradjou, M A; Venkitanarayanan, K

2017-01-01

Probiotics are nonpathogenic microorganisms that confer a health benefit on the host when administered in adequate amounts. Ample evidence is documented to support the potential application of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections. Health benefits of probiotics include prevention of diarrhea, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea, atopic eczema, dental carries, colorectal cancers, and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The cumulative body of scientific evidence that demonstrates the beneficial effects of probiotics on health and disease prevention has made probiotics increasingly important as a part of human nutrition and led to a surge in the demand for probiotics in clinical applications and as functional foods. The ability of probiotics to promote health is attributed to the various beneficial effects exerted by these microorganisms on the host. These include lactose metabolism and food digestion, production of antimicrobial peptides and control of enteric infections, anticarcinogenic properties, immunologic enhancement, enhancement of short-chain fatty acid production, antiatherogenic and cholesterol-lowering attributes, regulatory role in allergy, protection against vaginal or urinary tract infections, increased nutritional value, maintenance of epithelial integrity and barrier, stimulation of repair mechanism in cells, and maintenance and reestablishment of well-balanced indigenous intestinal and respiratory microbial communities. Most of these attributes primarily focus on the effect of probiotic supplementation on the host. Hence, in most cases, it can be concluded that the ability of a probiotic to protect the host from infection is an indirect result of promoting overall health and well-being. However, probiotics also exert a direct effect on invading microorganisms. The direct modes of action resulting in the elimination of pathogens include inhibition of pathogen replication by producing

Selection of optimum conditions of medium acidity and aeration for submerget cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana

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O. A. Dregval

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the influence of medium pH and aeration rate on growth and sporulation of Bacillus thuringiensis and Вeauveria bassiana, which are main constituents of the complex microbial insecticide. It was established optimal medium pH for B. thuringiensis – 6.0 and for В. bassiana – 6.0–7.0. The maximum productivity of the studied microorganisms was observed in the same range of aeration – 7– 14 mmol O2/l/h. The selected conditions of cultivation are necessary for the production of complex biological insecticide based on the association of B. thuringiensis and B. bassiana.

Construction of a highly efficient Bacillus subtilis 168 whole-cell biocatalyst and its application in the production of L-ornithine.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Meizhou; Xu, Meijuan; Rao, Zhiming; Yang, Taowei; Zhang, Xian

2015-11-01

L-Ornithine, a non-protein amino acid, is usually extracted from hydrolyzed protein as well as produced by microbial fermentation. Here, we focus on a highly efficient whole-cell biocatalyst for the production of L-ornithine. The gene argI, encoding arginase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of L-arginine to L-ornithine and urea, was cloned from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B10-127 and expressed in GRAS strain Bacillus subtilis 168. The recombinant strain exhibited an arginase activity of 21.9 U/mg, which is 26.7 times that of wild B. subtilis 168. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified recombinant arginase were 10.0 and 40 °C, respectively. In addition, the recombinant arginase exhibited a strong Mn(2+) preference. When using whole-cell biocatalyst-based bioconversion, a hyper L-ornithine production of 356.9 g/L was achieved with a fed-batch strategy in a 5-L reactor within 12 h. This whole-cell bioconversion study demonstrates an environmentally friendly strategy for L-ornithine production in industry.

A Comparative biochemical study on two marine endophytes, Bacterium SRCnm and Bacillus sp. JS, Isolated from red sea algae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Eman Fadl; Hassan, Hossam Mokhtar; Rateb, Mostafa Ezzat; Abdel-Wahab, Noha; Sameer, Somayah; Aly Taie, Hanan Anwar; Abdel-Hameed, Mohammed Sayed; Hammouda, Ola

2016-01-01

Two marine endophytic bacteria were isolated from the Red Sea algae; a red alga; Acanthophora dendroides and the brown alga Sargassum sabrepandum. The isolates were identified based on their 16SrRNA sequences as Bacterium SRCnm and Bacillus sp. JS. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential anti-microbial and antioxidant activities of the extracts of the isolated bacteria grown in different nutrient conditions. Compared to amoxicillin (25μg/disk) and erythromycin (15μg/disk), the extracts of Bacterium SRCn min media II, III, IV and V were potent inhibitors of the gram-positive bacterium Sarcina maxima even at low concentrations. Also, the multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) was more sensitive to the metabolites produced in medium (II) of the same endophyte than erythromycin (15μg/disk). A moderate activity of the Bacillus sp. JS extracts of media I and II was obtained against the same pathogen. The total compounds (500ug/ml) of both isolated endophytes showed moderate antioxidant activities (48.9% and 46.1%, respectively). LC/MS analysis of the bacterial extracts was carried out to investigate the likely natural products produced. Cyclo(D-cis-Hyp-L-Leu), dihydrosphingosine and 2-Amino-1,3-hexadecanediol were identified in the fermentation medium of Bacterium SRCnm, whereas cyclo (D-Pro-L-Tyr) and cyclo (L-Leu-L-Pro) were the suggested compounds of Bacillus sp. JS.

Bacillus As Potential Probiotics: Status, Concerns, and Future Perspectives

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Fouad M. F. Elshaghabee

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Spore-forming bacilli are being explored for the production and preservation of food for many centuries. The inherent ability of production of large number of secretory proteins, enzymes, antimicrobial compounds, vitamins, and carotenoids specifies the importance of bacilli in food chain. Additionally, Bacillus spp. are gaining interest in human health related functional food research coupled with their enhanced tolerance and survivability under hostile environment of gastrointestinal tract. Besides, bacilli are more stable during processing and storage of food and pharmaceutical preparations, making them more suitable candidate for health promoting formulations. Further, Bacillus strains also possess biotherapeutic potential which is connected with their ability to interact with the internal milieu of the host by producing variety of antimicrobial peptides and small extracellular effector molecules. Nonetheless, with proposed scientific evidences, commercial probiotic supplements, and functional foods comprising of Bacillus spp. had not gained much credential in general population, since the debate over probiotic vs pathogen tag of Bacillus in the research and production terrains is confusing consumers. Hence, it’s important to clearly understand the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of selective beneficial Bacillus spp. and their substantiation with those having GRAS status, to reach a consensus over the same. This review highlights the probiotic candidature of spore forming Bacillus spp. and presents an overview of the proposed health benefits, including application in food and pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the growing need to evaluate the safety of individual Bacillus strains as well as species on a case by case basis and necessity of more profound analysis for the selection and identification of Bacillus probiotic candidates are also taken into consideration.

Degradation of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid by a Bacillus sp.

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Shaohua Chen

Full Text Available 3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA is of great environmental concern with regards to endocrine disrupting activity and widespread occurrence in water and soil, yet little is known about microbial degradation in contaminated regions. We report here that a new bacterial strain isolated from soil, designated DG-02, was shown to degrade 95.6% of 50 mg·L(-1 3-PBA within 72 h in mineral salt medium (MSM. Strain DG-02 was identified as Bacillus sp. based on the morphology, physio-biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequence. The optimum conditions for 3-PBA degradation were determined to be 30.9°C and pH 7.7 using response surface methodology (RSM. The isolate converted 3-PBA to produce 3-(2-methoxyphenoxy benzoic acid, protocatechuate, phenol, and 3,4-dihydroxy phenol, and subsequently transformed these compounds with a q(max, K(s and K(i of 0.8615 h(-1, 626.7842 mg·L(-1 and 6.7586 mg·L(-1, respectively. A novel microbial metabolic pathway for 3-PBA was proposed on the basis of these metabolites. Inoculation of strain DG-02 resulted in a higher degradation rate on 3-PBA than that observed in the non-inoculated soil. Moreover, the degradation process followed the first-order kinetics, and the half-life (t(1/2 for 3-PBA was greatly reduced as compared to the non-inoculated control. This study highlights an important potential application of strain DG-02 for the in situ bioremediation of 3-PBA contaminated environments.

Characterization of microbial communities in heavy crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

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Albokari, Majed; Mashhour, Ibrahim; Alshehri, Mohammed; Boothman, Chris; Al-Enezi, Mousa

The complete mineralization of crude oil into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and cellular constituents can be carried out as part of a bioremediation strategy. This involves the transformation of complex organic contaminants into simpler organic compounds by microbial communities, mainly bacteria. A crude oil sample and an oil sludge sample were obtained from Saudi ARAMCO Oil Company and investigated to identify the microbial communities present using PCR-based culture-independent techniques. In total, analysis of 177 clones yielded 30 distinct bacterial sequences. Clone library analysis of the oil sample was found to contain Bacillus , Clostridia and Gammaproteobacteria species while the sludge sample revealed the presence of members of the Alphaproteobacteria , Betaproteobacteria , Gammaproteobacteria , Clostridia , Spingobacteria and Flavobacteria . The dominant bacterial class identified in oil and sludge samples was found to be Bacilli and Flavobacteria , respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the dominant bacterium in the oil sample has the closest sequence identity to Enterococcus aquimarinus and the dominant bacterium in the sludge sample is most closely related to the uncultured Bacteroidetes bacterium designated AH.KK.

Characterization of Emetic Bacillus weihenstephanensis, a New Cereulide-Producing Bacterium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Line; Munk Hansen, Bjarne; Nielsen, Kristian Fog

2006-01-01

Cereulide production has until now been restricted to the species Bacillus cereus. Here we report on two psychrotolerant Bacillus weihenstephanensis strains, MC67 and MC118, that produce cereulide. The strains are atypical with regard to pheno- and genotypic characteristics normally used for iden......Cereulide production has until now been restricted to the species Bacillus cereus. Here we report on two psychrotolerant Bacillus weihenstephanensis strains, MC67 and MC118, that produce cereulide. The strains are atypical with regard to pheno- and genotypic characteristics normally used...

Microbial communities in bentonite formations and their interactions with uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Fernández, Margarita; Fernández-Sanfrancisco, Omar; Moreno-García, Alberto; Martín-Sánchez, Inés; Sánchez-Castro, Iván; Merroun, Mohamed Larbi

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Microbial diversity of Spanish bentonites was studied. • High number of aerobe and facultative anaerobe microbes were isolated from bentonites. • Natural bentonite microbes are able to tolerate high U concentrations. • U is immobilized by the cells of the strain Rhodotorula mucilaginosa BII-R8 as U(VI) phosphates. - Abstract: A reliable performance assessment of deep geological disposal of nuclear waste depends on better knowledge of radionuclide interactions with natural microbes of geological formations (granitic rock, clay, salts) used to host these disposal systems. In Spain, clay deposits from Cabo de Gata region, Almeria, are investigated for this purpose. The present work characterizes the culture-dependent microbial diversity of two bentonite samples (BI and BII) recovered from Spanish clay deposits. The evaluation of aerobe and facultative anaerobe microbial populations shows the presence of a high number of cultivable bacteria (e.g. Stenotrophomonas, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Kocuria, Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, etc.) affiliated to three phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. In addition, a pigmented yeast strain BII-R8 related to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was also recovered from these formations. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of uranium for the growth of these natural isolates were found to range from 4 to 10.0 mM. For instance, strain R. mucilaginosa BII-R8 was shown to tolerate up to 8 mM of U. Flow cytometry studies indicated that the high U tolerance of this yeast isolate is a biologically mediated process. Microscopically dense intracellular and cell wall-bound precipitates were observed by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-High-Angle Annular Dark-Field (STEM-HAADF). Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) element-distribution maps showed the presence of U and P within these accumulates, indicating the ability of cells to precipitate U as U(VI) phosphate minerals. Fundamental understanding of the

Microbial communities in bentonite formations and their interactions with uranium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Fernández, Margarita; Fernández-Sanfrancisco, Omar; Moreno-García, Alberto; Martín-Sánchez, Inés; Sánchez-Castro, Iván; Merroun, Mohamed Larbi, E-mail: merroun@ugr.es

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Microbial diversity of Spanish bentonites was studied. • High number of aerobe and facultative anaerobe microbes were isolated from bentonites. • Natural bentonite microbes are able to tolerate high U concentrations. • U is immobilized by the cells of the strain Rhodotorula mucilaginosa BII-R8 as U(VI) phosphates. - Abstract: A reliable performance assessment of deep geological disposal of nuclear waste depends on better knowledge of radionuclide interactions with natural microbes of geological formations (granitic rock, clay, salts) used to host these disposal systems. In Spain, clay deposits from Cabo de Gata region, Almeria, are investigated for this purpose. The present work characterizes the culture-dependent microbial diversity of two bentonite samples (BI and BII) recovered from Spanish clay deposits. The evaluation of aerobe and facultative anaerobe microbial populations shows the presence of a high number of cultivable bacteria (e.g. Stenotrophomonas, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Kocuria, Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, etc.) affiliated to three phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. In addition, a pigmented yeast strain BII-R8 related to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was also recovered from these formations. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of uranium for the growth of these natural isolates were found to range from 4 to 10.0 mM. For instance, strain R. mucilaginosa BII-R8 was shown to tolerate up to 8 mM of U. Flow cytometry studies indicated that the high U tolerance of this yeast isolate is a biologically mediated process. Microscopically dense intracellular and cell wall-bound precipitates were observed by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy-High-Angle Annular Dark-Field (STEM-HAADF). Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) element-distribution maps showed the presence of U and P within these accumulates, indicating the ability of cells to precipitate U as U(VI) phosphate minerals. Fundamental understanding of the

Antifungal activity of indigenous Bacillus spp. isolated from soil

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Bjelić Dragana Đ.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Biocontrol using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR represents an alternative approach to disease management, since PGPR are known to promote growth and reduce diseases in various crops. Among the different PGPR, members of the genus Bacillus are prefered for most biotechnological uses due to their capability to form extremely resistant spores and produce a wide variety of metabolites with antimicrobial activity. The objective of this research was to identify antagonistic bacteria for management of the plant diseases. Eleven isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the soil samples collected from different localities in the Province of Vojvodina. The antifungal activity of bacterial isolates against five fungal species was examined using a dual plate assay. Bacillus isolates exhibited the highest antifungal activity against Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae and Alternaria padwickii, while they had the least antagonistic effect on Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium graminearum. Molecular identification showed that effective bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus safensis (B2, Bacillus pumilus (B3, B11, Bacillus subtilis (B5, B7 and Bacillus megaterium (B8, B9. The highest antagonistic activity was exhibited by isolates B5 (from 39% to 62% reduction in fungal growth and B7 (from 40% to 71% reduction in fungal growth. These isolates of B. subtilis could be used as potential biocontrol agents of plant diseases. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31073

PRODUKSI ANTIBIOTIKA OLEH Bacillus subtilis M10 DALAM MEDIA UREA-SORBITOL

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Supartono Supartono

2012-04-01

Full Text Available PRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTICS BY Bacillus subtilis M10 IN UREA-SORBITOL MEDIUM. Infection diseases still become the main health problems that suffered by people in Indonesia. Besides, there were many pathogen bacteria found to be resistant to the some antibiotics. Therefore, the efforts to get a new antibiotic require to be done continuously. A new local strain of Bacillus subtilis BAC4 has been known producing an antibiotic that inhibit Serratia marcescens ATCC 27117 growth. To make efficient the local strain, mutation on Bacillus subtilis BAC4 was done by using acridine orange and a mutant cell of Bacillus subtilis M10 that overproduction for producing antibiotic was obtained. Nevertheless, the production kinetics of antibiotic by this mutant has not been reported. The objective of this research was to study the production kinetics of antibiotic by Bacillus subtilis M10 mutant. The production of antibiotic was conducted using batch fermentation and antibiotic assay was performed with agar absorption method using Serratia marcescens ATCC 27117 as bacteria assay. Research result provided that Bacillus subtilis M10 mutant with overproduction of antibiotic produced an antibiotic since 8th hour’s fermentation and optimum of it production was at 14th hours after inoculation.  Penyakit infeksi masih menjadi masalah yang utama diderita oleh masyarakat Indonesia. Di samping itu, banyak bakteri patogen yang ditemukan resisten terhadap beberapa antibiotika. Oleh karena itu, upaya-upaya untuk mendapatkan antibiotika baru perlu dilakukan secara terus-menerus. Suatu galur lokal baru Bacillus subtilis BAC4 teridentifikasi memproduksi senyawa antibiotika yang menghambat pertumbuhan Serratia marcescens ATCC27117. Untuk memberdayakan galur tersebut, terhadap Bacillus subtilis BAC4 dilakukan mutasi dengan larutan akridin oranye dan diperoleh mutan Bacillus subtilis M10 yang memproduksi antibiotika berlebihan. Namun, kinetika produksi antibiotika oleh Bacillus

Biodegradation of naphthalene and phenanthren by Bacillus subtilis 3KP

Science.gov (United States)

Ni'matuzahroh, Trikurniadewi, N.; Pramadita, A. R. A.; Pratiwi, I. A.; Salamun, Fatimah, Sumarsih, Sri

2017-06-01

The purposes of this research were to know growth response, degradation ability, and uptake mechanism of naphthalene and phenanthrene by Bacillus subtilis 3KP. Bacillus subtilis 3KP was grown on Mineral Synthetic (MS) medium with addition of 1% yeast extract and naphthalene and phenanthrene respectively 200 ppm in different cultures. Bacillus subtilis 3KP growth response was monitored by Total Plate Count (TPC) method, the degradation ability was monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and the uptake mechanism of hydrocarbon was monitored by emulsification activity, decrease of surface tension, and activity of Bacterial Adherence to Hydrocarbon (BATH). Bacillus subtilis 3KP was able to grow and show biphasic growth pattern on both of substrates. Naphthalene and phenanthrene were used as a carbon source for Bacillus subtilis 3KP growth that indicated by the reduction of substrate concomitant with the growth. At room temperature conditions (± 30°C) and 90 rpm of agitation for 7 days, Bacillus subtilis 3KP could degrade naphthalene in the amount of 70.5% and phenanthrene in the amount of 24.8%. Based on the analysis of UV-Vis spectrophotometer, three metabolites, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, salicylic acid, and pyrocatechol were found in both cultures. The metabolite identification became basis of propose degradation pathway of naphthalene and phenanthrene by Bacillus subtilis 3KP. The results of hydrocarbon uptake mechanism test show that Bacillus subtilis 3KP used all of the mechanism to degrade naphthalene and phenanthrene.

Laser-induced speckle scatter patterns in Bacillus colonies

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Huisung eKim

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Label-free bacterial colony phenotyping technology called BARDOT (BActerial Rapid Detection using Optical scattering Technology provided successful classification of several different bacteria at the genus, species, and serovar level. Recent experiments with colonies of Bacillus species provided strikingly different characteristics of elastic light scatter (ELS patterns, which were comprised of random speckles compared to other bacteria, which are dominated by concentric rings and spokes. Since this laser-based optical sensor interrogates the whole volume of the colony, 3-D information of micro- and macro-structures are all encoded in the far-field scatter patterns. Here, we present a theoretical model explaining the underlying mechanism of the speckle formation by the colonies from Bacillus species. Except for Bacillus polymyxa, all Bacillus spp. produced random bright spots on the imaging plane, which presumably dependent on the cellular and molecular organization and content within the colony. Our scatter model-based analysis revealed that colony spread resulting in variable surface roughness can modify the wavefront of the scatter field. As the center diameter of the Bacillus spp. colony grew from 500 μm to 900 μm, average speckles area decreased 2-fold and the number of small speckles increased 7-fold. In conclusion, as Bacillus colony grows, the average speckle size in the scatter pattern decreases and the number of smaller speckle increases due to the swarming growth characteristics of bacteria within the colony.

Biodegradation of free cyanide and subsequent utilisation of biodegradation by-products by Bacillus consortia: optimisation using response surface methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Mekuto, Lukhanyo; Ntwampe, Seteno Karabo Obed; Jackson, Vanessa Angela

2015-07-01

A mesophilic alkali-tolerant bacterial consortium belonging to the Bacillus genus was evaluated for its ability to biodegrade high free cyanide (CN(-)) concentration (up to 500 mg CN(-)/L), subsequent to the oxidation of the formed ammonium and nitrates in a continuous bioreactor system solely supplemented with whey waste. Furthermore, an optimisation study for successful cyanide biodegradation by this consortium was evaluated in batch bioreactors (BBs) using response surface methodology (RSM). The input variables, that is, pH, temperature and whey-waste concentration, were optimised using a numerical optimisation technique where the optimum conditions were found to be as follows: pH 9.88, temperature 33.60 °C and whey-waste concentration of 14.27 g/L, under which 206.53 mg CN(-)/L in 96 h can be biodegraded by the microbial species from an initial cyanide concentration of 500 mg CN(-)/L. Furthermore, using the optimised data, cyanide biodegradation in a continuous mode was evaluated in a dual-stage packed-bed bioreactor (PBB) connected in series to a pneumatic bioreactor system (PBS) used for simultaneous nitrification, including aerobic denitrification. The whey-supported Bacillus sp. culture was not inhibited by the free cyanide concentration of up to 500 mg CN(-)/L, with an overall degradation efficiency of ≥ 99 % with subsequent nitrification and aerobic denitrification of the formed ammonium and nitrates over a period of 80 days. This is the first study to report free cyanide biodegradation at concentrations of up to 500 mg CN(-)/L in a continuous system using whey waste as a microbial feedstock. The results showed that the process has the potential for the bioremediation of cyanide-containing wastewaters.

Encapsulated Bacillus anthracis interacts closely with liver endothelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Piris-Gimenez, Alejandro; Corre, Jean-Philippe; Jouvion, Gregory; Candela, Thomas; Khun, Huot; Goossens, Pierre L

2009-11-01

The Bacillus anthracis poly-gamma-D-glutamate capsule is essential for virulence. It impedes phagocytosis and protects bacilli from the immune system, thus promoting systemic dissemination. To further define the virulence mechanisms brought into play by the capsule, we characterized the interactions between encapsulated nontoxinogenic B. anthracis and its host in vivo through histological analysis, perfusion, and competition experiments with purified capsule. Clearance of encapsulated bacilli from the blood was rapid (>90% clearance within 5 min), with 75% of the bacteria being trapped in the liver. Competition experiments with purified capsule polyglutamate inhibited this interaction. At the septicemic phase of cutaneous infection with spores, the encapsulated bacilli were trapped in the vascular spaces of the liver and interacted closely with the liver endothelium in the sinusoids and terminal and portal veins. They often grow as microcolonies containing capsular material shed by the bacteria. We show that, in addition to its inhibitory effect on the interaction with the immune system, the capsule surrounding B. anthracis plays an active role in mediating the trapping of the bacteria within the liver and may thus contribute to anthrax pathogenesis. Because other microorganisms produce polyglutamate, it may also represent a general mechanism of virulence or in vivo survival.

Microbial culturomics to isolate halophilic bacteria from table salt: genome sequence and description of the moderately halophilic bacterium Bacillus salis sp. nov.

Science.gov (United States)

Seck, E H; Diop, A; Armstrong, N; Delerce, J; Fournier, P-E; Raoult, D; Khelaifia, S

2018-05-01

Bacillus salis strain ES3 T (= CSUR P1478 = DSM 100598) is the type strain of B. salis sp. nov. It is an aerobic, Gram-positive, moderately halophilic, motile and spore-forming bacterium. It was isolated from commercial table salt as part of a broad culturomics study aiming to maximize the culture conditions for the in-depth exploration of halophilic bacteria in salty food. Here we describe the phenotypic characteristics of this isolate, its complete genome sequence and annotation, together with a comparison with closely related bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated 97.5% similarity with Bacillus aquimaris, the closest species. The 8 329 771 bp long genome (one chromosome, no plasmids) exhibits a G+C content of 39.19%. It is composed of 18 scaffolds with 29 contigs. Of the 8303 predicted genes, 8109 were protein-coding genes and 194 were RNAs. A total of 5778 genes (71.25%) were assigned a putative function.

Heat activation and stability of amylases from Bacillus species | Ajayi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Leitch and Collier sporulating Bacillus medium was used to isolate some strains of Bacillus species from soil, wastewater and food sources in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, by heat activation method. Heat treatment at 80oC allowed the growth of sporulating Bacillus species, in the culture sample source without other bacteria ...

Isolation and characterization of cellulolytic Bacillus licheniformis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eight cellulose degrading bacteria were isolated from compost and were identified as Bacillus licheniformis by 16S rRNA sequencing. Among the eight isolates, Bacillus licheniformis B4, B7 and B8 showed the highest cellulase activity. B. licheniformis B4 and B8 showed the maximum cellulase activity during the stationary ...

Role of the Lung Microbiome in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Hao, Ke; Yang, Ting; Wang, Chen

2017-09-05

The development of culture-independent techniques for microbiological analysis shows that bronchial tree is not sterile in either healthy or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) individuals. With the advance of sequencing technologies, lung microbiome has become a new frontier for pulmonary disease research, and such advance has led to better understanding of the lung microbiome in COPD. This review aimed to summarize the recent advances in lung microbiome, its relationships with COPD, and the possible mechanisms that microbiome contributed to COPD pathogenesis. Literature search was conducted using PubMed to collect all available studies concerning lung microbiome in COPD. The search terms were "microbiome" and "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", or "microbiome" and "lung/pulmonary". The papers in English about lung microbiome or lung microbiome in COPD were selected, and the type of articles was not limited. The lung is a complex microbial ecosystem; the microbiome in lung is a collection of viable and nonviable microbiota (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) residing in the bronchial tree and parenchymal tissues, which is important for health. The following types of respiratory samples are often used to detect the lung microbiome: sputum, bronchial aspirate, bronchoalveolar lavage, and bronchial mucosa. Disordered bacterial microbiome is participated in pathogenesis of COPD; there are also dynamic changes in microbiota during COPD exacerbations. Lung microbiome may contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD by manipulating inflammatory and/or immune process. Normal lung microbiome could be useful for prophylactic or therapeutic management in COPD, and the changes of lung microbiome could also serve as biomarkers for the evaluation of COPD.

Isolation and characterization of a novel analyte from Bacillus subtilis SC-8 antagonistic to Bacillus cereus.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Nam Keun; Yeo, In-Cheol; Park, Joung Whan; Kang, Byung-Sun; Hahm, Young Tae

2010-09-01

In this study, an effective substance was isolated from Bacillus subtilis SC-8, which was obtained from traditionally fermented soybean paste, cheonggukjang. The substance was purified by HPLC, and its properties were analyzed. It had an adequate antagonistic effect on Bacilluscereus, and its spectrum of activity was narrow. When tested on several gram-negative and gram-positive foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella enterica, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes, no antagonistic effect was observed. Applying the derivative from B. subtilis SC-8 within the same genus did not inhibit the growth of major soybean-fermenting bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus amyloquefaciens. The range of pH stability of the purified antagonistic substance was wide (from 4.0 to >10.0), and the substance was thermally stable up to 60 degrees C. In the various enzyme treatments, the antagonistic activity of the purified substance was reduced with proteinase K, protease, and lipase; its activity was partially destroyed with esterase. Spores of B. cereus did not grow at all in the presence of 5mug/mL of the purified antagonistic substance. The isolated antagonistic substance was thought to be an antibiotic-like lipopeptidal compound and was tentatively named BSAP-254 because it absorbed to UV radiation at 254nm. Copyright 2010 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of microbial DNA on human DNA profiles generated using the PowerPlex® 16 HS system.

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Dembinski, Gina M; Picard, Christine J

2017-11-01

Most crime scenes are not sterile and therefore may be contaminated with environmental DNA, especially if a decomposing body is found. Collecting biological evidence from this individual will yield DNA samples mixed with microbial DNA. This also becomes important if postmortem swabs are collected from sexually assaulted victims. Although genotyping kits undergo validation tests, including bacterial screens, they do not account for the diverse microbial load during decomposition. We investigated the effect of spiking human DNA samples with known concentrations of DNA from 17 microbe species associated with decomposition on DNA profiles produced using the Promega PowerPlex ® HS system. Two species, Bacillus subtilis and Mycobacterium smegmatis, produced an extraneous allele at the TPOX locus. When repeated with the PowerPlex ® Fusion kit, the extra allele no longer amplified with these two species. This experiment demonstrates that caution should be exhibited if microbial load is high and the PowerPlex ® 16HS system is used. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis QST713: a biocontrol agent that protects Agaricus bisporus crops against the green mould disease.

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Pandin, Caroline; Le Coq, Dominique; Deschamps, Julien; Védie, Régis; Rousseau, Thierry; Aymerich, Stéphane; Briandet, Romain

2018-04-24

Bacillus subtilis QST713 is extensively used as a biological control agent in agricultural fields including in the button mushroom culture, Agaricus bisporus. This last use exploits its inhibitory activity against microbial pathogens such as Trichoderma aggressivum f. europaeum, the main button mushroom green mould competitor. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium with a genome size of 4 233 757 bp, 4263 predicted genes and an average GC content of 45.9%. Based on phylogenomic analyses, strain QST713 is finally designated as Bacillus velezensis. Genomic analyses revealed two clusters encoding potential new antimicrobials with NRPS and TransATPKS synthetase. B. velezensis QST713 genome also harbours several genes previously described as being involved in surface colonization and biofilm formation. This strain shows a strong ability to form in vitro spatially organized biofilm and to antagonize T. aggressivum. The availability of this genome sequence could bring new elements to understand the interactions with micro or/and macroorganisms in crops. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sequencing of Bacterial Genomes: Principles and Insights into Pathogenesis and Development of Antibiotics

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Eric S. Donkor

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The impact of bacterial diseases on public health has become enormous, and is partly due to the increasing trend of antibiotic resistance displayed by bacterial pathogens. Sequencing of bacterial genomes has significantly improved our understanding about the biology of many bacterial pathogens as well as identification of novel antibiotic targets. Since the advent of genome sequencing two decades ago, about 1,800 bacterial genomes have been fully sequenced and these include important aetiological agents such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Vibrio cholerae, Clostridium difficile and Staphylococcus aureus. Very recently, there has been an explosion of bacterial genome data and is due to the development of next generation sequencing technologies, which are evolving so rapidly. Indeed, the field of microbial genomics is advancing at a very fast rate and it is difficult for researchers to be abreast with the new developments. This highlights the need for regular updates in microbial genomics through comprehensive reviews. This review paper seeks to provide an update on bacterial genome sequencing generally, and to analyze insights gained from sequencing in two areas, including bacterial pathogenesis and the development of antibiotics.

Evolution of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry toxins insecticidal activity.

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Bravo, Alejandra; Gómez, Isabel; Porta, Helena; García-Gómez, Blanca Ines; Rodriguez-Almazan, Claudia; Pardo, Liliana; Soberón, Mario

2013-01-01

Insecticidal Cry proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis are use worldwide in transgenic crops for efficient pest control. Among the family of Cry toxins, the three domain Cry family is the better characterized regarding their natural evolution leading to a large number of Cry proteins with similar structure, mode of action but different insect specificity. Also, this group is the better characterized regarding the study of their mode of action and the molecular basis of insect specificity. In this review we discuss how Cry toxins have evolved insect specificity in nature and analyse several cases of improvement of Cry toxin action by genetic engineering, some of these examples are currently used in transgenic crops. We believe that the success in the improvement of insecticidal activity by genetic evolution of Cry toxins will depend on the knowledge of the rate-limiting steps of Cry toxicity in different insect pests, the mapping of the specificity binding regions in the Cry toxins, as well as the improvement of mutagenesis strategies and selection procedures. © 2012 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Production of microbial biosurfactants: Status quo of rhamnolipid and surfactin towards large-scale production.

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Henkel, Marius; Geissler, Mareen; Weggenmann, Fabiola; Hausmann, Rudolf

2017-07-01

Surfactants are an important class of industrial chemicals. Nowadays oleochemical surfactants such as alkyl polyglycosides (APGs) become increasingly important. This trend towards the utilization of renewable resources continues and consumers increasingly demand for environmentally friendly products. Consequently, research in microbial surfactants has drastically increased in the last years. While for mannosylerythritol lipids and sophorolipids established industrial processes exist, an implementation of other microbially derived surfactants has not yet been achieved. Amongst these biosurfactants, rhamnolipids synthesized by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and surfactin produced by Bacillus subtilis are so far the most analyzed biosurfactants due to their exceptional properties and the concomitant possible applications. In this review, a general overview is given regarding the current status of biosurfactants and benefits attributed to these molecules. Furthermore, the most recent research approaches for both rhamnolipids and surfactin are presented with respect to possible methods for industrial processes and the occurring drawbacks and limitations researchers have to address and overcome. Copyright © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chemical Structure, Property and Potential Applications of Biosurfactants Produced by Bacillus subtilis in Petroleum Recovery and Spill Mitigation

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Liu, Jin-Feng; Mbadinga, Serge Maurice; Yang, Shi-Zhong; Gu, Ji-Dong; Mu, Bo-Zhong

2015-01-01

Lipopeptides produced by microorganisms are one of the five major classes of biosurfactants known and they have received much attention from scientific and industrial communities due to their powerful interfacial and biological activities as well as environmentally friendly characteristics. Microbially produced lipopeptides are a series of chemical structural analogues of different families and, among them, 26 families covering about 90 lipopeptide compounds have been reported in the last two decades. This paper reviews the chemical structural characteristics and molecular behaviors of surfactin, one of the representative lipopeptides of the 26 families. In particular, two novel surfactin molecules isolated from cell-free cultures of Bacillus subtilis HSO121 are presented. Surfactins exhibit strong self-assembly ability to form sphere-like micelles and larger aggregates at very low concentrations. The amphipathic and surface properties of surfactins are related to the existence of the minor polar and major hydrophobic domains in the three 3-D conformations. In addition, the application potential of surfactin in bioremediation of oil spills and oil contaminants, and microbial enhanced oil recovery are discussed. PMID:25741767

Chemical Structure, Property and Potential Applications of Biosurfactants Produced by Bacillus subtilis in Petroleum Recovery and Spill Mitigation

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Jin-Feng Liu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Lipopeptides produced by microorganisms are one of the five major classes of biosurfactants known and they have received much attention from scientific and industrial communities due to their powerful interfacial and biological activities as well as environmentally friendly characteristics. Microbially produced lipopeptides are a series of chemical structural analogues of different families and, among them, 26 families covering about 90 lipopeptide compounds have been reported in the last two decades. This paper reviews the chemical structural characteristics and molecular behaviors of surfactin, one of the representative lipopeptides of the 26 families. In particular, two novel surfactin molecules isolated from cell-free cultures of Bacillus subtilis HSO121 are presented. Surfactins exhibit strong self-assembly ability to form sphere-like micelles and larger aggregates at very low concentrations. The amphipathic and surface properties of surfactins are related to the existence of the minor polar and major hydrophobic domains in the three 3-D conformations. In addition, the application potential of surfactin in bioremediation of oil spills and oil contaminants, and microbial enhanced oil recovery are discussed.

2010 MICROBIAL STRESS RESPONSE GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE, JULY 18-23, 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarah Ades

2011-07-23

The 2010 Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Stress Responses provides an open and exciting forum for the exchange of scientific discoveries on the remarkable mechanisms used by microbes to survive in nearly every niche on the planet. Understanding these stress responses is critical for our ability to control microbial survival, whether in the context of biotechnology, ecology, or pathogenesis. From its inception in 1994, this conference has traditionally employed a very broad definition of stress in microbial systems. Sessions will cover the major steps of stress responses from signal sensing to transcriptional regulation to the effectors that mediate responses. A wide range of stresses will be represented. Some examples include (but are not limited to) oxidative stress, protein quality control, antibiotic-induced stress and survival, envelope stress, DNA damage, and nutritional stress. The 2010 meeting will also focus on the role of stress responses in microbial communities, applied and environmental microbiology, and microbial development. This conference brings together researchers from both the biological and physical sciences investigating stress responses in medically- and environmentally relevant microbes, as well as model organisms, using cutting-edge techniques. Computational, systems-level, and biophysical approaches to exploring stress responsive circuits will be integrated throughout the sessions alongside the more traditional molecular, physiological, and genetic approaches. The broad range of excellent speakers and topics, together with the intimate and pleasant setting at Mount Holyoke College, provide a fertile ground for the exchange of new ideas and approaches.

Live microbial cells adsorb Mg2+ more effectively than lifeless organic matter

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Qiu, Xuan; Yao, Yanchen; Wang, Hongmei; Duan, Yong

2018-03-01

The Mg2+ content is essential in determining different Mg-CaCO3 minerals. It has been demonstrated that both microbes and the organic matter secreted by microbes are capable of allocating Mg2+ and Ca2+ during the formation of Mg-CaCO3, yet detailed scenarios remain unclear. To investigate the mechanism that microbes and microbial organic matter potentially use to mediate the allocation of Mg2+ and Ca2+ in inoculating systems, microbial mats and four marine bacterial strains ( Synechococcus elongatus, Staphylococcus sp., Bacillus sp., and Desulfovibrio vulgaris) were incubated in artificial seawater media with Mg/Ca ratios ranging from 0.5 to 10.0. At the end of the incubation, the morphology of the microbial mats and the elements adsorbed on them were analyzed using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy diffraction spectra (EDS), respectively. The content of Mg2+ and Ca2+ adsorbed by the extracellular polysaccharide substances (EPS) and cells of the bacterial strains were analyzed with atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS). The functional groups on the surface of the cells and EPS of S. elongatus were estimated using automatic potentiometric titration combined with a chemical equilibrium model. The results show that live microbial mats generally adsorb larger amounts of Mg2+ than Ca2+, while this rarely is the case for autoclaved microbial mats. A similar phenomenon was also observed for the bacterial strains. The living cells adsorb more Mg2+ than Ca2+, yet a reversed trend was observed for EPS. The functional group analysis indicates that the cell surface of S. elongatus contains more basic functional groups (87.24%), while the EPS has more acidic and neutral functional groups (83.08%). These features may be responsible for the different adsorption behavior of Mg2+ and Ca2+ by microbial cells and EPS. Our work confirms the differential Mg2+ and Ca2+ mediation by microbial cells and EPS, which may provide insight into the processes that microbes use to

Osteoblast role in osteoarthritis pathogenesis.

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Maruotti, Nicola; Corrado, Addolorata; Cantatore, Francesco P

2017-11-01

Even if osteoarthritis pathogenesis is still poorly understood, numerous evidences suggest that osteoblasts dysregulation plays a key role in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. An abnormal expression of OPG and RANKL has been described in osteoarthritis osteoblasts, which is responsible for abnormal bone remodeling and decreased mineralization. Alterations in genes expression are involved in dysregulation of osteoblast function, bone remodeling, and mineralization, leading to osteoarthritis development. Moreover, osteoblasts produce numerous transcription factors, growth factors, and other proteic molecules which are involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microbial Characterization of Table Olives Processed According to Spanish and Natural Styles

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Daniela Campaniello

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A study on the microflora of table olives »Bella di Cerignola«, produced according to Spanish style and natural processing, is presented. The samples (olives and brines were taken at different fermentation phases; olives, before treatments, were analyzed too. pH was monitored and microbial populations were assessed by standard plate count. Determination of the following microbial groups was carried out: mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, staphylococci, Micrococcaceae and yeasts. In the second phase, the identification of mesophilic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts was performed. The amount of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts increased during the storage in all the samples, but no significant differences were observed between the two styles. At the end of fermentation an increase of Pseudomonadaceae cell load was observed, which was absent in the first phase of fermentation. The samples analyzed were extremely unsteady, therefore the addition of starter lactic acid bacteria could standardize olive processing. Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus spp. (mainly B. subtilis and Candida spp. were the predominant species at the end of the processing.

Effects of water chemistry and surface contact on the toxicity of silver nanoparticles to Bacillus subtilis.

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Yi, Jun; Cheng, Jinping

2017-07-01

The growing use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has created concerns about its potential impacts on natural microbial communities. In this study, the physicochemical properties of AgNPs and its toxicity on natural bacteria Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) were investigated in aqueous conditions. The characterization data showed that AgNPs highly aggregated in aqueous conditions, and the hydrodynamic diameter of AgNPs in aqueous conditions was larger than its primary size. The studied AgNPs was less toxic to B. subtilis in estuarine water as compared to that in Milli-Q water and artificial seawater, which might be due to the observed enhanced aggregation of AgNPs in estuarine water. The toxicity of AgNPs to B. subtilis was greatly reduced when their surface contact was blocked by a dialysis membrane. Scanning electron microscope images showed that exposure contact to AgNPs resulted in damage of the microbial cell wall and enhanced formation of fibrillar structures. These results suggest that particle-cell contact is largely responsible for the observed toxicity of AgNPs in B. subtilis. This study can help to understand the potential impacts of AgNPs to natural microbes, especially in the complex aquatic environments.

Biodegradation of hard keratins by two bacillus strains.

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Laba, Wojciech; Rodziewicz, Anna

2014-02-01

Extensive quantities of keratinic by-products are disposed annually by animal-processing industry, causing a mounting ecological problem due to extreme resilience of these materials to enzymatic breakdown. There is a growing trend to apply cheap and environment-friendly methods to recycle keratinic wastes. Soil bacteria of profound keratinolytic potential, especially spore-forming rods from the genus Bacillus, play a significant role in keratinase-mediated biodegradation of keratins, therefore could be effective in hastening their biodegradation. Keratin hydrolysis in microbial cultures is one of the most promising techniques not only to utilize this protein but also to obtain valuable by products. The study was undertaken to investigate the biodegradation process of various keratinic materials by two Bacillus strains. Two keratinolytic strains, Bacillus cereus and B. polymyxa, were subject to cultures in the presence of several keratinic appendages, like chicken feathers, barbs and rachea of ostrich feathers, pig bristle, lamb wool, human hair and stratum corneum of epidermis, as main nutrient sources. Bacterial ability to decompose these waste materials was evaluated, at the background of keratinase and protease biosynthesis, in brief four-day cultures. Keratinolytic activity was measured on soluble keratin preparation and proteases were assayed on casein. Additionally, amounts of liberated proteins, amino acids and thiols were evaluated. Residual keratin weight was tested afterwards. Both tested strains proved to be more adapted for fast biodegradation of feather β-keratins than hair-type α-keratins. B. cereus revealed its significant proteolytic potential, especially on whole chicken feathers (230 PU) and stratum corneum (180 PU), but also on separated barbs and rachea, which appeared to be moderate protease inducers. Keratinolytic activity of B. cereus was comparable on most substrates and maximum level obtained was 11 KU. B. polymyxa was found to be a

The effect of dosages of microbial consortia formulation and synthetic fertilizer on the growth and yield of field-grown chili

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Istifadah, N.; Sapta, D.; Krestini, H.; Natalie, B.; Suryatmana, P.; Nurbaity, A.; Hidersah, R.

2018-03-01

Chili (Capsicum annuum, L) is one of important horticultural crop in Indonesia. Formulation of microbial consortia containing Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas sp., Azotobacter chroococcum and Trichoderma harzianum has been developed. This study evaluated the effects of dosage of the microbial formulation combined with NPK fertilizer on growth and yield of chili plants in the field experiment. The experiment was arranged in completely randomized design of factorial, in which the first factor was dosage of formulation (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10 g per plant) and the second factor was NPK fertilizer dosage (0, 25, 50 and 75% of the standard dosage). The treatments were replicated three times. For application, the formulation was mixed with chicken manure 1:10 (w/v). The results showed that application of microbial formulation solely improved the chili growth. There was interaction between dosages of the microbial formulation and NPK fertilizer in improving plant height, nitrogen availability and the chili yield, while there was no interaction between those dosages in improving the root length. Combination between microbial formulation at the dosage of 5.0-7.5 g per plant combined with NPK fertilizer with the dosage 50 or 75% of the standard dosage support relatively better growth and the chili yield.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Escherichia coli : Analysis of antibacterial activity

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Koilparambil Divya

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The emerging infectious diseases and the development of drug resistance in the pathogenic microorganism is a matter of serious concern. Despite the increased knowledge of microbial pathogenesis and application of modern therapeutics, the morbidity and mortality associated with the microbial infections still remains high. Therefore, there is a pressing demand to discover novel strategies and identify new antimicrobial agents to develop the next generation of drugs or agents to control microbial infections. The use of nanoparticles is gaining impetus in the present century as they possess defined chemical, optical and mechanical properties. In the present study green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Escherichia coli has been done. Various parameters such as mixing ratio of culture supernatant and silver nitrate, media, temperature and pH for production of silver nanoparticles were optimised. The nanoparticles synthesised was characterized using SEM, FTIR and XRD. The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesised using both pellet and supernatant against human pathogens Salmonella typhi, Vibrio cholerae, Bacillus subtilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae was analysed and MIC was calculated as 20µg and 50µg respectively.

Not so simple, not so subtle: the interspecies competition between Bacillus simplex and Bacillus subtilis and its impact on the evolution of biofilms

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Rosenberg, Gili; Steinberg, Nitai; Oppenheimer-Shaanan, Yaara; Olender, Tsvia; Doron, Shany; Ben-Ari, Julius; Sirota-Madi, Alexandra; Bloom-Ackermann, Zohar; Kolodkin-Gal, Ilana

2016-01-01

Bacillus subtilis biofilms have a fundamental role in shaping the soil ecosystem. During this process, they unavoidably interact with neighbour bacterial species. We studied the interspecies interactions between biofilms of the soil-residing bacteria B. subtilis and related Bacillus species. We found that proximity between the biofilms triggered recruitment of motile B. subtilis cells, which engulfed the competing Bacillus simplex colony. Upon interaction, B. subtilis secreted surfactin and cannibalism toxins, at concentrations that were inert to B. subtilis itself, which eliminated the B. simplex colony, as well as colonies of Bacillus toyonensis. Surfactin toxicity was correlated with the presence of short carbon-tail length isomers, and synergistic with the cannibalism toxins. Importantly, during biofilm development and interspecies interactions a subpopulation in B. subtilis biofilm lost its native plasmid, leading to increased virulence against the competing Bacillus species. Overall, these findings indicate that genetic programs and traits that have little effect on biofilm development when each species is grown in isolation have a dramatic impact when different bacterial species interact. PMID:28721238

Cathodic microbial community adaptation to the removal of chlorinated herbicide in soil microbial fuel cells.

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Li, Yue; Li, Xiaojing; Sun, Yang; Zhao, Xiaodong; Li, Yongtao

2018-04-05

The microbial fuel cell (MFC) that uses a solid electrode as the inexhaustible electron acceptor is an innovative remediation technology that simultaneously generates bioelectricity. Chlorinated pollutants are better metabolized by reductive dechlorination in proximity to the cathode. Here, the removal efficiency of the herbicide metolachlor (ML) increased by 262 and 176% in soil MFCs that were spiked with 10 (C10) and 20 mg/kg (C20) of ML, respectively, relative to the non-electrode controls. The bioelectricity output of the C10 and C20 increased by over two- and eightfold, respectively, compared to that of the non-ML control, with maximum current densities of 49.6 ± 2.5 (C10) and 78.9 ± 0.6 mA/m 2 (C20). Based on correlations between ML concentrations and species abundances in the MFCs, it was inferred that Azohydromonas sp., Sphingomonas sp., and Pontibacter sp. play a major role in ML removal around the cathode, with peak removal efficiencies of 56 ± 1% (C10) and 58 ± 1% (C20). Moreover, Clostridium sp., Geobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Romboutsia sp., and Terrisporobacter sp. may be electricigens or closely related microbes due to the significant positive correlation between the bioelectricity generation levels and their abundances around the anode. This study suggests that a directional adaptation of the microbial community has taken place to increase both the removal of chlorinated herbicides around the cathode and the generation of bioelectricity around the anode in bioelectrochemical remediation systems.

Effect of Bacillus subtilis on Granite Weathering: A Laboratory Experiment

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Song, W.; Ogawa, N.; Oguchi, C. T.; Hatta, T.; Matsukura, Y.

2006-12-01

We performed a comparative experiment to investigate how the ubiquitous soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis weathers granite and which granite-forming minerals weather more rapidly via biological processes. Batch type experiments (granite specimen in a 500 ml solution including NaCl, glucose, yeast extract and bacteria Bacillus subtilis at 27°E C) were carried out for 30 days. Granite surfaces were observed by SEM before and after the experiment. Bacillus subtilis had a strong influence on granite weathering by forming pits. There were 2.4 times as many pits and micropores were 2.3 times wider in granite exposed to Bacillus subtilis when compared with bacteria-free samples. Bacillus subtilis appear to preferentially select an optimum place to adhere to the mineral and dissolve essential elements from the mineral to live. Plagioclase was more vulnerable to bacterial weathering than biotite among the granite composing minerals.

Microbial surfactant mediated degradation of anthracene in aqueous phase by marine Bacillus licheniformis MTCC 5514

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Sreethar Swaathy

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The present study emphasizes the biosurfactant mediated anthracene degradation by a marine alkaliphile Bacillus licheniformis (MTCC 5514. The isolate, MTCC 5514 degraded >95% of 300 ppm anthracene in an aqueous medium within 22 days and the degradation percentage reduced significantly when the concentration of anthracene increased to above 500 ppm. Naphthalene, naphthalene 2-methyl, phthalic acid and benzene acetic acid are the products of degradation identified based on thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass analyses. It has been observed that the degradation is initiated by the biosurfactant of the isolate for solubilization through micellation and then the alkali pH and intra/extra cellular degradative enzymes accomplish the degradation process. Encoding of genes responsible for biosurfactant production (licA3 as well as catabolic reactions (C23O made with suitable primers designed. The study concludes in situ production of biosurfactant mediates the degradation of anthracene by B. licheniformis.

Evaluation of antifungal activity from Bacillus strains against ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, 30 bacterial strains isolated from marine biofilms were screened for their antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani by dual culture assay. Two bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus, showed a clear antagonism against R. solani on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The antagonistic activity ...

Effect of vitamins and bivalent metals on lysine yield in Bacillus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of vitamins and bivalent metals on lysine accumulation in Bacillus strains were investigated. Biotin enhanced lysine production in all the Bacillus strains, while folic acid and riboflavin stimulated lysine yields in Bacillus megaterium SP 86 only. All bivalent metals stimulated lysine accumulation in B. megaterium ...

Genome Sequence of Antibiotic-Producing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strain KCTC 13012.

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Jeong, Haeyoung; Park, Seung-Hwan; Choi, Soo-Keun

2015-10-01

We report the 4.0-Mb draft genome sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (syn. Bacillus velezensis) KCTC 13012, which exhibits a broad spectrum of antagonistic activity against bacteria and fungi and promotes plant growth as well. The genome contains an array of biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites that are comparable to those in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42(T). Copyright © 2015 Jeong et al.

In vitro antimicrobial effect of Satureja wiedemanniana against Bacillus species isolated from raw meat samples.

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Yucel, Nihal; Aslim, Belma; Ozdoğan, Hakan

2009-08-01

In this study a total of 30 raw meat samples obtained from Ankara, Turkey were screened for the presence of Bacillus species. Among the meat samples analyzed, the predominant species isolated was Bacillus circulans; other Bacillus species were identified as Bacillus firmus, Bacillus lentus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus sphaericus, and Bacillus cereus. Minced meat samples were more contaminated with Bacillus species than sliced beef sample. From these samples, 242 Bacillus species isolates were obtained, which were investigated for proteolytic and lipolytic activity, associated with meat spoilage. Interestingly, some Bacillus strains produced the highest values of proteolytic/lipolytic activities. Nineteen Bacillus strains were selected among the 242 isolates according to their proteolytic/lipolytic activity with a clear zone diameter of > or =6 mm. The essential oil of Satureja wiedemanniana (Lalem) Velen was also tested against these 19 Bacillus species that had proteolytic and lipolytic activity. The essential oil yield obtained from the aerial parts of the plant was 0.35% (vol/wt). The inhibition zones of the essential oil obtained against all the Bacillus species were in the range of 5.0-12.0 mm. The oil showed high antimicrobial activities against B. licheniformis M 6(26), M 11(16), and M 12(1) strains. B. licheniformis 12(1) showed high lipolytic activity (18.0 mm). Also, B. licheniformis M 6(26) and M 11(16) showed high proteolytic activity (16.0 and 14.0 mm). These results may suggest that an essential oil of S. wiedemanniana can be used as a natural preservative in meat against spoilage bacteria.

Screening of Bacillus thuringiensis strains effective against mosquitoes Prospecção de estirpes de Bacillus thuringiensis efetivas contra mosquitos

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Rose Gomes Monnerat

2005-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate 210 Bacillus thuringiensis strains against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae to select the most effective. These strains were isolated from different regions of Brazil and are stored in a Bacillus spp. collection at Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília, Brazil. The selected strains were characterized by morphological (microscopy, biochemical (SDS-PAGE 10% and molecular (PCR methods. Six B. thuringiensis strains were identified as mosquito-toxic after the selective bioassays. None of the strains produced the expected PCR products for detection of cry4, cry11 and cyt1A genes. These results indicate that the activity of mosquitocidal Brazilian strains are not related with Cry4, Cry11 or Cyt proteins, so they could be used as an alternative bioinsecticide against mosquitoes.Neste trabalho foram realizados testes de patogenicidade com 210 estirpes de Bacillus thuringiensis contra larvas de Aedes aegypti e Culex quinquefasciatus, a fim de se determinar as mais eficazes. Estas estirpes foram isoladas de diversas regiões do Brasil e estão armazenadas na coleção de Bacillus spp. da Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia. As estirpes selecionadas foram caracterizadas por métodos morfológicos (microscopia, bioquímicos (SDS-PAGE 10% e moleculares (Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase. Foram selecionadas seis estirpes entomopatogênicas de Bacillus thuringiensis. Nenhuma das estirpes de Bacillus thuringiensis apresentou produtos de PCR esperados para a detecção dos genes cry4, cry11 e cyt1A. A patogenicidade das estirpes não está associada à presença das toxinas Cry4, Cry11 ou Cyt, assim, essas estirpes poderão ser utilizadas para a formatação de um bioinseticida alternativo contra mosquitos.

THE ROLE OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES OF AIRWAYS IN PATHOGENESIS OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

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S. V. Fedosenko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This review summarizes the results of studies on the composition of microbial communities in the airways of healthy subjects and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Modern technologies of molecular-genetic identification methods of microorganisms allow to perform a deep analysis  of  the  respiratory  microbiom.  It  is  of  considerable  interest  to  determine  the  role  of  the microbiome in the development of human diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, and to understand the impact of the microbes communities as a course of disease and the important factor for the efficacy of current therapy.

Starter Culture Selection for Making Chinese Sesame-Flavored Liquor Based on Microbial Metabolic Activity in Mixed-Culture Fermentation

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Wu, Qun; Ling, Jie

2014-01-01

Selection of a starter culture with excellent viability and metabolic activity is important for inoculated fermentation of traditional food. To obtain a suitable starter culture for making Chinese sesame-flavored liquor, the yeast and bacterium community structures were investigated during spontaneous and solid-state fermentations of this type of liquor. Five dominant species in spontaneous fermentation were identified: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia membranaefaciens, Issatchenkia orientalis, Bacillus licheniformis, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The metabolic activity of each species in mixed and inoculated fermentations of liquor was investigated in 14 different cocultures that used different combinations of these species. The relationships between the microbial species and volatile metabolites were analyzed by partial least-squares (PLS) regression analysis. We found that S. cerevisiae was positively correlated to nonanal, and B. licheniformis was positively associated with 2,3-butanediol, isobutyric acid, guaiacol, and 4-vinyl guaiacol, while I. orientalis was positively correlated to butyric acid, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, and 2,3-butanediol. These three species are excellent flavor producers for Chinese liquor. Although P. membranaefaciens and B. amyloliquefaciens were not efficient flavor producers, the addition of them alleviated competition among the other three species and altered their growth rates and flavor production. As a result, the coculture of all five dominant species produced the largest amount of flavor compounds. The result indicates that flavor producers and microbial interaction regulators are important for inoculated fermentation of Chinese sesame-flavored liquor. PMID:24814798

Effect of Bacillus subtilis natto on growth performance in Muscovy ducks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T Sheng-Qiu

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine whether dietary Bacillus subtilis natto could affect growth performance of Muscovy ducks. A total of 120 hundred Muscovy ducks at the age of 1 day were randomly assigned to four groups (30 Muscovy ducks/group, and fed with diets supplemented with 0% (control group, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4% Bacillus subtilis natto, respectively during the 6-week feeding period. Weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of Muscovy ducks were significantly improved by the dietary addition of Bacillus subtilis natto, and the results were more significant in 0.4% dietary Bacillus subtilis natto treatment group; Also, Bacillus subtilis natto reduced Escherichia coli and Salmonella colonies, and increased lactobacilli population in the ileum and the cecum. Biochemical parameters, including total protein, GOT (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, GPT (glutamic pyruvic transaminase, AKP (alkaline phosphatase, triiodothyronine (T3 and tetraiodothyronine (T4 contents (pBacillus subtilis natto was added to the diets (p0.05. The results of the present study indicate that diets with 0.4% Bacillus subtilis natto improved the growth performance of Muscovy ducks by increasing the absorption of protein, simulating hormone secretion, suppressing harmful microflora, and improving the duodenal structure and immune functions of Muscovy ducks. It is suggested that Bacillus subtilis natto is a potential candidate to be used use as a probiotic to improve the growth performance of Muscovy ducks.

Optimizing Bacillus circulans Xue-113168 for biofertilizer production ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tuoyo Aghomotsegin

2016-12-28

Dec 28, 2016 ... In this study, Bacillus circulans Xue-113168 biofertilizer was produced through solid state fermentation ... organic matter, NPK content from 8.83 to 16.16 kg hm2, and reduced chemical ... dependent on the nutritional components. ...... shell fish chitin wastes for the production of Bacillus subtilis W-118.

Microbial reduction of [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} by Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 strain isolated from a solar salt pan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paraneeiswaran, Arunachalam [Departartment of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry (India); Shukla, Sudhir K. [Biofouling and Biofilm Processes Section, Water and Steam Chemistry Division, BARC Facilities, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400094 (India); Prashanth, K. [Departartment of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry (India); Rao, T. Subba, E-mail: subbarao@igcar.gov.in [Biofouling and Biofilm Processes Section, Water and Steam Chemistry Division, BARC Facilities, Kalpakkam 603102 (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400094 (India)

2015-02-11

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 was used in the bioremediation of [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −}. • The bacterial biomass adsorbed the Co–EDTA complex after its reduction. • [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} complex showed Bacillus spore inducing property. • B. licheniformis SPB-2 showed significantly radio-tolerance (D{sub 10} = 250 Gy). - Abstract: Naturally stressed habitats are known to be repositories for novel microorganisms with potential bioremediation applications. In this study, we isolated a [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} reducing bacterium Bacillus licheniformis SPB-2 from a solar salt pan that is exposed to constant cycles of hydration and desiccation in nature. [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} generated during nuclear waste management process is difficult to remove from the waste due to its high stability and solubility. It is reduced form i.e. [Co(II)–EDTA]{sup 2−} is less stable though it is toxic. This study showed that B. licheniformis SPB-2 reduced 1 mM [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} in 14 days when grown in a batch mode. However, subsequent cycles showed an increase in the reduction activity, which was observed up to four cycles. Interestingly, the present study also showed that [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} acted as an inducer for B. licheniformis SPB-2 spore germination. Vegetative cells germinated from the spores were found to be involved in [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} reduction. More detailed investigations showed that after [Co(III)–EDTA]{sup −} reduction, i.e. [Co(II)–EDTA]{sup 2−} complex was removed by B. licheniformis SPB-2 from the bulk liquid by adsorption phenomenon. The bacterium showed a D{sub 10} value (radiation dose required to kill 90% cells) of ∼250 Gray (Gy), which signifies the potential use of B. licheniformis SPB-2 for bioremediation of moderately active nuclear waste.

Genome Sequencing of Bacillus subtilis SC-8, Antagonistic to the Bacillus cereus Group, Isolated from Traditional Korean Fermented-Soybean Food

OpenAIRE

Yeo, In-Cheol; Lee, Nam Keun; Hahm, Young Tae

2012-01-01

Bacillus subtilis SC-8 is a Gram-positive bacterium displaying narrow antagonistic activity for the Bacillus cereus group. B. subtilis SC-8 was isolated from Korean traditional fermented-soybean food. Here we report the draft genome sequence of B. subtilis SC-8, including biosynthetic genes for antibiotics that may have beneficial effects for control of food-borne pathogens.

Pathogenesis could be one of the anti-cheating mechanisms for Pseudomonas aeruginosa society.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhengwei; Jiang, Yuntao; Liang, Jingping

2011-02-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major pathogen of chronic lung infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Traditionally, it has been regarded as living in planktonic form, and as being able to perform only simple physiological activities. Recent studies in biofilm infections in CF patients, however, show that P. aeruginosa can perform many social behaviors, like cooperation and cheating. Based on the theory of "survival of the fittest", it may be presumed that every individual will take advantage of cheating instead of cooperation to increase its fitness, at the cost of group survival. In reality, however, a bacterial society can remain stable, even though cheaters arise frequently in the population. It is therefore possible that there are anti-cheating mechanisms in a bacterial society. The cheaters of P. aeruginosa will cause the loss or the decrease of the pathogenesis of the microorganism in the cystic fibrosis host. These defects in pathogenesis will be disadvantageous to bacterial colonization and compromise the resistance to host immunity. We therefore propose the hypothesis that the pathogenesis in cystic fibrosis lung infections could be one of the anti-cheating mechanisms that contribute to the hidden costs of the cheater strains. To test this hypothesis, we designed an experiment in an animal model of CF. If this hypothesis can be confirmed, it will illustrate that nontrivial analogies exist between microbial social behaviors and the social traits that are observed in the more traditional model systems for sociobiology. This will not only provide a genetic model for sociobiology research, but also cast light on the social control of chronic bacterial infections. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effective survival of immobilized Lactobacillus casei during ripening and heat treatment of probiotic dry-fermented sausages and investigation of the microbial dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sidira, Marianthi; Karapetsas, Athanasios; Galanis, Alex; Kanellaki, Maria; Kourkoutas, Yiannis

2014-02-01

The aim was the assessment of immobilized Lactobacillus casei ATCC 393 on wheat in the production of probiotic dry-fermented sausages and the investigation of the microbial dynamics. For comparison, sausages containing either free L. casei ATCC 393 or no starter culture were also prepared. During ripening, the numbers of lactobacilli exceeded 7 log cfu/g, while a drastic decrease was observed in enterobacteria, staphylococci and pseudomonas counts. Microbial diversity was further studied applying a PCR-DGGE protocol. Members of Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus, Carnobacterium, Brochothrix, Bacillus and Debaryomyces were the main microbial populations detected. Microbiological and strain-specific multiplex PCR analysis confirmed that the levels of L. casei ATCC 393 in the samples after 66 days of ripening were above the minimum concentration for conferring a probiotic effect (≥ 6 log cfu/g). However, after heat treatment, this strain was detected at the above levels, only in sausages containing immobilized cells. © 2013.

Isolation of bacillus thuringiensis from different samples from Mansehra District

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Younis, F.; Lodhi, A.F.; Raza, G.

2009-01-01

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis has made it very interesting for the control of a variety of agricultural pests and human disease vectors. The present study is an attempt to explore the potential and diversity. of Bacillus thuringiensis. from the local environment for the control of cotton spotted bollworm (Earias sp.), a major pest of cotton. Two hundred and ninety eight samples of soil, grain dust, wild animal dung, birds dropping, decaying leaves and dead insects were collected from different ecological environments of Mansehra District yielding 438 Bacillus thuringiensis isolates that produce parasporal crystalline inclusions. In this study the soil samples were found to be the richest source for Bacillus thuringiensis. (author)

Survival of introduced phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and their impact on microbial community structure during the phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Seulki; Moon, Hee Sun; Shin, Doyun; Nam, Kyoungphile

2013-12-15

This study was conducted to investigate whether or not phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) as a kind of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria enhance the uptake of Cd by plants. In addition, the effect of PSB augmentation during phytoextraction on the microbial community of indigenous soil bacteria was also studied. In the initial Cd-contaminated soil, the major phyla were Proteobacteria (35%), Actinobacteria (38%) and Firmicutes (8%). While Proteobacteria were dominant at the second and sixth week (41 and 54%, respectively) in inoculated soil, Firmicutes (mainly belonging to the Bacilli class-61%), dramatically increased in the eight-week soil. For the uninoculated soil, the proportion of α-Proteobacteria increased after eight weeks (32%). Interestingly, Actinobacteria class, which was originally present in the soil (37%), seemed to disappear during phytoremediation, irrespective of whether PSB was inoculated or not. Cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis revealed that the microbial community of eight-week inoculated soil was completely separated from the other soil samples, due to the dramatic increase of Bacillus aryabhattai. These findings revealed that it took at least eight weeks for the inoculated Bacillus sp. to functionally adapt to the introduced soil, against competition with indigenous microorganisms in soil. An ecological understanding of interaction among augmented bacteria, plant and indigenous soil bacteria is needed, for proper management of phytoextraction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Induced resistance to hydrogen peroxide, UV and gamma radiation in bacillus species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashandy, A.S.

2005-01-01

The catalase activity produced in four bacillus spp.(bacillus cereus, B. laterosporus, B. pumilus and B. subtilis (Escherichia coli was used for comparison) was measured and the sensitivity of these bacteria to hydrogen peroxide was tested. Bacillus spp. had higher resistance to hydrogen peroxide than E. coil. cultures of bacillus spp . When pretreated with sublethal level of hydrogen peroxide, became relatively resistant to the lethal effects of hydrogen than untreated control cultures. These pretreated cells were also resistant to lethality mediated by UV light and gamma radiation. The obtained results suggest that bacillus spp. Possess inducible defense mechanism (s) against the deleterious effects of oxidants and /or ionizing radiation

Construction of novel shuttle expression vectors for gene expression in Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Huanhuan; Cao, Qinghua; Zhao, Hongyan; Tan, Xuemei; Feng, Hong

2015-01-01

A native plasmid (pSU01) was detected by genome sequencing of Bacillus subtilis strain S1-4. Two pSU01-based shuttle expression vectors pSU02-AP and pSU03-AP were constructed enabling stable replication in B. subtilis WB600. These vectors contained the reporter gene aprE, encoding an alkaline protease from Bacillus pumilus BA06. The expression vector pSU03-AP only possessed the minimal replication elements (rep, SSO, DSO) and exhibited more stability on structure, suggesting that the rest of the genes in pSU01 (ORF1, ORF2, mob, hsp) were unessential for the structural stability of plasmid in B. subtilis. In addition, recombinant production of the alkaline protease was achieved more efficiently with pSU03-AP whose copy number was estimated to be more than 100 per chromosome. Furthermore, pSU03-AP could also be used to transform and replicate in B. pumilus BA06 under selective pressure. In conclusion, pSU03-AP is expected to be a useful tool for gene expression in Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus.

Screening of Bacillus Species with Potentials of Antibiotics Production

OpenAIRE

Faruk Adamu KUTA; Lohya NIMZING; Priscilla Yahemba ORKA’A

2009-01-01

Sixteen soil samples were collected from different refuse dump sites in Minna, the capital Niger State, and analysed for the presence of Bacillus species. Physical-chemical analysis of the soil samples revealed the followings: PH value 6.89-8.47; moisture content 1.58 – 21.21% and temperature 27-28ºC. Using both pour plate and streak method of inoculation, total bacterial count in the soil samples ranged from 3.8×104 cfu/g 16.0×104 cfu/g. The identified Bacillus species included: Bacillus cer...

Current roles of specific bacteria in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease

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Lucy McMullen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The relevance of alterations in gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD remains unclear. Currently there is conflicting evidence with regards to the roles of specific bacterial species. Escherichia coli (particularly the adherent invasive strain are more prevalent in those with IBD and are associated with higher risk of IBD. However, the organisms are also present in healthy individuals and colonisation does not correlate with the degree of inflammation in IBD. Campylobacter concisus is more prevalent in those with IBD and higher levels of C. concisus specific IgG antibodies are found in the serum of those with IBD compared to healthy controls. Further, C. concisus has immunogenic properties that stimulate an antibody response suggesting the bacteria might trigger or exacerbate disease. Conversely most mycobacteria are unlikely to be causative as they are not presentin microbial stool cultures early in disease. In various studies,Mycobacterium aviumparatuberculosishas been detected both more frequently and not at all in individuals with Crohn's disease. Similar conflict exists with respect to Yersinia enterocolitica,Bacteroidesvulgatus and Helicobacter hepaticus, which are also more prevalent in IBD. However, these organisms appear more likely to contribute to disease persistence than initial disease development. This review aims to summarise the current understanding of key bacterial species implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD.

Identification of bacteria used for microbial enhanced oil recovery process by fluorescence in situ hybridization technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujiwara, K.; Tanaka, S.; Otsuka, M. [Kansai Research Institute, Kyoto (Japan). Lifescience Lab.; Yonebayashi, H. [Japan National Oil Corp., Chiba (Japan). Tech. Research Center; Enomoto, H. [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Dept. of Geoscience and Tech.

2000-01-01

A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique using 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was developed for rapid detection of microorganisms for use in the microbial enhancement of oil recovery (MEOR) process. Two microorganisms, Enterobacter cloacae TRC-322 and Bacillus licheniformis TRC-18-2-a, were selected from a collection of Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. which were screened in previous studies as candidate microorganisms for injection, and were used for this experiment. Oligonucleotide probes, design based on specific sequences in the 16S rRNA gene were labeled with either fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), or 6-car-boxy-X-rhodamine (ROX), and were allowed to hybridize with fixed cells of the two microorganisms noted above. The fluorescence signal emitted from each microorganism cells could clearly be detected by an epifluorescence microscope. Moreover, E. cloacae TRC-322 and B, licheniformis TRC-18-2-a, suspended in actual reservoir brine, including inorganic salts, oil and aboriginal cells of the reservoir brine, could be detected directly by this hybridization method, without the need for cultivation and isolation. (author)

Suitable conditions for xylanases activities from Bacillus sp. GA2(1 and Bacillus sp. GA1(6 and their properties for agricultural residues hydrolysis

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Sudathip Chantorn

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Bacillus sp. GA2(1 and Bacillus sp. GA1(6 were isolated from soybean field in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. Crude enzymes from both isolates showed the activities of cellulase, xylanase, and mannanase at 37°C for 24 h. The highest xylanase activities of Bacillus sp. GA2(1 and Bacillus sp. GA1(6 were 1.58±0.25 and 0.82±0.16 U/ml, respectively. The relative xylanase activities from both strains were more than 60% at pH 5.0 to 8.0. The optimum temperature of xylanases was 50°C in both strains. The residual xylanase activities from both strains were more than 70% at 60°C for 60 min. Five agricultural wastes (AWs, namely coffee residue, soybean meal, potato peel, sugarcane bagasse, and corn cobs, were used as substrates for hydrolysis properties. The highest reducing sugar content of 101±1.32 µg/ml was obtained from soybean meal hydrolysate produced by Bacillus sp. GA2(1 xylanase.

Phosphorescence In Bacillus Spores

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Reinisch, Lou; Swartz, Barry A; Bronk, Burt V

2003-01-01

.... Our present work attempts to build on this approach for environmental applications. We have measured a change in the fluorescence spectra of suspensions of Bacillus bacteria between the vegetative bacteria and their spores at room temperature...

Detection of Bacillus spores using PCR and FTA filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lampel, Keith A; Dyer, Deanne; Kornegay, Leroy; Orlandi, Palmer A

2004-05-01

Emphasis has been placed on developing and implementing rapid detection systems for microbial pathogens. We have explored the utility of expanding FTA filter technology for the preparation of template DNA for PCR from bacterial spores. Isolated spores from several Bacillus spp., B. subtilis, B. cereus, and B. megaterium, were applied to FTA filters, and specific DNA products were amplified by PCR. Spore preparations were examined microscopically to ensure that the presence of vegetative cells, if any, did not yield misleading results. PCR primers SRM86 and SRM87 targeted a conserved region of bacterial rRNA genes, whereas primers Bsub5F and Bsub3R amplified a product from a conserved sequence of the B. subtilis rRNA gene. With the use of the latter set of primers for nested PCR, the sensitivity of the PCR-based assay was increased. Overall, 53 spores could be detected after the first round of PCR, and the sensitivity was increased to five spores by nested PCR. FTA filters are an excellent platform to remove PCR inhibitors and have universal applications for environmental, clinical, and food samples.

Biological removal of nickel (II by Bacillus sp. KL1 in different conditions: optimization by Taguchi statistical approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taran Mojtaba

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Bioremediation is the removal of heavy-metals such as nickel (Ni using microorganisms and has been considered as an important field in the biotechnology. Isolation and characterization of microorganisms exhibiting bioremediation activities and their optimization to treat polluted wastewaters is a vital and difficult task in remediation technologies. In this study, investigation was carried out to isolate Ni (II remediating microbial strains from soils contaminated with municipal solid waste leachate. Furthermore, Taguchi design of experiments were used to evaluate the influence of concentration, pH, temperature, and time on bioremediation of Ni (II using isolated bacteria. This study concluded that Bacillus sp. KL1 is a Ni (II-resistant strain and had Ni (II bioremediation activity. The highest bioremediation of Ni (II was observed as 55.06% after 24 h at 30ºC, pH 7, and 100 ppm concentration. Moreover, it was also observed that concentration is the most effective factor in the bioremediation process. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that bacteria isolated from soils contaminated with garbage leachate have the Bacillus sp. KL1 bacteria which can efficiently uptake and eliminate Ni (II from contaminated sites and thus makes it possible to treat heavy-metal containing wastewaters in industry by using this microorganism at optimized conditions.

Effect of -based Direct-fed Microbial on Performance, Nutrient Utilization, Intestinal Morphology and Cecal Microflora in Broiler Chickens

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Xinjian Lei

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the dietary supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-based direct-fed microbial (DFM on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology and cecal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of two hundred and eighty eight 1-d-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly allocated to one of four experimental treatments in a completely randomized design. Each treatment was fed to eight replicate cages, with nine birds per cage. Dietary treatments were composed of an antibiotic-free basal diet (control, and the basal diet supplemented with either 15 mg/kg of virginiamycin as antibiotic growth promoter (AGP, 30 mg/kg of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-based DFM (DFM 30 or 60 mg/kg of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens-based DFM (DFM 60. Experimental diets were fed in two phases: starter (d 1 to 21 and finisher (d 22 to 42. Growth performance, nutrient utilization, morphological parameters of the small intestine and cecal microbial populations were measured at the end of the starter (d 21 and finisher (d 42 phases. During the starter phase, DFM and virginiamycin supplementation improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR; p<0.01 compared with the control group. For the finisher phase and the overall experiment (d 1 to 42 broilers fed diets with the DFM had better body weight gain (BWG and FCR than that of control (p<0.05. Supplementation of virginiamycin and DFM significantly increased the total tract apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP, dry matter (DM and gross energy during both starter and finisher phases (p<0.05 compared with the control group. On d 21, villus height, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were significantly increased for the birds fed with the DFM diets as compared with the control group (p<0.05. The DFM 30, DFM 60, and AGP groups decreased the Escherichia coli population in cecum at d 21 and d 42 compared with control

Significance of treated agrowaste residue and autochthonous inoculates (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Bacillus cereus) on bacterial community structure and phytoextraction to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Azcón, Rosario; Medina, Almudena; Roldán, Antonio; Biró, Borbála; Vivas, Astrid

2009-04-01

In this study, we analyzed the impact of treatments such as Aspergillus niger-treated sugar beet waste (SB), PO4(3-) fertilization and autochthonous inoculants [arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Bacillus cereus], on the bacterial community structure in a soils contaminated with heavy metals as well as, the effectiveness on plant growth (Trifolium repens). The inoculation with AM fungi in SB amended soil, increased plant growth similarly to PO4(3-) addition, and both treatments matched in P acquisition but bacterial biodiversity estimated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of amplified 16S rDNA sequences, was more stimulated by the presence of the AM fungus than by PO4(3-) fertilization. The SB amendment plus AM inoculation increased the microbial diversity by 233% and also changed (by 215%) the structure of the bacterial community. The microbial inoculants and amendment used favoured plant growth and the phytoextraction process and concomitantly modified bacterial community in the rhizosphere; thus they can be used for remediation. Therefore, the understanding of such microbial ecological aspects is important for phytoremediation and the recovery of contaminated soils.

Effect of Microbial inoculation in combating the aluminium toxicity effect on growth of Zea mays.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, P; Singh, G; Tiwari, A

2017-07-31

The present study is aimed at improving the aluminium tolerance in maize crop employing the potential of microbial inoculants in conferring resistance to these toxicities via production of certain chelating compounds like siderophores, exopolysachharides and organic acids. Acid soils have now-a-days become one of the key factors for limiting growth of many agriculturally important crops. Aluminium  is one of the major elements present in acid soils and is mainly responsible for toxicity in the soil. This aluminium is rapidly soluble in soil water and hence absorbed by plant roots under conditions where soil pH is below 5. This toxicity leads to severe root growth inhibition, thereby limiting the production of maize crops. It was observed that use of microbial inoculums can be helpful in elimination of these toxic compounds and prevent the inhibition of root growth . It was found that the soils contaminated with aluminium toxicity decreased the root length of maize plant significantly by 65% but Bacillus and Burkholderia inoculation increased this root length significantly by 1.4- folds and 2- folds respectively thereby combating the effect of aluminium toxicity. Aluminium concentration was found maximum in roots of plants which were grown under aluminium stress condition. But this aluminium accumulation decreased ̴ 2-folds when Burkholderia was used as seed inoculants under aluminium stress conditions. Also, at 60mM aluminium accumulation, phosphorus solubilisation in roots was found to be increased upto 30% on Burkholderia inoculation. However, Bacillus inoculation didn't show any significant difference in either of the case. Thus, the inoculation of seeds with Burkholderia isolates could prove to be a boon in sequestering aluminium toxicity in Zea mays.

USE OF BUTTER MILK AND POULTRY-TRANSFORMING WASTES FOR ENHANCED PRODUCTION OF Bacillus subtilis SPB1 BIOSURFACTANT IN SUBMERGED FERMENTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raida Zouari

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Biosurfactants are valuable microbial amphiphilic molecules with effective surface-active and biological properties applicable to several industries and processes. Microorganisms synthesize them, especially during growth on water-immiscible substrates, providing an alternative to chemically prepared conventional surfactants. Microbial surfactants are not yet a sustainable alternative to chemically synthesized surfactants seeing their potentially high production charges. This study highlights the use of low-cost agro-industrial raw material for fermentative production of biosurfactants. The Box–Behnken Design and response surface methodology were employed to optimize the concentrations of the ratio butter milk /distilled water, poultry-transforming wastes and inoculum size for lipopeptide biosurfactant production by B.subtilis SPB1 in submerged fermentation.The best production yield was about 12.61 ± 0.7 g/L of crude lipopeptide biosurfactant. It can be obtained when using a ratio butter milk /distilled water of 1.5, poultry-transforming wastes of 23g/L and an inoculum size of 0.12. In comparison to the highest biosurfactant production yield reported for Bacillus subtilis SPB1, three fold increases were obtained.

Microbial Life of North Pacific Oceanic Crust

Science.gov (United States)

Schumann, G.; Koos, R.; Manz, W.; Reitner, J.

2003-12-01

Information on the microbiology of the deep subsurface is necessary in order to understand the factors controlling the rate and extent of the microbially catalyzed reactions that influence the geophysical properties of these environments. Drilling into 45-Ma oceanic basaltic crust in a deepwater environment during ODP Leg 200 provided a promising opportunity to explore the abundance, diversity and activity of micro-organisms. The combined use of culture-independent molecular phylogenetic analyses and enrichment culture techniques is an advantageous approach in investigating subsurface microbial ecosystems. Enrichment culture methods allow the evaluation of potential activities and functions. Microbiological investigations revealed few aerobic cultivable, in part hitherto unknown, micro-organisms in deep submarine sediments and basaltic lava flows. 16S rDNA sequencing of isolates from sediment revealed the next relatives to be members of the genera Halomonas, Pseudomonas, and Lactobacillus. Within the Pseudomonadaceae the closest relative is Acinetobacter sp., which was isolated from a deep subsurface environment. The next phylogenetical relatives within the Halomonadaceae are bacteria typically isolated from Soda lakes, which are considered as model of early life conditions. Interestingly, not only sediment bacteria could be obtained in pure culture. Aerobic strains could also be successfully isolated from the massive tholeiitic basalt layer at a depth of 76.16 mbsf (46 m below the sediment/basement contact). These particular isolates are gram-positive with low G+C content of DNA, phylogenetically affiliated to the phylum Firmicutes. The closest neighbors are e.g. a marine Bacillus isolated from the Gulf of Mexico and a low G+C gram-positive bacterium, which belongs to the microbial flora in the deepest sea mud of the Mariana Trench, isolated from a depth of 10,897 m. Based on the similarity values, the isolates represent hitherto undescribed species of the deep

Performance and organ morphology of broilers fed microbial or antimicrobial additives and raised in batteries or floor pens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedroso AA

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the effect of microbial or antimicrobial additives on the performance and organ morphology of broilers raised in batteries or in floor pens. The effect of microbial additives on the presence of oocysts in the litter was also studied. Experiments 1 and 2 consisted of four treatments (non-supplemented control diet or diet supplemented with avilamycin, bacitracin methylene disalicylate or enramycin and six repetitions in a randomized block design. In Experiment 1, 288 day-old chicks were housed in heated batteries in a environmentally controlled room, 12 chicks per cage; in Experiment 2, 1,200 day-old chicks were housed in a curtain-sided experimental house, with concrete floor and rice hulls as litter material, 50 chicks per pen. Experiments 3 and 4 were carried out similarly to Experiments 1 and 2, respectively, but the treatments consisted of microbial additives (non-supplemented control diet or Bacillus subtilis added to the feed plus Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus johnsonii added to the water, undefined microflora added to the water or live yeast added to the feed. The antibiotics did not affect the performance of birds raised in batteries, but improved feed conversion, weight gain and live weight when chickens were kept on the floor pens. Microbial additives did not affect bird performance in any environment; however, treatments affected liver weight. Microbial agents increased intestinal weight in floor-raised broilers. No relationship was seen between the use of microbial additives and the presence of oocysts in the litter.

Effects of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) on Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) fingerlings performance and its gastrointestinal tract microbial community.

Science.gov (United States)

Najdegerami, Ebrahim H; Tran, Tiet Ngoc; Defoirdt, Tom; Marzorati, Massimo; Sorgeloos, Patrick; Boon, Nico; Bossier, Peter

2012-01-01

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a natural polymer that can be depolymerized into water-soluble short-chain fatty acid monomers. These monomers can act as microbial control agents. In this study, the effects of partially replacing the diet of Siberian sturgeon fingerlings with 2% and 5% PHB were investigated. Replacing 2% of the diet with PHB improved weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and survival in the sturgeon fingerlings during the 10-week experimental period. Community-level physiological profiling and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) were used to analyze the microbial community diversity and community organization in the sturgeon gastrointestinal tract. DGGE analysis revealed that PHB affected the intestinal microbial species richness and diversity. The highest species richness was observed with 2% PHB. DNA sequencing of the dominant bands in 2% and 5% PHB treatments revealed that PHB stimulated bacteria belonging to the genera Bacillus and Ruminococcaceae. Principal component analysis, Lorenz curves and the Shannon index of Biolog Ecoplate data revealed that aerobic metabolic potential of the bacterial community was different in the PHB-treated fishes as compared with the control situation. Overall, our results indicate that PHB act as microbial control agents and replacement of 2% of Siberian sturgeon fingerling diet with PHB has beneficial effects.

Biosorption of Congo Red from aqueous solution by Bacillus weihenstephanensis RI12; effect of SPB1 biosurfactant addition on biodecolorization potency.

Science.gov (United States)

Mnif, Inès; Fendri, Raouia; Ghribi, Dhouha

2015-01-01

Bacillus weihenstephanensis RI12, isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil, was assessed for Congo Red bio-treatment potency. Results suggested the potential of this bacterium for use in effective treatment of Congo Red contaminated wastewaters under shaking conditions at acidic and neutral pH value. The strain could tolerate higher doses of dyes as it could decolorize up to 1,000 mg/l of Congo Red. When used as microbial surfactant to enhance Congo Red biodecolorization, Bacillus subtilis SPB1-derived lipopeptide accelerated the decolorization rate and maximized the decolorization efficiency at an optimal concentration of biosurfactant of about 0.075%. Studies ensured that Congo Red removal by this strain could be due to an adsorption phenomena. Germination potencies of tomato seeds using the treated dyes under different conditions showed the efficient biotreatment of the azo dye Congo Red especially with the addition of SPB1 biosurfactant. To conclude, the addition of SPB1 bioemulsifier reduced energy costs by reducing the effective decolorization period; the biosurfactant stimulated bacterial decolorization method may provide a highly efficient, inexpensive and time-saving procedure in the treatment of textile effluents.

Airborne microbial composition in a high-throughput poultry slaughtering facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Ruiping; Tian, Jijing; She, Ruiping; Meng, Hua; Xiao, Peng; Chang, Lingling

2013-03-01

A high-throughput chicken slaughtering facility in Beijing was systematically investigated for numbers of airborne microorganisms. Samples were assessed for counts of aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and Salmonella. During a 4-month period (September to December 2011), samples were collected for 10 min three times daily (preproduction, production, and postproduction). Samples were collected for three consecutive days of each month with an FA-1 sampler from six sampling sites: receiving-hanging, soaking-scalding and defeathering, evisceration, precooling, subdividing, and packing. Humidity, temperature, wind velocity, and airborne particulates also were recorded at each sampling site and time. The highest counts of microorganisms were recorded in the initial stages of processing, i.e., the receiving-hanging and defeathering areas, with a definite decline toward the evisceration, prechilling, subdividing, and packing areas; the prechilling area had the lowest microbial counts of 2.4 × 10(3) CFU/m(3). Mean total coliforms counts ranged from 8.4 × 10(3) to 140 CFU/m(3). Maximum E. coli counts were 6.1 × 10(3) CFU/m(3) in the soaking-scalding and defeathering area. B. cereus, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus represented only a small proportion of the microbial population (1,900 to 20 CFU/m(3)). L. monocytogenes and Salmonella were rarely detected in evisceration, precooling, subdividing, and packing areas. Our study identified the levels of bioaerosols that may affect chicken product quality. This finding could be useful for improved control of microbial contamination to ensure product quality.

Effects of microbial enzymes on starch and hemicellulose degradation in total mixed ration silages

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Tingting Ning

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Objective This study investigated the association of enzyme-producing microbes and their enzymes with starch and hemicellulose degradation during fermentation of total mixed ration (TMR silage. Methods The TMRs were prepared with soybean curd residue, alfalfa hay (ATMR or Leymus chinensis hay (LTMR, corn meal, soybean meal, vitamin-mineral supplements, and salt at a ratio of 25:40:30:4:0.5:0.5 on a dry matter basis. Laboratory-scale bag silos were randomly opened after 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 days of ensiling and subjected to analyses of fermentation quality, carbohydrates loss, microbial amylase and hemicellulase activities, succession of dominant amylolytic or hemicellulolytic microbes, and their microbial and enzymatic properties. Results Both ATMR and LTMR silages were well preserved, with low pH and high lactic acid concentrations. In addition to the substantial loss of water soluble carbohydrates, loss of starch and hemicellulose was also observed in both TMR silages with prolonged ensiling. The microbial amylase activity remained detectable throughout the ensiling in both TMR silages, whereas the microbial hemicellulase activity progressively decreased until it was inactive at day 14 post-ensiling in both TMR silages. During the early stage of fermentation, the main amylase-producing microbes were Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. amyloliquefaciens, B. cereus, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis in ATMR silage and B. flexus, B. licheniformis, and Paenibacillus xylanexedens (P. xylanexedens in LTMR silage, whereas Enterococcus faecium was closely associated with starch hydrolysis at the later stage of fermentation in both TMR silages. B. amyloliquefaciens, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis and B. licheniformis, B. pumilus, and P. xylanexedens were the main source of microbial hemicellulase during the early stage of fermentation in ATMR and LTMR silages, respectively. Conclusion The microbial amylase contributes to starch hydrolysis during the

Microbial quality and molecular identification of cultivable microorganisms isolated from an urban drinking water distribution system (Limassol, Cyprus).

Science.gov (United States)

Botsaris, George; Kanetis, Loukas; Slaný, Michal; Parpouna, Christiana; Makris, Konstantinos C

2015-12-01

Microorganisms can survive and multiply in aged urban drinking water distribution systems, leading to potential health risks. The objective of this work was to investigate the microbial quality of tap water and molecularly identify its predominant cultivable microorganisms. Tap water samples collected from 24 different households scattered in the urban area of Limassol, Cyprus, were microbiologically tested following standard protocols for coliforms, E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Enterococcus spp., and total viable count at 22 and 37 °C. Molecular identification was performed on isolated predominant single colonies using 16SrRNA sequencing. Approximately 85% of the household water samples were contaminated with one or more microorganisms belonging to the genera of Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium, Agrobacterium, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Delftia, Acinetobacter, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, and Aeromonas. However, all samples tested were free from E. coli. This is the first report in Cyprus molecularly confirming specific genera of relevant microbial communities in tap water.

Multi-Probe Investigation of Proteomic Structure of Pathogens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkin, A J; Plomp, M; Leighton, T J; Vogelstein, B; Wheeler, K E

2008-01-01

Complete genome sequences are available for understanding biotransformation, environmental resistance and pathogenesis of microbial, cellular and pathogen systems. The present technological and scientific challenges are to unravel the relationships between the organization and function of protein complexes at cell, microbial and pathogens surfaces, to understand how these complexes evolve during the bacterial, cellular and pathogen life cycles, and how they respond to environmental changes, chemical stimulants and therapeutics. In particular, elucidating the molecular structure and architecture of human pathogen surfaces is essential to understanding mechanisms of pathogenesis, immune response, physicochemical interactions, environmental resistance and development of countermeasures against bioterrorist agents. The objective of this project was to investigate the architecture, proteomic structure, and function of bacterial spores through a combination of high-resolution in vitro atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-based immunolabeling with threat-specific antibodies. Particular attention in this project was focused on spore forming Bacillus species including the Sterne vaccine strain of Bacillus anthracis and the spore forming near-neighbor of Clostridium botulinum, C. novyi-NT. Bacillus species, including B. anthracis, the causative agent of inhalation anthrax are laboratory models for elucidating spore structure/function. Even though the complete genome sequence is available for B. subtilis, cereus, anthracis and other species, the determination and composition of spore structure/function is not understood. Prof. B. Vogelstein and colleagues at the John Hopkins University have recently developed a breakthrough bacteriolytic therapy for cancer treatment (1). They discovered that intravenously injected Clostridium novyi-NT spores germinate exclusively within the avascular regions of tumors in mice and destroy advanced cancerous lesions. The bacteria were also

Assessing Bacillus subtilis biosurfactant effects on the biodegradation of petroleum products.

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Montagnolli, Renato Nallin; Lopes, Paulo Renato Matos; Bidoia, Ederio Dino

2015-01-01

Microbial pollutant removal capabilities can be determined and exploited to accomplish bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted environments. Thus, increasing knowledge on environmental behavior of different petroleum products can lead to better bioremediation strategies. Biodegradation can be enhanced by adding biosurfactants to hydrocarbon-degrading microorganism consortia. This work aimed to improve petroleum products biodegradation by using a biosurfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis. The produced biosurfactant was added to biodegradation assays containing crude oil, diesel, and kerosene. Biodegradation was monitored by a respirometric technique capable of evaluating CO₂ production in an aerobic simulated wastewater environment. The biosurfactant yielded optimal surface tension reduction (30.9 mN m(-1)) and emulsification results (46.90% with kerosene). Biodegradation successfully occurred and different profiles were observed for each substance. Precise mathematical modeling of biosurfactant effects on petroleum degradation profile was designed, hence allowing long-term kinetics prediction. Assays containing biosurfactant yielded a higher overall CO₂ output. Higher emulsification and an enhanced CO2 production dataset on assays containing biosurfactants was observed, especially in crude oil and kerosene.

Advances and prospects of Bacillus subtilis cellular factories: From rational design to industrial applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yang; Xu, Xianhao; Wu, Yaokang; Niu, Tengfei; Liu, Yanfeng; Li, Jianghua; Du, Guocheng; Liu, Long

2018-05-15

Bacillus subtilis is the most characterized gram-positive bacterium that has significant attributes, such as growing well on cheap carbon sources, possessing clear inherited backgrounds, having mature genetic manipulation methods, and exhibiting robustness in large-scale fermentations. Till date, B. subtilis has been identified as attractive hosts for the production of recombinant proteins and chemicals. By applying various systems and synthetic biology tools, the productivity features of B. subtilis can be thoroughly analyzed and further optimized via metabolic engineering. In the present review, we discussed why B. subtilis is the primary organisms used for metabolic engineering and industrial applications. Additionally, we summarized the recent advances in systems and synthetic biology, engineering strategies for improving cellular performances, and metabolic engineering applications of B. subtilis. In particular, we proposed emerging opportunities and essential strategies to enable the successful development of B. subtilis as microbial cell factories. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of microbial diversity in the pilot-scale beer brewing process by culture-dependent and culture-independent method.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, M; Kita, Y; Kusaka, K; Mizuno, A; Goto-Yamamoto, N

2015-02-01

In the brewing industry, microbial management is very important for stabilizing the quality of the product. We investigated the detailed microbial community of beer during fermentation and maturation, to manage beer microbiology in more detail. We brewed a beer (all-malt) and two beerlike beverages (half- and low-malt) in pilot-scale fermentation and investigated the microbial community of them using a next-generation sequencer (454 GS FLX titanium), quantitative PCR, flow cytometry and a culture-dependent method. From 28 to 88 genera of bacteria and from 9 to 38 genera of eukaryotic micro-organisms were detected in each sample. Almost all micro-organisms died out during the boiling process. However, bacteria belonging to the genera Acidovorax, Bacillus, Brevundimonas, Caulobacter, Chryseobacterium, Methylobacterium, Paenibacillus, Polaromonas, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Sphingomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Tepidimonas and Tissierella were detected at the early and middle stage of fermentation, even though their cell densities were low (below approx. 10(3) cells ml(-1) ) and they were not almost detected at the end of fermentation. We revealed that the microbial community of beer during fermentation and maturation is very diverse and several bacteria possibly survive during fermentation. In this study, we revealed the detailed microbial communities of beer using next-generation sequencing. Some of the micro-organisms detected in this study were found in beer brewing process for the first time. Additionally, the possibility of growth of several bacteria at the early and middle stage of fermentation was suggested. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Effect of bioaugmented inoculation on microbiota dynamics during solid-state fermentation of Daqu starter using autochthonous of Bacillus, Pediococcus, Wickerhamomyces and Saccharomycopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pan; Lin, Weifeng; Liu, Xiong; Wang, Xiaowen; Gan, Xing; Luo, Lixin; Lin, Wei-Tie

2017-02-01

Daqu, a traditional fermentation starter that is used for Chinese liquor and vinegar production, is still manufactured through a traditional spontaneous solid-state fermentation process with no selected microorganisms are intentionally inoculated. The aim of this work was to analyze the microbiota dynamics during the solid-state fermentation process of Daqu using a traditional and bioaugmented inoculation with autochthonous of Bacillus, Pediococcus, Saccharomycopsis and Wickerhamomyces at an industrial scale. Highly similar dynamics of physicochemical parameters, enzymatic activities and microbial communities were observed during the traditional and bioaugmented solid-state fermentation processes. Both in the two cases, groups of Streptophyta, Rickettsiales and Xanthomonadales only dominated the first two days, but Bacillales and Eurotiales became predominant members after 2 and 10 days fermentation, respectively. Phylotypes of Enterobacteriales, Lactobacillales, Saccharomycetales and Mucorales dominated the whole fermentation process. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in microbial structure was observed between the traditional and bioaugmented fermentation processes. However, slightly higher microbial richness was found during the bioaugmented fermentation process after 10 days fermentation. Our results reinforced the microbiota dynamic stability during the solid-state fermentation process of Daqu, and might aid in controlling the traditional Daqu manufacturing process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response of soil microbial communities to roxarsone pollution along a concentration gradient.

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Liu, Yaci; Zhang, Zhaoji; Li, Yasong; Wen, Yi; Fei, Yuhong

2017-07-29

The extensive use of roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) as a feed additive in the broiler poultry industry can lead to environmental arsenic contamination. This study was conducted to reveal the response of soil microbial communities to roxarsone pollution along a concentration gradient. To explore the degradation process and degradation kinetics of roxarsone concentration gradients in soil, the concentration shift of roxarsone at initial concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, as well as that of the arsenic derivatives, was detected. The soil microbial community composition and structure accompanying roxarsone degradation were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that roxarsone degradation was inhibited by a biological inhibitor, confirming that soil microbes were absolutely essential to its degradation. Moreover, soil microbes had considerable potential to degrade roxarsone, as a high initial concentration of roxarsone resulted in a substantially increased degradation rate. The concentrations of the degradation products HAPA (3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid), AS(III), and AS(V) in soils were significantly positively correlated. The soil microbial community composition and structure changed significantly across the roxarsone contamination gradient, and the addition of roxarsone decreased the microbial diversity. Some bacteria tended to be inhibited by roxarsone, while Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Arthrobacter, Lysobacter, and Alkaliphilus played important roles in roxarsone degradation. Moreover, HAPA, AS(III), and AS(V) were significantly positively correlated with Symbiobacterium, which dominated soils containing roxarsone, and their abundance increased with increasing initial roxarsone concentration. Accordingly, Symbiobacterium could serve as indicator of arsenic derivatives released by roxarsone as well as the initial roxarsone concentration. This is the first investigation of microbes closely related to roxarsone

Micro-Etched Platforms for Thermal Inactivation of Bacillus Anthracis and Bacillus Thuringiensis Spores

Science.gov (United States)

2008-03-01

slips was first coated with a detergent wash. Commercially available Ivory soap shavings were diluted with sterile Millipore® water in a...environments. This removed controllable variability between the Bacillus species and increased the confidence in continued use of such surrogacy

Genomic analysis of thermophilic Bacillus coagulans strains: efficient producers for platform bio-chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Fei; Xu, Ping

2014-01-29

Microbial strains with high substrate efficiency and excellent environmental tolerance are urgently needed for the production of platform bio-chemicals. Bacillus coagulans has these merits; however, little genetic information is available about this species. Here, we determined the genome sequences of five B. coagulans strains, and used a comparative genomic approach to reconstruct the central carbon metabolism of this species to explain their fermentation features. A novel xylose isomerase in the xylose utilization pathway was identified in these strains. Based on a genome-wide positive selection scan, the selection pressure on amino acid metabolism may have played a significant role in the thermal adaptation. We also researched the immune systems of B. coagulans strains, which provide them with acquired resistance to phages and mobile genetic elements. Our genomic analysis provides comprehensive insights into the genetic characteristics of B. coagulans and paves the way for improving and extending the uses of this species.

[Formation and function of the bean-rhizobium symbiosis in soy plants upon introduction of strains of Azotobacter and Bacillus species].

Science.gov (United States)

Mel'nikova, N N; Bulavenko, L V; Kurdish, I K; Titova, L V; Kots', S Ia

2002-01-01

The effects of bacteria belonging to the genera Azotobacter and Bacillus in a mixed culture with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains on formation and function of the legume-rhizobium symbiosis of soybean plants were studied. The data showed that the bacterial compositions B. japonicum 634b + B. subtilis 5, B. japonicum 634b + A. chroococcum 20, and B. japonicum 10k + A. vinelandii 56 with a cell ratio of 1:0.1 increased the number and weight of root nodules as well as the height and weight of the aboveground plant parts in almost all the cases by 22-105% compared with the control variants. These binary microbial cultures may be used for development of combined bacterial preparations for soybean.

Toxin production ability of Bacillus cereus strains from food product of Ukraine

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I. Pylypenko

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Potential pathogens of foodborne toxic infections – bacterial contaminants Bacillus cereus isolated from plant raw materials and food products from the Ukrainian region were investigated. When determining of the proportion of isolated bacilli from the plant samples, it was established that the epidemiologically significant microorganisms of Bacillus cereus as agents of food poisoning are the second largest. The average value of contaminated samples of Ukrainian plant raw materials and processed products with Bacillus cereus is 36,2 %. The ability of Bacillus cereus strains identified by a complex of morphological, tinctorial, cultural and biochemical properties, to produce specific emetic and enterotoxins was studied. Molecular genetic diagnosis and detection of the toxin-producing ability of isolated 42 Bacillus cereus strains showed both the possibility of their rapid identification and the presence of specific toxicity genes. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR was carried out with specific primers to detect toxicity determined of various bacilli genes: nheA, hblD, cytK, cesВ. The distribution of toxigenic genes is significantly different among the Bacillus cereus isolates from various sources. The nheA, hblD and cytK enterotoxin genes were detected in 100, 83,3 and 61,9 % of the investigated strains of Bacillus cereus, respectively. The cesB gene encoding emetic toxin was detected in 4,8 % of  strains. Molecular-genetic PCR-method confirmed that all the isolated strains belong to the Bacillus cereus group, and the ability to produce toxins can be attributed to five groups. The main toxins that produce the investigated Bacillus cereus strains were nhe and hbl enterotoxins encoded by the corresponding genes of nheA and hblD. The enterotoxic type of Bacillus cereus was predominant in Ukrainian region.  Studies of domestic plant food raw materials and products have confirmed the need to improve microbiological control of product safety

Quantum dots conjugated zinc oxide nanosheets: Impeder of microbial growth and biofilm

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Rajendra; Gholap, Haribhau; Warule, Sambhaji; Banpurkar, Arun; Kulkarni, Gauri; Gade, Wasudeo

2015-01-01

The grieving problem of the 21st century has been the antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic microorganisms to conventional antibiotics. Therefore, developments of novel antibacterial materials which effectively inhibit or kill such resistant microorganisms have become the need of the hour. In the present study, we communicate the synthesis of quantum dots conjugated zinc oxide nanostructures (ZnO/CdTe) as an impeder of microbial growth and biofilm. The as-synthesized nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The growth impedance property of ZnO and ZnO/CdTe on Gram positive organism, Bacillus subtilis NCIM 2063 and Gram negative, Escherichia coli NCIM 2931 and biofilm impedance activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa O1 was found to occur due to photocatalytical action on the cell biofilm surfaces. The impedance in microbial growth and biofilm formation was further supported by ruptured appearances of cells and dettrered biofilm under field emission scanning electron and confocal laser scanning microscope. The ZnO/CdTe nanostructures array synthesized by hydrothermal method has an advantage of low growth temperature, and opportunity to fabricate inexpensive material for nano-biotechnological applications.

Feather wastes digestion by new isolated strains Bacillus sp. in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Feather wastes digestion by new isolated strains Bacillus sp. in Morocco. ... The most efficient isolated strain selected was compared with Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. Results showed ... African Journal of Biotechnology Vol.3(1) 2004: 67-70 ...

Microbial and physicochemical assays of paracetamol in different brands of analgesic syrups sold in Sana’a City-Yemen

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Ali G. Al−Kaf

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Context: Contamination of pharmaceuticals with microorganisms irrespective whether they are harmful or nonpathogenic can bring about changes in physicochemical characteristics of the drugs. Aims: To assay the microbial and physicochemical characteristics of paracetamol of two hundreds samples of different brands of analgesic syrups sold in Sana’a City, Yemen. Methods: Total viable aerobic count, type of isolated microorganisms, physical properties, and content of active ingredients were identified and evaluated by standard methods and techniques. The SPSS program was used to statistical analysis of variance for results obtained. Results: The total bacterial count of <10 CFU/mL and <100 CFU/mL in 179 (89.5% and 21 (10.5% samples, respectively was recorded, while the total fungal count was ≤10 CFU/mL in all analyzed syrup samples. The isolated bacteria were Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus fulvum, and Staphylococcus epidermidis while isolated fungi were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Penicillium notatum. Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger were the predominant bacteria and fungi isolated. The color results had a light red liquid with a sweet taste in the analyzed analgesic syrups. The pH values were ranged from 4.44–5.88. However, the density fluctuated from 1.149–1.184 g/mL. The paracetamol concentration as an active ingredient in the analgesic syrup was recorded from 98.19% – 106.53%. Conclusions: This finding showed that all analgesic syrups sold in Sana’a City followed Pharmacopeia specifications on microbial and physicochemical qualities.

Production of Alpha Amylase by Bacillus cereus in Submerged Fermentation

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Helen H. Raplong

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Microorganisms have the ability to secrete enzymes when they are grown in the presence of certain substrates. Amylases are among the most important industrial enzymes and are of great significance in biotechnological studies. Bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus were isolated using mannitol egg yolk polymyxin B (MYP agar a highly selective media for Bacillus cereus isolation. The isolates were tested for α-amylase production on nutrient agar supplemented with starch and in submerged fermentation. The bacteria isolated and identified (using the Microgen Bacillus identification kit were all Bacillus cereus and SB2 had the largest zone of hydrolysis of 12mm on nutrient agar supplemented with starch as well as the highest enzyme activity of 1.62U/ml. Amylase activity of 2.56U/ml was obtained after 24 hours incubation in submerged fermentation. When amylase enzyme production parameters where optimized, maximum amylase activity was obtained at a pH of 6.5, temperature of 350C, incubation time of 24 hours and 4% inoculums concentration. Bacillus cereus SB2 is a potential isolate for alpha-amylase production with soluble starch as the sole carbon source in submerged fermentation.

Metagenome analysis of the root endophytic microbial community of Indian rice (O. sativa L.

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Subhadipa Sengupta

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This study reports the root endophytic microbial community profile in rice (Oryza sativa L., the largest food crop of Asia, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Metagenome of OS01 and OS04 consisted of 11,17,900 sequences with 300 Mbp size and average 55.6% G + C content. Data of this study are available at NCBI Bioproject (PRJNA360379. The taxonomic analysis of 843 OTU's showed that the sequences belonged to four major phyla revealing dominance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria. Results reveal the dominance of Bacillus as major endophytic genera in rice roots, probably playing a key role in Nitrogen fixation.

Bacillus spp. Isolated from Puba as a Source of Biosurfactants and Antimicrobial Lipopeptides

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Karla J.; Viana, Jaime dos Santos; Lopes, Fernanda C.; Pereira, Jamile Q.; dos Santos, Daniel M.; Oliveira, Jamil S.; Velho, Renata V.; Crispim, Silvia M.; Nicoli, Jacques R.; Brandelli, Adriano; Nardi, Regina M. D.

2017-01-01

Several products of industrial interest are produced by Bacillus, including enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids, insecticides, biosurfactants and bacteriocins. This study aimed to investigate the potential of two bacterial isolates (P5 and C3) from puba, a regional fermentation product from cassava, to produce multiple substances with antimicrobial and surface active properties. Phylogenetic analyses showed close relation of isolates P5 and C3 with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus thuringiensis, respectively. Notably, Bacillus sp. P5 showed antimicrobial activity against pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus, in addition to antifungal activity. The presence of genes encoding pre-subtilosin (sboA), malonyl CoA transacylase (ituD), and the putative transcriptional terminator of surfactin (sfp) were detected in Bacillus sp. P5, suggesting the production of the bacteriocin subtilosin A and the lipopeptides iturin A and surfactin by this strain. For Bacillus sp. C3 the presence of sboA and spas (subtilin) genes was observed by the first time in members of B. cereus cluster. Bacillus sp. P5 showed emulsifying capability on mineral oil, soybean biodiesel and toluene, while Bacillus sp. C3 showed emulsifying capability only on mineral oil. The reduction of the surface tension in culture medium was also observed for strain P5, confirming the production of surface-active compounds by this bacterium. Monoprotonated molecular species and adducts of sodium and potassium ions of surfactin, iturin, and fengycin were detected in the P5 culture medium. Comparative MS/MS spectra of the peak m/z 1030 (C14 surfactin A or C15 surfactin B [M+Na]+) and peak m/z 1079 (C15 iturin [M+Na]+) showed the same fragmentation profile of standards, confirming the molecular identification. In conclusion, Bacillus sp. P5 showed the best potential for the production of antifungal, antibacterial, and biosurfactant substances. PMID:28197131

TRANSDUCTION OF BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS AND BACILLUS SUBTILIS BY EACH OF TWO PHAGES1

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Taylor, Martha J.; Thorne, Curtis B.

1963-01-01

Taylor, Martha J. (U.S. Army Biological Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Md.) and Curtis B. Thorne. Transduction of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis by each of two phages. J. Bacteriol. 86:452–461. 1963.—A second transducing bacteriophage, designated SP-15, was isolated from the same soil-sample culture filtrate that supplied the Bacillus subtilis transducing phage, SP-10, reported earlier from this laboratory. SP-10 and SP-15 differ serologically and in several other respects, but share the ability to propagate on B. subtilis W-23-Sr (streptomycin-resistant) and B. licheniformis ATCC 9945a, and to mediate general transduction in either species when propagated homologously. Attempts to transduce between the species have failed. SP-10 forms plaques readily on both W-23-Sr and 9945a; SP-15 forms minute plaques on W-23-Sr and has shown no evidence of any lytic activity on 9945a. Maximal recoveries of prototrophic colonies from mixtures of SP-10 with auxotrophs of either W-23-Sr or 9945a were obtained only when excess phage was neutralized by post-transduction treatment with specific phage antiserum. Such treatment was not necessary for maximal recovery of transductants effected by SP-15. Unlike SP-10, SP-15 propagated on W-23-Sr did not transduce B. subtilis 168 (indole−). SP-15 transduced B. licheniformis more efficiently than did SP-10. Neither phage was able to transduce B. licheniformis as efficiently as it transduced B. subtilis. The differing influences of multiplicity of infection were compared for the two phages in both species. PMID:14066421

An Apple Fruit Fermentation (AFF) Treatment Improves the Composition of the Rhizosphere Microbial Community and Growth of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch ‘Benihoppe’) Seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Bu, Yufen; Shao, Wei; Huang, Weijing; Ji, Qianlong; Yao, Yuncong

2016-01-01

Plant growth can be promoted by the application of apple fruit fermentation (AFF), despite unclear of the underlying mechanisms, the effects involved in AFF on rhizosphere microorganisms have been hypothesized. We investigated the consequences of applying AFF alone or in combination with Bacillus licheniformis to strawberry tissue culture seedlings in vitro, the analyses of Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rDNA were performed to determine AFF effects on rhizosphere. Moreover, the growth index and antioxidant enzyme activities were determined 30 days after treatments. We identified five dominant bacteria in AFF: Coprinus atramentarius, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus licheniformis, Weissella and B. subtilis. The greatest number of bacterial species were observed in the rhizosphere of control matrix (water treated), and the lowest diversity appeared in the rhizosphere soil treated with 108 cfu/mL B. licheniformis alone. Combining AFF plus B. licheniformis in one treatment resulted in the largest leaf area, plant height, root length, plant weight, and the markedly higher activities of antioxidant enzymes. We conclude that a combination of AFF plus B. licheniformis treatment to matrix can increase antioxidant enzymes activities in strawberry seedlings, optimize the status of rhizosphere microbial, and promote plant growth. PMID:27755580

Identification of Bacillus anthracis by Using Monoclonal Antibody to Cell Wall Galactose-N-Acetylglucosamine Polysaccharide

Science.gov (United States)

1990-02-01

Bacillus circulans ATCC 4513 b - - NR NT NT NT NT Bacillus coagulans ATCC 7050 b - - NR NT NT NT NT Bacillus eugilitis B-61 f - - NR NT NT NT NT...American Society for Microbiology W Identification of Bacillus anthracis by-U-sing Monoclonal Antibody CC to Cell Wall Galactose-N-Acetylglucosamine...Received 22 June 1989/Accepted 31 October 1989 ’ Guanidine extracts of crude Bacillus anthracis cell wall were used to vaccinate BALB/c mice and to

Pathogenesis of motor neuron disease

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xuefei Wang

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analyze the factors and theories related to the attack of motor neuron disease, and comprehensively investigate the pathogenesis of motor neuron disease.DATA SOURCES: A search of Pubmed database was undertaken to identify articles about motor neuron disease published in English from January 1994 to June 2006 by using the keywords of "neurodegenerative diseases". Other literatures were collected by retrieving specific journals and articles.STUDY SELECTION: The data were checked primarily, articles related to the pathogenesis of motor neuron disease were involved, and those obviously irrelated to the articles were excluded.DATA EXTRACTION: Totally 54 articles were collected, 30 of them were involved, and the other 24 were excluded.DATA SYNTHESIS: The pathogenesis of motor neuron disease has multiple factors, and the present related theories included free radical oxidation, excitotoxicity, genetic and immune factors, lack of neurotrophic factor,injury of neurofilament, etc. The studies mainly come from transgenic animal models, cell culture in vitro and patients with familial motor neuron disease, but there are still many restrictions and disadvantages.CONCLUSION: It is necessary to try to find whether there is internal association among different mechanisms,comprehensively investigate the pathogenesis of motor neuron diseases, in order to provide reliable evidence for the clinical treatment.

Fungicidal effect of bacteriocins harvested from Bacillus spp.

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Adetunji, V. O.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: This study investigated the ability of bacteriocins isolated from Bacillus spp. (Bacillus species to inhibit fourdifferent yeast isolates obtained from common food products (nono, yoghurt, ogi and cheese commonly consumed byNigerians with minimal heat treatment.Methodology and results: Forty-five Bacillus spp. was isolated and identified from common food products usingcultural, morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. These isolates were tested for antimicrobialactivity against Salmonella enteritidis (3, Micrococcus luteus (1 and Staphylococcus aureus (2. Eight bacteriocinproducing strains were identified from an over- night broth culture centrifugated at 3500 revolutions for five minutes.Fungicidal effects of these bacteriocins were tested against four yeast strains using the Agar Well Diffusion method. Thebacteriocins produced wide zones of inhibition ranging from 5.9±0.000 to 24.00±0.000 mm against the 4 yeast strainstested. There was a significant difference (at p<0.05 between the yeast organisms and the bacteriocins from theBacillus spp.Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The study reveals the antifungal property of bacteriocins from Bacillusspp. and serves therefore as a base for further studies in its use in the control of diseases and extension of shelf-life ofproducts prone to fungi contamination.

Identification and Pathogenic Potential of Clinical Bacillus and Paenibacillus Isolates.

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Francesco Celandroni

Full Text Available The soil-related Bacillus and Paenibacillus species have increasingly been implicated in various human diseases. Nevertheless, their identification still poses problems in the clinical microbiology laboratory and, with the exception of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus, little is known on their pathogenicity for humans. In this study, we evaluated the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS in the identification of clinical isolates of these genera and conducted genotypic and phenotypic analyses to highlight specific virulence properties. Seventy-five clinical isolates were subjected to biochemical and MALDI-TOF MS identification. 16S rDNA sequencing and supplemental tests were used to solve any discrepancies or failures in the identification results. MALDI-TOF MS significantly outperformed classical biochemical testing for correct species identification and no misidentification was obtained. One third of the collected strains belonged to the B. cereus species, but also Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus subtilis were isolated at high rate. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that all the B. cereus, B. licheniformis, B. simplex, B. mycoides, Paenibacillus glucanolyticus and Paenibacillus lautus isolates are resistant to penicillin. The evaluation of toxin/enzyme secretion, toxin-encoding genes, motility, and biofilm formation revealed that B. cereus displays the highest virulence potential. However, although generally considered nonpathogenic, most of the other species were shown to swim, swarm, produce biofilms, and secrete proteases that can have a role in bacterial virulence. In conclusion, MALDI-TOF MS appears useful for fast and accurate identification of Bacillus and Paenibacillus strains whose virulence properties make them of increasing clinical relevance.

Concerted action of sphingomyelinase and non-hemolytic enterotoxin in pathogenic Bacillus cereus.

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Viktoria M Doll

Full Text Available Bacillus cereus causes food poisoning and serious non-gastrointestinal-tract infections. Non-hemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe, which is present in most B. cereus strains, is considered to be one of the main virulence factors. However, a B. cereus ΔnheBC mutant strain lacking Nhe is still cytotoxic to intestinal epithelial cells. In a screen for additional cytotoxic factors using an in vitro model for polarized colon epithelial cells we identified B. cereus sphingomyelinase (SMase as a strong inducer of epithelial cell death. Using single and double deletion mutants of sph, the gene encoding for SMase, and nheBC in B. cereus we demonstrated that SMase is an important factor for B. cereus cytotoxicity in vitro and pathogenicity in vivo. SMase substantially complemented Nhe induced cytotoxicity in vitro. In addition, SMase but not Nhe contributed significantly to the mortality rate of larvae in vivo in the insect model Galleria mellonella. Our study suggests that the role of B. cereus SMase as a secreted virulence factor for in vivo pathogenesis has been underestimated and that Nhe and SMase complement each other significantly to cause full B. cereus virulence hence disease formation.

Biodegradation and corrosion behavior of manganese oxidizer Bacillus cereus ACE4 in diesel transporting pipeline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajasekar, A.; Ganesh Babu, T.; Karutha Pandian, S.; Maruthamuthu, S.; Palaniswamy, N.; Rajendran, A.

2007-01-01

The degradation problem of petroleum products arises since hydrocarbon acts as an excellent food source for a wide variety of microorganisms. Microbial activity leads to unacceptable level of turbidity, corrosion of pipeline and souring of stored product. The present study emphasizes the role of Bacillus cereus ACE4 on degradation of diesel and its influence on corrosion of API 5LX steel. A demonstrating bacterial strain ACE4 was isolated from corrosion products and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that it has more than 99% similarity with B. cereus. The biodegradation and corrosion studies revealed that B. cereus degraded the aliphatic protons and aromatic protons in diesel and is capable of oxidizing ferrous/manganese into oxides. This is the first report that discloses the involvement of manganese oxidizer B. cereus ACE4 on biodegradation of diesel and its influence on corrosion in a tropical country pipeline

Effect of amino acids on tannase biosynthesis by Bacillus licheniformis KBR6.

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Mohapatra, Pradeep K Das; Pati, Bikas R; Mondal, Keshab C

2009-04-01

Microbial tannase (tannin acyl hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.20), a hydrolysable tannin-degrading enzyme, has gained importance in various industrial processes, and is used extensively in the manufacture of instant tea, beer, wine, and gallic acid. Tannase is an inducible enzyme, and hydrolysable tannin, especially tannic acid, is the sole inducer. This study is of the effect of various amino acids and their analogues on tannase biosynthesis by Bacillus licheniformis KBR6 to ascertain the mode of action of these growth factors on tannase biosynthesis from microbial origin. Enzyme production was carried out in enriched tannic acid medium through submerged fermentation for 20 h at 35 degrees C. Different amino acids at a concentration of 0.05 g% (w/v) were added to the culture medium immediately after sterilization. Culture supernatant was used as the source of the enzyme and the quantity of tannase was estimated by the colorimetric assay method. Growth of the organism was estimated according to biomass dry weight. Maximum tannase (2.87-fold that of the control) was synthesized by B. licheniformis KBR6 when alanine was added to the culture medium. Other amino acids, such as DL-serine, L-cystine, glycine, L-ornithine, aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, DL-valine, L-leucine and L-lysine, also induced tannase synthesis. L-Cysteine monohydrochloride and DL-threonine were the most potent inhibitors. Regulation of tannase biosynthesis by B. licheniformis in the presence of various amino acids is shown. This information will be helpful for formulating an enriched culture medium for industrial-scale tannase production.

Reparation and Immunomodulating Properties of Bacillus sp. Metabolites from Permafrost.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalenova, L F; Melnikov, V P; Besedin, I M; Bazhin, A S; Gabdulin, M A; Kolyvanova, S S

2017-09-01

An ointment containing metabolites of Bacillus sp. microorganisms isolated from permafrost samples was applied onto the skin wound of BALB/c mice. Metabolites isolated during culturing of Bacillus sp. at 37°C produced a potent therapeutic effect and promoted wound epithelialization by 30% in comparison with the control (ointment base) and by 20% in comparison with Solcoseryl. Treatment with Bacillus sp. metabolites stimulated predominantly humoral immunity, reduced the time of wound contraction and the volume of scar tissue, and promoted complete hair recovery. These metabolites can be considered as modulators of the wound process with predominance of regeneration mechanisms.

Batch-batch stable microbial community in the traditional fermentation process of huyumei broad bean pastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Linjiang; Fan, Zihao; Kuai, Hui; Li, Qi

2017-09-01

During natural fermentation processes, a characteristic microbial community structure (MCS) is naturally formed, and it is interesting to know about its batch-batch stability. This issue was explored in a traditional semi-solid-state fermentation process of huyumei, a Chinese broad bean paste product. The results showed that this MCS mainly contained four aerobic Bacillus species (8 log CFU per g), including B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. methylotrophicus, and B. tequilensis, and the facultative anaerobe B. cereus with a low concentration (4 log CFU per g), besides a very small amount of the yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii (2 log CFU per g). The dynamic change of the MCS in the brine fermentation process showed that the abundance of dominant species varied within a small range, and in the beginning of process the growth of lactic acid bacteria was inhibited and Staphylococcus spp. lost its viability. Also, the MCS and its dynamic change were proved to be highly reproducible among seven batches of fermentation. Therefore, the MCS naturally and stably forms between different batches of the traditional semi-solid-state fermentation of huyumei. Revealing microbial community structure and its batch-batch stability is helpful for understanding the mechanisms of community formation and flavour production in a traditional fermentation. This issue in a traditional semi-solid-state fermentation of huyumei broad bean paste was firstly explored. This fermentation process was revealed to be dominated by a high concentration of four aerobic species of Bacillus, a low concentration of B. cereus and a small amount of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus spp. lost its viability at the beginning of fermentation. Such the community structure was proved to be highly reproducible among seven batches. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Synthesis and characterization of monodispersed orthorhombic manganese oxide nanoparticles produced by Bacillus sp. cells simultaneous to its bioremediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinha, Arvind [Enzyme and Microbial Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016 (India); Singh, Vidya Nand; Mehta, Bodh Raj [Thin Film Laboratory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016 (India); Khare, Sunil Kumar, E-mail: skhare@rocketmail.com [Enzyme and Microbial Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016 (India)

2011-08-30

Highlights: {yields} An efficient process wherein remediated manganese is synthesized into nanoparticles. {yields} A microbial process for manganese nanoparticle synthesis from metal waste streams. {yields} Nanoparticles characterized as monodispersed, spherical and 4.62 {+-} 0.14 nm sized MnO{sub 2}. -- Abstract: A heavy metal resistant strain of Bacillus sp. (MTCC10650) is reported. The strain exhibited the property of bioaccumulating manganese, simultaneous to its remediation. The nanoparticles thus formed were characterized and identified using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). When the cells were challenged with manganese, the cells effectively synthesized nanoparticles of average size 4.62 {+-} 0.14 nm. These were mostly spherical and monodispersed. The ex situ enzymatically synthesized nanoparticles exhibited an absorbance maximum at 329 nm. These were more discrete, small and uniform, than the manganese oxide nanoparticles recovered after cell sonication. The use of Bacillus sp. cells seems promising and advantageous approach. Since, it serves dual purposes of (i) remediation and (ii) nanoparticle synthesis. Considering the increasing demand of developing environmental friendly and cost effective technologies for nanoparticle synthesis, these cells can be exploited for the remediation of manganese from the environment in conjunction with development of a greener process for the controlled synthesis of manganese oxide nanoparticles.

Synthesis and characterization of monodispersed orthorhombic manganese oxide nanoparticles produced by Bacillus sp. cells simultaneous to its bioremediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, Arvind; Singh, Vidya Nand; Mehta, Bodh Raj; Khare, Sunil Kumar

2011-01-01

Highlights: → An efficient process wherein remediated manganese is synthesized into nanoparticles. → A microbial process for manganese nanoparticle synthesis from metal waste streams. → Nanoparticles characterized as monodispersed, spherical and 4.62 ± 0.14 nm sized MnO 2 . -- Abstract: A heavy metal resistant strain of Bacillus sp. (MTCC10650) is reported. The strain exhibited the property of bioaccumulating manganese, simultaneous to its remediation. The nanoparticles thus formed were characterized and identified using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). When the cells were challenged with manganese, the cells effectively synthesized nanoparticles of average size 4.62 ± 0.14 nm. These were mostly spherical and monodispersed. The ex situ enzymatically synthesized nanoparticles exhibited an absorbance maximum at 329 nm. These were more discrete, small and uniform, than the manganese oxide nanoparticles recovered after cell sonication. The use of Bacillus sp. cells seems promising and advantageous approach. Since, it serves dual purposes of (i) remediation and (ii) nanoparticle synthesis. Considering the increasing demand of developing environmental friendly and cost effective technologies for nanoparticle synthesis, these cells can be exploited for the remediation of manganese from the environment in conjunction with development of a greener process for the controlled synthesis of manganese oxide nanoparticles.

Assessment of Plant-Probiotic Performance of Novel Endophytic Bacillus sp. in Talc-Based Formulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Basheer, Jasim; Ravi, Aswani; Mathew, Jyothis; Krishnankutty, Radhakrishnan Edayileveettil

2018-01-25

Endophytic bacteria are considered to have a plethora of plant growth promoting and anti-phytopathogenic traits to live within the plants. Hence, they have immense promises for plant probiotic development. In the current study, plant probiotic endophytic Bacillus sp. CaB5 which has been previously isolated from Capsicum annuum was investigated for its performance in talc-based formulation. For this, CaB5 was made into formulation with sterile talc, calcium carbonate, and carboxymethyl cellulose. The viability analysis of the formulation by standard plate count and fluorescence methods has confirmed the stable microbial count up to 45 days. Plant probiotic performance of the prepared formulation was analyzed on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and lady's finger (Abelmoschus esculentus). The results showed the formulation treatment to have enhancement effect on seed germination as well as plant growth in both selected plants. The results highlight the potential of CaB5-based formulation for field application to enhance growth of economically important plants.

Phosphorylation of Isoflavones by Bacillus subtilis BCRC 80517 May Represent Xenobiotic Metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Chen; Wu, Bo-Yuan; Chang, Yu-Chuan; Chang, Chi-Fon; Chiou, Tai-Ying; Su, Nan-Wei

2018-01-10

The soy isoflavones daidzein (DAI) and genistein (GEN) have beneficial effects on human health. However, their oral bioavailability is hampered by their low aqueous solubility. Our previous study revealed two water-soluble phosphorylated conjugates of isoflavones, daidzein 7-O-phosphate and genistein 7-O-phosphate, generated via biotransformation by Bacillus subtilis BCRC80517 cultivated with isoflavones. In this study, two novel derivatives of isoflavones, daidzein 4'-O-phosphate and genistein 4'-O-phosphate, were identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P NMR, and their biotransformation roadmaps were proposed. Primarily, isoflavone glucosides were deglycosylated and then phosphorylated predominantly into 7-O-phosphate conjugates with traces of 4'-O-phosphate conjugates. Inevitably, trace quantities of glucosides were converted into 6″-O-succinyl glucosides. GEN was more efficiently phosphorylated than DAI. Nevertheless, the presence of GEN prolonged the time until the exponential phase of cell growth, whereas the other isoflavones showed little effect on cell growth. Our findings provide new insights into the novel microbial phosphorylation of isoflavones involved in xenobiotic metabolism.

Formation of flavone di-O-glucosides using a glycosyltransferase from Bacillus cereus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Byoung Chan; Kim, Bong Gyu; Jeon, Young Min; Lee, Eun Jeong; Lim, Yoongho; Ahn, Joong-Hoon

2009-04-01

Microbial UDP-glycosyltransferases can convert many small lipophilic compounds into glycons using uridinediphosphate- activated sugars. The glycosylation of flavonoids affects solubility, stability, and bioavailability. The gene encoding the UDP-glycosyltransferase from Bacillus cereus, BcGT-3, was cloned by PCR and sequenced. BcGT-3 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with a glutathione S-transferase tag and purified using a glutathione Stransferase affinity column. BcGT-3 was tested for activity on several substrates including genistein, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin. Flavonols were the best substrates for BcGT-3. The enzyme dominantly glycosylated the 3-hydroxyl group, but the 7-hydroxyl group was glycosylated when the 3-hydroxyl group was not available. The kaempferol reaction products were identified as kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol- 3,7-O-diglucoside. Kaempferol was the most effective substrate tested. Based on HPLC, LC/MS, and NMR analyses of the reaction products, we conclude that BcGT-3 can be used for the synthesis of kaempferol 3,7-O-diglucose.

Microbial enhanced oil recovery research. Final report, Annex 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, M.M.; Gerogiou, G.

1993-07-01

The objective of this project was to develop an engineering framework for the exploitation of microorganisms to enhance oil recovery. An order of magnitude analysis indicated that selective plugging and the production of biosurfactants are the two most likely mechanisms for the mobilization of oil in microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). The latter, biosurfactant production, is easier to control within a reservoir environment and was investigated in some detail. An extensive literature survey indicated that the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis JF-2 produces a very effective surface active agent capable of increasing the capillary number to values sufficiently low for oil mobilization. In addition, earlier studies had shown that growth of this bacterium and biosurfactant production occur under conditions that are typically encountered in MEOR, namely temperatures up to 55{degrees}C, lack of oxygen and salinities of up to 10% w/v. The chemical structure of the surfactant, its interfacial properties and its production by fermentation were characterized in some detail. In parallel, a set of experiments as conducted to measure the transport of Bacillus licheniformis JF-2 in sandpacks. It was shown that the determining parameters for cell transport in porous media are: cell size and degree of coagulation, presence of dispersants, injection velocity and cell concentration. The mechanisms of bacteria retention within the pores of the reservoir were analyzed based on heuristic arguments. A mathematical simulator of MEOR was developed using conservation equations in which the mechanisms of bacteria retention and the growth kinetics of the cells were incorporated. The predictions of the model agreed reasonably well with experimental results.

Microbial Assisted Phyto remediation Of Palm Oil Mill Final Discharge (POMFD) Wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Faizal Hamzah; Norjan Yusof; Hasimah Alimon

2016-01-01

This study assesses microbial assisted phyto remediation of palm oil mill final discharge (POMFD) wastewater using three local macrophyte species: Leersia oryzoides, Pistia stratiotes and Ludwigia peploides. It was found respectively that BOD 5 , COD, NH 3 -N removal efficiencies of 84.7 %, 22.3 %, and 73.5 % were achieved for P. stratiotes; 88.1 %, 18 % and 69.2 % for L. peploides; and 86.1 %, 11.7 % and 69.3 % for L. oryzoides. The level of C, H and N in the tissue were influenced by macrophyte species and organs (p < 0.05). The bioconcentration factors (BCF) of various metals such as Mg, Ca, K, Na, Fe and Zn of the three macrophyte were 10 -1 to 10 0 with Fe being highly accumulated in roots of all the macrophyte (BCF=10 2 ). The translocation factors (TF) of most metals from root to shoot tissues were in a range of 10 -3 to 10 0 . In comparison with other metals, K was capable to be efficiently translocated from root to shoots in all the macrophyte species (TF=10 0 ). In this study, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas spp. and Bacillus cereus that are usually involved in denitrification were identified in P. stratiotes, L. pepoides and L. oryzoides roots respectively. This confirms the macrophyte-microorganism interaction in remediation of POMFD wastewater. (author)

Subgingival microbial communities in Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency and their relationship with local immunopathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Moutsopoulos, Niki M; Chalmers, Natalia I; Barb, Jennifer J; Abusleme, Loreto; Greenwell-Wild, Teresa; Dutzan, Nicolas; Paster, Bruce J; Munson, Peter J; Fine, Daniel H; Uzel, Gulbu; Holland, Steven M

2015-03-01

Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency I (LAD-I) is a primary immunodeficiency caused by single gene mutations in the CD18 subunit of β2 integrins which result in defective transmigration of neutrophils into the tissues. Affected patients suffer from recurrent life threatening infections and severe oral disease (periodontitis). Microbial communities in the local environment (subgingival plaque) are thought to be the triggers for inflammatory periodontitis, yet little is known regarding the microbial communities associated with LAD-I periodontitis. Here we present the first comprehensive characterization of the subgingival communities in LAD-I, using a 16S rRNA gene-based microarray, and investigate the relationship of this tooth adherent microbiome to the local immunopathology of periodontitis. We show that the LAD subgingival microbiome is distinct from that of health and Localized Aggressive Periodontitits. Select periodontitis-associated species in the LAD microbiome included Parvimonas micra, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Eubacterium brachy and Treponema species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium not typically found in subgingival plaque is detected in LAD-I. We suggest that microbial products from LAD-associated communities may have a role in stimulating the local inflammatory response. We demonstrate that bacterial LPS translocates into the lesions of LAD-periodontitis potentially triggering immunopathology. We also show in in vitro assays with human macrophages and in vivo in animal models that microbial products from LAD-associated subgingival plaque trigger IL-23-related immune responses, which have been shown to dominate in patient lesions. In conclusion, our current study characterizes the subgingival microbial communities in LAD-periodontitis and supports their role as triggers of disease pathogenesis.

Subgingival microbial communities in Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency and their relationship with local immunopathology.

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Niki M Moutsopoulos

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency I (LAD-I is a primary immunodeficiency caused by single gene mutations in the CD18 subunit of β2 integrins which result in defective transmigration of neutrophils into the tissues. Affected patients suffer from recurrent life threatening infections and severe oral disease (periodontitis. Microbial communities in the local environment (subgingival plaque are thought to be the triggers for inflammatory periodontitis, yet little is known regarding the microbial communities associated with LAD-I periodontitis. Here we present the first comprehensive characterization of the subgingival communities in LAD-I, using a 16S rRNA gene-based microarray, and investigate the relationship of this tooth adherent microbiome to the local immunopathology of periodontitis. We show that the LAD subgingival microbiome is distinct from that of health and Localized Aggressive Periodontitits. Select periodontitis-associated species in the LAD microbiome included Parvimonas micra, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Eubacterium brachy and Treponema species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium not typically found in subgingival plaque is detected in LAD-I. We suggest that microbial products from LAD-associated communities may have a role in stimulating the local inflammatory response. We demonstrate that bacterial LPS translocates into the lesions of LAD-periodontitis potentially triggering immunopathology. We also show in in vitro assays with human macrophages and in vivo in animal models that microbial products from LAD-associated subgingival plaque trigger IL-23-related immune responses, which have been shown to dominate in patient lesions. In conclusion, our current study characterizes the subgingival microbial communities in LAD-periodontitis and supports their role as triggers of disease pathogenesis.

Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy

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Irena Ciećko-Michalska

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Hepatic encephalopathy can be a serious complication of acute liver failure and chronic liver diseases, predominantly liver cirrhosis. Hyperammonemia plays the most important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The brain-blood barrier disturbances, changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, GABA-ergic or benzodiazepine pathway abnormalities, manganese neurotoxicity, brain energetic disturbances, and brain blood flow abnormalities are considered to be involved in the development of hepatic encephalopathy. The influence of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO on the induction of minimal hepatic encephalopathy is recently emphasized. The aim of this paper is to present the current views on the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy.

Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy

Science.gov (United States)

Ciećko-Michalska, Irena; Szczepanek, Małgorzata; Słowik, Agnieszka; Mach, Tomasz

2012-01-01

Hepatic encephalopathy can be a serious complication of acute liver failure and chronic liver diseases, predominantly liver cirrhosis. Hyperammonemia plays the most important role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. The brain-blood barrier disturbances, changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, GABA-ergic or benzodiazepine pathway abnormalities, manganese neurotoxicity, brain energetic disturbances, and brain blood flow abnormalities are considered to be involved in the development of hepatic encephalopathy. The influence of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) on the induction of minimal hepatic encephalopathy is recently emphasized. The aim of this paper is to present the current views on the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy. PMID:23316223

Impact of High-Power Pulsed Light on Microbial Contamination, Health Promoting Components and Shelf Life of Strawberries

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Irina Buchovec

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of high-power pulsed light (HPPL on the microbial control and nutritional properties of strawberries. Berries were treated with HPPL and afterwards analyzed in terms of microbial contamination, shelf life extension, antioxidant capacity, firmness, total phenolic, total anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content, and colour. Results indicate that the decontamination of strawberries by HPPL was significant compared to control. Naturally distributed mesophilic bacteria on the surface of strawberries were inactivated by 2.2 log, and inoculated Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes were inactivated by 1.5 and 1.1 log, respectively. Yeasts/microfungi distributed on the surface of strawberries were inactivated by 1 log. The shelf life of treated strawberries was extended by 2 days. The increase of temperature on the surface of fruit never exceeded 42 °C. No significantly important differences were observed in total phenolic, total anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content, and antioxidant capacity of strawberry fruits before and after pulsed light treatment. Moreover, no impact on the strawberry colour or firmness was found after HPPL treatment. In conclusion, HPPL is fast, effective, non-thermal and environmentally friendly technique which can be applied for microbial control of strawberries.

A Phosphate Starvation-Inducible Ribonuclease of Bacillus licheniformis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thanh Trung; Nguyen, Minh Hung; Nguyen, Huy Thuan; Nguyen, Hoang Anh; Le, Thi Hoi; Schweder, Thomas; Jürgen, Britta

2016-08-28

The BLi03719 protein of Bacillus licheniformis DSM13 belongs to the most abundant extracellular proteins under phosphate starvation conditions. In this study, the function of this phosphate starvation inducible protein was determined. An amino-acid sequence analysis of the BLi03719-encoding gene showed a high similarity with genes encoding the barnase of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 and binase-like RNase of Bacillus pumilus SARF-032. The comparison of the control strain and a BLi03719-deficient strain revealed a strongly reduced extracellular ribonuclease activity of the mutant. Furthermore, this knockout mutant exhibited delayed growth with yeast RNA as an alternative phosphate and carbon source. These results suggest that BLi03719 is an extracellular ribonuclease expressed in B. licheniformis under phosphate starvation conditions. Finally, a BLi03719 mutant showed an advantageous effect on the overexpression of the heterologous amyE gene under phosphate-limited growth conditions.

Differentiation of strains from the Bacillus cereus group by RFLP-PFGE genomic fingerprinting.

Science.gov (United States)

Otlewska, Anna; Oltuszak-Walczak, Elzbieta; Walczak, Piotr

2013-11-01

Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus weihenstephanensis, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus cereus belong to the B. cereus group. The last three species are characterized by different phenotype features and pathogenicity spectrum, but it has been shown that these species are genetically closely related. The macrorestriction analysis of the genomic DNA with the NotI enzyme was used to generate polymorphism of restriction profiles for 39 food-borne isolates (B. cereus, B. mycoides) and seven reference strains (B. mycoides, B. thuringiensis, B. weihenstephanensis, and B. cereus). The PFGE method was applied to differentiate the examined strains of the B. cereus group. On the basis of the unweighted pair group method with the arithmetic mean method and Dice coefficient, the strains were divided into five clusters (types A-E), and the most numerous group was group A (25 strains). A total of 21 distinct pulsotypes were observed. The RFLP-PFGE analysis was successfully used for the differentiation and characterization of B. cereus and B. mycoides strains isolated from different food products. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM SWINE WASTEWATER USING MICROBIAL FUEL CELL

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Chimezie Jason Ogugbue

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Electricity generation from swine wastewater using microbial fuel cell (MFC was investigated. Swine wastewater was collected into dual-chambered (aerobic and anaerobic fuel cell. The maximum power output using copper and carbon electrodes were 250.54 and 52.33 µW, while 10.0 and 5.0 cm salt bridge length between the cathode and anode were 279.50 and 355.26 µW, respectively. Potassium permanganate and ordinal water gave a maximum power output of 1287.8 and 13 9.18 µW. MFCs utilize microbial communities to degrade organic materials found within wastewater and converted stored chemical energy to electrical energy in a single step. The initial bacterial and fungal counts were 7.4×106 and 1.1×103 CFU ml-1. Bacterial counts steadily increased with time to 1.40×107 CFU ml-1 while fungal count declined to 4.4×106 CFU ml-1 after day 60. The declined in microbial counts may be attributed to the time necessary for acclimatization of microbes to the anode. The genera identified were Bacillus, Citrobacter, Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus and Rhizopus. These microbes acted as primary and secondary utilizers, utilizing carbon and other organics of the wastewater. Chemical parameters indicated that the biochemical oxygen demand ranged from 91.4–23.2 mg/L, giving 75% while the chemical oxygen demand ranged from 243.1–235.2 mg/L, representing 3.3%. Although, the metabolic activities of microbes were responsible for the observed degradation, leading to electricity, the overall power output depended on the distance between the anode and cathode compartment, types of electrode materials and mediators and oxygen reaction at the cathode.

Assessment of microbial contamination within working environments of different types of composting plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutarowska, Beata; Skóra, Justyna; Stępień, Łukasz; Szponar, Bogumiła; Otlewska, Anna; Pielech-Przybylska, Katarzyna

2015-04-01

The objective of the study was to determine the degree of microbiological contamination, type of microflora, bioaerosol particle size distribution, and concentration of endotoxins in dust in different types of composting plants. In addition, this study provides a list of indicator microorganisms that pose a biological threat in composting facilities, based on their prevalence within the workplace, source of isolation, and health hazards. We undertook microbiological analysis of the air, work surfaces, and compost, and assessed the particle size distribution of bioaerosols using a six-stage Andersen sampler. Endotoxins were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Microbial identification was undertaken both microscopically and using biochemical tests. The predominant bacterial and fungal species were identified using 16S rRNA and ITS1/2 analysis, respectively. The number of mesophilic microorganisms in composting plants amounted to 6.9×10(2)-2.5×10(4) CFU/m3 in the air, 2.9×10(2)-3.3×10(3) CFU/100 cm2 on surfaces, and 2.2×10(5)-2.4×10(7) CFU/g in compost. Qualitative analysis revealed 75 microbial strains in composting plants, with filamentous fungi being the largest group of microorganisms, accounting for as many as 38 isolates. The total amount of endotoxins was 0.0062-0.0140 nmol/mg of dust. The dust fraction with aerodynamic particle diameter of 0.65-1.1 μm accounted for 28-39% of bacterial aerosols and 4-13% of fungal aerosols. We propose the following strains as indicators of harmful biological agent contamination: Bacillus cereus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. herbarum, Mucor hiemalis, and Rhizopus oryzae for both types of composting plants, and Bacillus pumilus, Mucor fragilis, Penicillium svalbardense, and P. crustosum for green waste composting plants. The biological hazards posed within these plants are due to the presence of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and the inhalation of respirable

Bacillus ciccensis sp. nov., isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Li, Nannan; Eom, Mi Kyung; Schumann, Peter; Zhang, Xin; Cao, Yanhua; Ge, Yuanyuan; Xiao, Ming; Zhao, Jiuran; Cheng, Chi; Kim, Song-Gun

2017-11-01

Two Gram-stain-positive bacterial strains, designated as 5L6 T and 6L6, isolated from seeds of hybrid maize (Zea mays L., Jingke 968) were investigated using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The cells were aerobic, motile, endospore-forming and rod-shaped. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates were recognized as a species of the genus Bacillus, to which the five closest neighbours are Bacillus solani FJAT-18043 T (99.8 % similarity), Bacillus horneckiae DSM 23495 T (97.7 %), Bacillus eiseniae A1-2 T (97.4 %), Bacillus kochii WCC 4582 T (97.1 %) and Bacillus purgationiresistens DS22 T (97.0 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 5L6 T was 37.4 mol%. Its polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and C16 : 1 ω7c alcohol. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained ornithine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and alanine while diaminopimelic acid could not be detected. Strains 5L6 T and 6L6 were clearly distinguished from the type strains of related validly named species using phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, fatty acid analysis, peptidoglycan analysis and comparison of a range of physiological and biochemical characteristics. The genotypic and phenotypic data show that strains 5L6 T and 6L6 represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillusciccensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5L6 T (=KCTC 33663 T =CICC 23855 T =DSM 104513 T ).

Inferring Microbial Interactions in the Gut of the Hong Kong Whipping Frog (Polypedates megacephalus) and a Validation Using Probiotics

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Francis Cheng-Hsuan; Shaw, Grace Tzun-Wen; Weng, Chieh-Yin; Yang, Yi-Ju; Wang, Daryi

2017-01-01

The concerted activity of intestinal microbes is crucial to the health and development of their host organisms. Investigation of microbial interactions in the gut should deepen our understanding of how these micro-ecosystems function. Due to advances in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies, various bioinformatic strategies have been proposed to investigate these microbial interactions. However, due to the complexity of the intestinal microbial community and difficulties in monitoring their interactions, at present there is a gap between the theory and biological application. In order to construct and validate microbial relationships, we first induce a community shift from simple to complex by manipulating artificial hibernation (AH) in the treefrog Polypedates megacephalus. To monitor community growth and microbial interactions, we further performed a time-course screen using a 16S rRNA amplicon approach and a Lotka-Volterra model. Lotka-Volterra models, also known as predator–prey equations, predict the dynamics of microbial communities and how communities are structured and sustained. An interaction network of gut microbiota at the genus level in the treefrog was constructed using Metagenomic Microbial Interaction Simulator (MetaMIS) package. The interaction network obtained had 1,568 commensal, 1,737 amensal, 3,777 mutual, and 3,232 competitive relationships, e.g., Lactococcus garvieae has a commensal relationship with Corynebacterium variabile. To validate the interacting relationships, the gut microbe composition was analyzed after probiotic trials using single strain (L. garvieae, C. variabile, and Bacillus coagulans, respectively) and a combination of L. garvieae, C. variabile, and B. coagulans, because of the cooperative relationship among their respective genera identified in the interaction network. After a 2 week trial, we found via 16S rRNA amplicon analysis that the combination of cooperative microbes yielded significantly higher probiotic

Decontamination Efficacy and Skin Toxicity of Two Decontaminants against Bacillus anthracis.

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Chad W Stratilo

Full Text Available Decontamination of bacterial endospores such as Bacillus anthracis has traditionally required the use of harsh or caustic chemicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a chlorine dioxide decontaminant in killing Bacillus anthracis spores in solution and on a human skin simulant (porcine cadaver skin, compared to that of commonly used sodium hypochlorite or soapy water decontamination procedures. In addition, the relative toxicities of these decontaminants were compared in human skin keratinocyte primary cultures. The chlorine dioxide decontaminant was similarly effective to sodium hypochlorite in reducing spore numbers of Bacillus anthracis Ames in liquid suspension after a 10 minute exposure. After five minutes, the chlorine dioxide product was significantly more efficacious. Decontamination of isolated swine skin contaminated with Bacillus anthracis Sterne with the chlorine dioxide product resulted in no viable spores sampled. The toxicity of the chlorine dioxide decontaminant was up to two orders of magnitude less than that of sodium hypochlorite in human skin keratinocyte cultures. In summary, the chlorine dioxide based decontaminant efficiently killed Bacillus anthracis spores in liquid suspension, as well as on isolated swine skin, and was less toxic than sodium hypochlorite in cultures of human skin keratinocytes.

Current concepts of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Shanahan, F

2012-02-03

Although the cause of inflammatory bowel disease is not known, the pathogenesis involves an immune-mediated tissue damage that is the result of an interaction among genetic predisposing factors, exogenous triggers and endogenous modifying influences. Multiple genes are involved and operate at the level of the immune response and at the target organ. Exogenous triggers include the enteric microflora which might stimulate the mucosal immune system in genetically predisposed individuals. Endogenous modifying factors such as the psychoneuroendocrine system have regulatory effects on the immune system and the inflammatory response, and may influence the course of the disease. While autoimmune phenomena do occur, particularly in ulcerative colitis, there is no evidence that they are directly responsible for the tissue damage. It appears more likely, particularly in Crohn\\'s disease, that tissue injury may occur as an indirect or "bystander" effect of mucosal T-cell hyperactivation, perhaps in response to a normal enteric microbial antigen. Most of the immunologic and histologic features of Crohn\\'s disease can be explained by the effects of T-cell derived and other cytokines on the epithelium, the local immune system, the microvasculature, and the recruitment of auxiliary effector cells such as neutrophils.

Aerobic Microbial Degradation of Chlorochromate Compounds Polluting the Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, O.A.A.

2011-01-01

Eight soil and sludge samples which have been polluted with petroleum wastes for more than 41 years were used for isolation of adapted indigenous microbial communities able to mineralize the chloro aromatic compounds [3-chlorobenzoic acid (3-CBA), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,6-dichlorophenol indole phenol (2,6-DCPP) and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (1,2,4-TCB)] and use them as a sole carbon and energy sources. From these communities, the most promising bacterial strain MAM-24 which has the ability to degrade the four chosen aromatic compounds was isolated and identified by comparative sequence analysis for its 16S-rRNA coding genes and it was identified as Bacillus mucilaginosus HQ 013329. Degradation percentage was quantified by HPLC. Degradation products were identified by GC-MS analysis which revealed that the isolated strain and its mutant dechlorinated the four chloro aromatic compounds in the first step forming acetophenone which is considered as the corner stone of the intermediate compounds

Heat and desiccation are the predominant factors affecting inactivation of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus thuringiensis spores during simulated composting.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanford, K; Harvey, A; Barbieri, R; Xu, S; Reuter, T; Amoako, K K; Selinger, L B; McAllister, T A

2016-01-01

The suitability of composting for disposal of livestock mortalities due to Bacillus anthracis was assessed by measuring viability of surrogate spores from two strains each of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus thuringiensis after a heating cycle modelled on a cattle composting study. Sporulation was attempted from 10 to 37°C, but poor yields at lower temperatures resulted in 25, 30 and 37°C being selected to generate sufficient spores (8 log10  CFU ml(-1) ) for experiments. Spores were inoculated into 3 g autoclaved dried-ground compost rehydrated with 6 ml water or silica beads in a factorial design for each strain, sporulation temperature, matrix and sampling day (0, 25, 50, 100, 150). Maximum incubation temperature was 62°C, but spores were maintained at ≥55°C for 78 of 150 days. Although significant differences existed among Bacillus strains and sporulation temperatures, numbers of viable spores after 150 days averaged 1·3 log10  CFU g(-1) , a 5·2 log10 reduction from day 0. Spore inactivation was likely due to heat and desiccation as matrices were autoclaved prior to incubation, negating impacts of microflora. Results support composting for disposal of anthrax mortalities, provided long-term thermophillic heating is achieved. Due to limited sporulation at 10°C, livestock mortalities from anthrax at this or lower ambient temperatures would likely be of lower risk for disease transmission. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Optimization of fermentation conditions for cellulases production by Bacillus licheniformis MVS1 and Bacillus sp. MVS3 isolated from Indian hot spring

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Somen Acharya

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the effect of some nutritional and environmental factors on the production of cellulases, in particular endoglucanase (CMCase and exoglucanases (FPase from Bacillus licheniformis MVS1 and Bacillus sp. MVS3 isolated from an Indian hot spring. The characterization study indicated that the optimum pH and temperature value was 6.5 to 7.0 and 50-55°C, respectively. Maximum cellulases production by both the isolates was detected after 60 h incubation period using wheat and rice straw. The combination of inorganic and organic nitrogen source was suitable for cellulases production. Overall, FPase production was much higher than CMCase production by both of the strains. Between the two thermophiles, the cellulolytic activity was more in B.licheniformis MVS1 than Bacillus sp. MVS3 in varying environmental and nutritional conditions.

Reclassification of Bacillus marismortui as Salibacillus marismortui comb. nov.

Science.gov (United States)

Arahal, D R; Márquez, M C; Volcani, B E; Schleifer, K H; Ventosa, A

2000-07-01

Recently, the features of a group of strains isolated from Dead Sea enrichments obtained in 1936 by one of us (B. E. Volcani) were described. They were gram-positive, moderately halophilic, spore-forming rods, and were placed in a new species, Bacillus marismortui. At the same time, the new genus Salibacillus was proposed for the halophilic species Bacillus salexigens. B. marismortui and Salibacillus salexigens have similar phenotypic characteristics and the same peptidoglycan type. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequence comparisons showed that they are sufficiently closely related (96.6% similarity) as to warrant placement in the same genus. However, DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed that they constitute two separate species (41% DNA similarity). Therefore the reclassification of Bacillus marismortui as Salibacillus marismortui comb. nov. is proposed.

Enhanced viability of Lactobacillus reuteri for probiotics production in mixed solid-state fermentation in the presence of Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi-Ran; Xiong, Hai-Rong; Guo, Xiao-Hua

2014-01-01

In order to develop a multi-microbe probiotic preparation of Lactobacillus reuteri G8-5 and Bacillus subtilis MA139 in solid-state fermentation, a series of parameters were optimized sequentially in shake flask culture. The effect of supplementation of B. subtilis MA139 as starters on the viability of L. reuteri G8-5 was also explored. The results showed that the optimized process was as follows: water content, 50 %; initial pH of diluted molasses, 6.5; inocula volume, 2 %; flask dry contents, 30∼35 g/250 g without sterilization; and fermentation time, 2 days. The multi-microbial preparations finally provided the maximum concentration of Lactobacillus of about 9.01 ± 0.15 log CFU/g and spores of Bacillus of about 10.30 ± 0.08 log CFU/g. Compared with pure fermentation of L. reuteri G8-5, significantly high viable cells, low value of pH, and reducing sugar in solid substrates were achieved in mixed fermentation in the presence of B. subtilis MA139 (P fermentation showed the significantly higher antimicrobial activity against E. coli K88 (P solid-state fermentation with low cost. Moreover, the viability of L. reuteri G8-5 could be significantly enhanced in the presence of B. subtilis MA139 in solid-state fermentation, which favored the production of probiotics for animal use.

Construction of acetoin high-producing Bacillus subtilis strain

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Yanjun Tian

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the construction and selection of a high-producing mutant, Bacillus subtilis HB-32, with enhanced acetoin yield and productivity. The mutant was obtained by the protoplast fusion of a Bacillus subtilis mutant TH-49 (Val− producing acetoin and Bacillus licheniformis AD-30 producing α-acetolactate decarboxylase, with the fusogen polyethylene glycol and after the regeneration and selection, etc. of the fusant. The acetoin production reached 49.64 g/L, which is an increase of 61.8% compared to that of B. subtilis strain TH-49. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis was performed to determine the mutagenic and protoplast fusion effects and the genomic changes in the acetoin high-producing strain compared to the parent strains at the molecular level. The constructed strain was shown to be promising for large-scale acetoin production. Future studies should focus on the application of the mutant strain in practice.

[Diversity of Bacillus species inhabiting on the surface and endophyte of lichens collected from Wuyi Mountain].

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Cibin; Liu, Bo; Che, Jianmei; Chen, Meichun; Liu, Guohong; Wei, Jiangchun

2015-05-04

The present work reported the isolation, identification and diversity of Bacillus species colonizing on the surface and endophyte in lichens collected from Wuyi Mountain. Nine lichen samples of Evernia, Stereocaulon, Menegazzia and other 6 genera belonging to 7 families were collected from Wuyi mountain nature reserve. The bacillus-like species colonizing on the surface and endophyte in these lichens were isolated and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. There was no bacillus-like species isolated from Evernia, Ramalina and Lecarona. A total of 34 bacillus-like bacteria were isolated from another 6 lichen samples. These bacteria were identified as 24 species and were classified into Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus and Viridiibacillus. Paenibacillus and Bacillus are the dominant genera, and accounting for 41. 2% and 35. 3% of all isolated bacteria respectively. Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus and Viridiibacillu were first reported being isolated from lichens. There were different species and quantity of bacillus colonizing on the surface and endophyte in different lichens. The quantity of bacillus colonizing on the surface of Physcia was more than 3.85 x 10(6) cfu/g and was the largest in the isolated bacteria, while the species of bacillus colonizing on the surface and endophyte in Stereocaulon was the most abundant. Most of the isolated bacteria were colonizing on (in) one lichen genera, but Paenibacillus taichungensis, Paenibacillus odorifer, Brevibacillus agri, Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus was respectively colonizing on (in) 2-3 lichen genera and Bacillus mycoides was colonizing on (in) Menegazzia, Cladonia Physcia, and Stereocaulon. There are species and quantity diversity of bacillus colonizing on (in) lichens.

Application of magnetic OMS-2 in sequencing batch reactor for treating dye wastewater as a modulator of microbial community.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fei; Yu, Yang; Xu, Aihua; Xia, Dongsheng; Sun, Youmin; Cai, Zhengqing; Liu, Wen; Fu, Jie

2017-10-15

The potential and mechanism of synthesized magnetic octahedral molecular sieve (Fe 3 O 4 @OMS-2) nanoparticles in enhancing the aerobic microbial ability of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for treating dye wastewater have been revealed in this study. The addition of Fe 3 O 4 @OMS-2 of 0.25g/L enhanced the decolorization of SBRs with an operation cycle of 24h by more than 20%. The 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing indicated Fe 3 O 4 @OMS-2 increased the microbial richness and diversity of SBRs, and more importantly, promoted the potential dye-degrading bacteria. After a series of enriching and screening, four bacterial strains with the considerable decolorizing ability were isolated from SBRs, designating Alcaligenes faecalis FP-G1, Bacillus aryabhattai FP-F1, Escherichia fergusonii FP-D1 and Rhodococcus ruber FP-E1, respectively. The growth and decolorization of these pure strains were promoted in the presence of Fe 3 O 4 @OMS-2, which agrees with the result of high-throughput sequencing. Monitoring dissolved Fe/Mn ions and investigating the change of oxidation states of Fe/Mn species discovered OMS-2 composition played the critical role in modulating the microbial community. The significant enhancement of Mn-oxidizing/-reducing bacteria suggested microbial Mn redox may be the key action mechanism of Fe 3 O 4 @OMS-2, which can provide numerous benefits for the microbial community and decolorization of SBRs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of biosurfactants in Bacillus species: genes and products identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Płaza, G; Chojniak, J; Rudnicka, K; Paraszkiewicz, K; Bernat, P

2015-10-01

To screen environmental Bacillus strains for detection of genes encoding the enzymes involved in biosurfactant synthesis and to evaluate their products e.g. surfactin, iturin and fengycin. The taxonomic identification of isolated from the environment Bacillus strains was performed by Microgene ID Bacillus panel and GEN III Biolog system. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy for screening of genes in Bacillus strains was set up. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was used for the identification of lipopeptides (LPs). All studied strains exhibited the presence of srfAA gene and produced surfactin mostly as four homologues (C13 to C16). Moreover, in 2 strains (KP7, T'-1) simultaneous co-production of 3 biosurfactants: surfactin, iturin and fengycin was observed. Additionally, it was found out that isolate identified as Bacillus subtilis ssp. subtilis (KP7), beside LPs co-production, synthesizes surfactin with the efficiency much higher than other studied strains (40·2 mg l(-1) ) and with the yield ranging from 0·8 to 8·3 mg l(-1) . We showed that the combined methodology based on PCR and LC-MS/MS technique is an optimal tool for the detection of genes encoding enzymes involved in biosurfactant synthesis as well as their products, e.g. surfactin, iturin and fengycin. This approach improves the screening and the identification of environmental Bacillus co-producing biosurfactants-stimulating and facilitating the development of this area of science. The findings of this work will help to improve screening of biosurfactant producers. Discovery of novel biosurfactants and biosurfactants co-production ability has shed light on their new application fields and for the understanding of their interactions and properties. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

In silico exploration of Red Sea Bacillus genomes for natural product biosynthetic gene clusters

KAUST Repository

Othoum, Ghofran K

2018-05-22

BackgroundThe increasing spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a major global public health concern, necessitating discovery of novel antimicrobial agents. Here, members of the genus Bacillus are investigated as a potentially attractive source of novel antibiotics due to their broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. We specifically focus on a computational analysis of the distinctive biosynthetic potential of Bacillus paralicheniformis strains isolated from the Red Sea, an ecosystem exposed to adverse, highly saline and hot conditions.ResultsWe report the complete circular and annotated genomes of two Red Sea strains, B. paralicheniformis Bac48 isolated from mangrove mud and B. paralicheniformis Bac84 isolated from microbial mat collected from Rabigh Harbor Lagoon in Saudi Arabia. Comparing the genomes of B. paralicheniformis Bac48 and B. paralicheniformis Bac84 with nine publicly available complete genomes of B. licheniformis and three genomes of B. paralicheniformis, revealed that all of the B. paralicheniformis strains in this study are more enriched in nonribosomal peptides (NRPs). We further report the first computationally identified trans-acyltransferase (trans-AT) nonribosomal peptide synthetase/polyketide synthase (PKS/ NRPS) cluster in strains of this species.ConclusionsB. paralicheniformis species have more genes associated with biosynthesis of antimicrobial bioactive compounds than other previously characterized species of B. licheniformis, which suggests that these species are better potential sources for novel antibiotics. Moreover, the genome of the Red Sea strain B. paralicheniformis Bac48 is more enriched in modular PKS genes compared to B. licheniformis strains and other B. paralicheniformis strains. This may be linked to adaptations that strains surviving in the Red Sea underwent to survive in the relatively hot and saline ecosystems.

APPLICATIONS OF POTASSIUM FERTILIZER AND Bacillus sp. BIOPESTICIDE FOR INCREASING TOMATO RESISTANCE TO BACTERIAL WILT DISEASE

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Nur Prihatiningsih

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Bacterial wilt on tomato caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a crucial disease, because it can reduce yield until 50%. The aims of this research were: 1 to find out biopesticide formula for Bacillus sp.growth, 2 to test Bacillus sp. against R. solanacearum in vitro, 3 to test potassium fertilizer combined with Bacillus sp. for enhancing tomato resistance to the bacterial wilt disease. The research was conducted in 2 steps i.e to test the persistence of Bacillus sp. in biopesticide formula, and to test the best combination of both potassium and the Bacillus sp. biopesticide. The results showed that Bacillus B298 was the best isolate in its persistence on the biopesticide formula of organic growth medium+CaCO3+CMC 1%+mannitol 1%, and in inhibiting R. solanacearum. The best biopesticide formula for the Bacillus sp. persistence was growth organic media+ CaCO3+CMC 1%+mannitol 1%. Bacillus sp. was able to increase tomato resistance to the bacterial wilt disease from the category of susceptible to be tolerant and becoming resistant.

Evaluation of in situ valine production by Bacillus subtilis in young pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Jan Værum; Canibe, Nuria; Assadi Soumeh, Elham

2016-01-01

Mutants of Bacillus subtilis can be developed to overproduce Val in vitro. It was hypothesized that addition of Bacillus subtilis mutants to pig diets can be a strategy to supply the animal with Val. The objective was to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis mutants on growth performance...... and blood amino acid (AA) concentrations when fed to piglets. Experiment 1 included 18 pigs (15.0±1.1 kg) fed one of three diets containing either 0.63 or 0.69 standardized ileal digestible (SID) Val : Lys, or 0.63 SID Val : Lys supplemented with a Bacillus subtilis mutant (mutant 1). Blood samples were...... obtained 0.5 h before feeding and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h after feeding and analyzed for AAs. In Experiment 2, 80 piglets (9.1±1.1 kg) were fed one of four diets containing 0.63 or 0.67 SID Val : Lys, or 0.63 SID Val : Lys supplemented with another Bacillus subtilis mutant (mutant 2) or its parent wild...

Fast neutron radiation inactivation of Bacillus subtilis: Absorbed dose determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Lingli; Zheng Chun; Ai Zihui; Li Junjie; Dai Shaofeng

2011-01-01

In this paper, fast neutron inactivation effects of Bacillus subtilis were investigated with fission fast neutrons from CFBR-II reactor of INPC (Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry) and mono-energetic neutrons from the Van de Graaff accelerator at Peking University. The method for determining the absorbed dose in the Bacillus subtilis suspension contained in test tubes is introduced. The absorbed dose, on account of its dependence on the volume and the form of confined state, was determined by combined experiments and Monte Carlo method. Using the calculation results of absorbed dose, the fast neutron inactivation effects on Bacillus subtilis were studied. The survival rates and absorbed dose curve was constructed. (authors)

Production of Cold Active Lipase from Bacillus sp.

OpenAIRE

Yasemin, Sara; Arabacı, Nihan; Korkmaz Güvenmez, Hatice

2018-01-01

A cold active lipase producing Bacillus sp. strains were isolated from sewage of oil. Bacillus sp. strain SY-7 was determined as the best lipase producing isolate. The highest enzyme production was found at 20°C and pH 8.0 on tributyrin media. Analyses of molecular mass of the partial purified lipase was carried out by SDS-PAGE which revealed a single band as 110.5 kDa. The enzyme activity and stability were determined by spectrophotometric and titrimetric methods. The enzyme was active betwe...

Genes contributing to prion pathogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamgüney, Gültekin; Giles, Kurt; Glidden, David V

2008-01-01

incubation times, indicating that the conversion reaction may be influenced by other gene products. To identify genes that contribute to prion pathogenesis, we analysed incubation times of prions in mice in which the gene product was inactivated, knocked out or overexpressed. We tested 20 candidate genes...... show that many genes previously implicated in prion replication have no discernible effect on the pathogenesis of prion disease. While most genes tested did not significantly affect survival times, ablation of the amyloid beta (A4) precursor protein (App) or interleukin-1 receptor, type I (Il1r1...

Comparative modelling and molecular docking of nitrate reductase from Bacillus weihenstephanensis (DS45

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R. Seenivasagan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Nitrate reductase catalyses the oxidation of NAD(PH and the reduction of nitrate to nitrite. NR serves as a central point for the integration of metabolic pathways by governing the flux of reduced nitrogen through several regulatory mechanisms in plants, algae and fungi. Bacteria express nitrate reductases that convert nitrate to nitrite, but mammals lack these specific enzymes. The microbial nitrate reductase reduces toxic compounds to nontoxic compounds with the help of NAD(PH. In the present study, our results revealed that Bacillus weihenstephanensis expresses a nitrate reductase enzyme, which was made to generate the 3D structure of the enzyme. Six different modelling servers, namely Phyre2, RaptorX, M4T Server, HHpred, SWISS MODEL and Mod Web, were used for comparative modelling of the structure. The model was validated with standard parameters (PROCHECK and Verify 3D. This study will be useful in the functional characterization of the nitrate reductase enzyme and its docking with nitrate molecules, as well as for use with autodocking.

A Mutant of Bacillus Subtilis with High-Producing Surfactin by Ion Beam Implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Qingmei; Yuan Hang; Wang Jun; Gong Guohong; Zhou Wei; Fan Yonghong; Wang Li; Yao Jianming; Yu Zengliang

2006-01-01

In order to generate a mutant of Bacillus subtilis with enhanced surface activity through low energy nitrogen ion beam implantation, the effects of energy and dose of ions implanted were studied. The morphological changes in the bacteria were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The optimum condition of ions implantation, 20 keV of energy and 2.6x10 15 N + /cm 2 in dose, was determined. A mutant, B.s-E-8 was obtained, whose surface activity of 50-fold and 100-fold diluted cell-free Landy medium was as 5.6-fold and 17.4-fold as the wild strain. The microbial growth and biosurfactant production of both the mutant and the wild strain were compared. After purified by ultrafiltration and SOURCE 15PHE, the biosurfactant was determined to be a complex of surfactin family through analysis of electrospray ionization mass spectrum (ESI/MS) and there was an interesting finding that after the ion beam implantation the intensities of the components were different from the wild type strain

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yung Lin; Lin, Yi Ting; Chen, Chia Lin; Shaw, Gwo Chyuan; Liaw, Shwu Huey

2014-10-01

Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) is a microbial biopolymer that has been commercialized as biodegradable plastics. The key enzyme for the degradation is PHB depolymerase (PhaZ). A new intracellular PhaZ from Bacillus thuringiensis (BtPhaZ) has been screened for potential applications in polymer biodegradation. Recombinant BtPhaZ was crystallized using 25% polyethylene glycol 3350, 0.2 M ammonium acetate, 0.1 M bis-tris pH 6.5 at 288 K. The crystals belonged to space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 42.97, b = 83.23, c = 85.50 Å, α = 73.45, β = 82.83, γ = 83.49°. An X-ray diffraction data set was collected to 1.42 Å resolution with an Rmerge of 6.4%. Unexpectedly, a molecular-replacement solution was obtained using the crystal structure of Streptomyces lividans chloroperoxidase as a template, which shares 24% sequence identity to BtPhaZ. This is the first crystal structure of an intracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase.

Microbial communities related to sensory attributes in Korean fermented soy bean paste (doenjang).

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min Jung; Kwak, Han Sub; Jung, Hee Yeon; Kim, Sang Sook

2016-11-01

Various microbial communities play a role in generating the distinctive sensory characteristics of the traditional Korean soybean paste, doenjang. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between sensory characteristics and microbial communities in traditional doenjang. The results of the descriptive analysis revealed that some traditional doenjang (T1-T11) exhibited distinctive characteristics, such as fish sauce flavor, meju, bitterness, sourness, and saltiness, whereas the modified samples (M1-M3) demonstrated sweetness, umami, and an alcohol odor. According to the metagenomic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the phylum Firmicutes was the dominant bacterium in most doenjang. At the genus level, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were frequently found in most doenjang. Among these LAB, the major genera of bacteria were Tetragenococcus in M2 (60.30%), T3 (91.20%), T8 (48.60%), and T9 (60.90%); Enterococcus in T1 (29.40%), T4 (34.10%), and T10 (50.50%); Leuconostoc in T7 (89.10%); and Lactobacillus in T9 (38.3%). The most frequently occurring non-LAB was Bacillus in M3 (50.10%), T5 (46.50%), and T6 (20.50%), and M1 and T2 contained Staphylococcus and Ochrobactrum as their major non-LAB, respectively. The results of a correlation analysis between the sensory attributes from the descriptive analysis and the microbial communities from 454 pyrosequencing provided an overview for the relationship between sensory characteristics and microbial communities. Ochrobactrum, Stenotrophomonas, Rhodobacteraceae, Proteus, and Luteimonas were found in samples that had a strong fish sauce characteristic. The presence of LAB-Tetragenococcus, Enterococcus, Pediococcus, Carnobacterium, and Weissella-was related to sourness. Enterococcus and Enterobacter were found in samples with a matured flavor and a soft mouthfeel, respectively. The overall results of the study demonstrate that microbial communities found in doenjang were closely related to distinct

Genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Bacillus spp. isolated from steel plant waste

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Chartone-Souza Edmar

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular studies of Bacillus diversity in various environments have been reported. However, there have been few investigations concerning Bacillus in steel plant environments. In this study, genotypic and phenotypic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 40 bacterial isolates recovered from steel plant waste were investigated using classical and molecular methods. Results 16S rDNA partial sequencing assigned all the isolates to the Bacillus genus, with close genetic relatedness to the Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus groups, and to the species Bacillus sphaericus. tDNA-intergenic spacer length polymorphisms and the 16S–23S intergenic transcribed spacer region failed to identify the isolates at the species level. Genomic diversity was investigated by molecular typing with rep (repetitive sequence based PCR using the primer sets ERIC2 (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus, (GTG5, and BOXAIR. Genotypic fingerprinting of the isolates reflected high intraspecies and interspecies diversity. Clustering of the isolates using ERIC-PCR fingerprinting was similar to that obtained from the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree, indicating the potential of the former technique as a simple and useful tool for examining relationships among unknown Bacillus spp. Physiological, biochemical and heavy metal susceptibility profiles also indicated considerable phenotypic diversity. Among the heavy metal compounds tested Zn, Pb and Cu were least toxic to the bacterial isolates, whereas Ag inhibited all isolates at 0.001 mM. Conclusion Isolates with identical 16S rRNA gene sequences had different genomic fingerprints and differed considerably in their physiological capabilities, so the high levels of phenotypic diversity found in this study are likely to have ecological relevance.

Impact of natural organic matter coatings on the microbial reduction of iron oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Poggenburg, Christine; Mikutta, Robert; Schippers, Axel; Dohrmann, Reiner; Guggenberger, Georg

2018-03-01

Iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides are important constituents of the soil mineral phase known to stabilize organic matter (OM) under oxic conditions. In an anoxic milieu, however, these Fe-organic associations are exposed to microbial reduction, releasing OM into soil solution. At present, only few studies have addressed the influence of adsorbed natural OM (NOM) on the reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides. This study therefore examined the impact of both the composition and concentration of adsorbed NOM on microbial Fe reduction with regard to (i) electron shuttling, (ii) complexation of Fe(II,III), (iii) surface site coverage and/or pore blockage, and (iv) aggregation. Adsorption complexes with varying carbon loadings were synthesized using different Fe oxyhydroxides (ferrihydrite, lepidocrocite, goethite, hematite, magnetite) and NOM of different origin (extracellular polymeric substances from Bacillus subtilis, OM extracted from soil Oi and Oa horizons). The adsorption complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 gas adsorption, electrophoretic mobility and particle size measurements, and OM desorption. Incubation experiments under anaerobic conditions were conducted for 16 days comparing two different strains of dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (Shewanella putrefaciens, Geobacter metallireducens). Mineral transformation during reduction was assessed via XRD and FTIR. Microbial reduction of the pure Fe oxyhydroxides was controlled by the specific surface area (SSA) and solubility of the minerals. For Shewanella putrefaciens, the Fe reduction of adsorption complexes strongly correlated with the concentration of potentially usable electron-shuttling molecules for NOM concentrations <2 mg C L-1, whereas for Geobacter metallireducens, Fe reduction depended on the particle size and thus aggregation of the adsorption complexes. These diverging results suggest that

Combating Fusarium Infection Using Bacillus-Based Antimicrobials

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Noor Khan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Despite efforts to control toxigenic Fusarium species, wilt and head-blight infections are destructive and economically damaging diseases that have global effects. The utilization of biological control agents in disease management programs has provided an effective, safe, and sustainable means to control Fusarium-induced plant diseases. Among the most widely used microbes for biocontrol agents are members of the genus Bacillus. These species influence plant and fungal pathogen interactions by a number of mechanisms such as competing for essential nutrients, antagonizing pathogens by producing fungitoxic metabolites, or inducing systemic resistance in plants. The multivariate interactions among plant-biocontrol agent-pathogen are the subject of this study, in which we survey the advances made regarding the research on the Bacillus-Fusarium interaction and focus on the principles and mechanisms of action among plant-growth promoting Bacillus species. In particular, we highlight their use in limiting and controlling Fusarium spread and infestations of economically important crops. This knowledge will be useful to define strategies for exploiting this group of beneficial bacteria for use as inoculants by themselves or in combination with other microbes for enhanced crop protection.

Alkaliphilic Bacillus species show potential application in concrete crack repair by virtue of rapid spore production and germination then extracellular calcite formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, T K; Alazhari, M; Heath, A; Paine, K; Cooper, R M

2017-05-01

Characterization of alkaliphilic Bacillus species for spore production and germination and calcite formation as a prelude to investigate their potential in microcrack remediation in concrete. Conditions, extent and timing of endospore production was determined by dark-field light microscopy; germination induction and kinetics were assessed by combining reduction in optical density with formation of refractile bodies by phase-contrast microscopy. Bacillus pseudofirmus was selected from several species as the most suitable isolate. Levels and timing of calcium carbonate precipitated in vitro by B. pseudofirmus were evaluated by atomic absorption spectroscopy and structural identity confirmed as calcite and aragonite by Raman spectroscopy and FTIR. The isolate produced copious spores that germinated rapidly in the presence of germinants l-alanine, inosine and NaCl. Bacterial cells produced CaCO 3 crystals in microcracks and the resulting occlusion markedly restricted water ingress. By virtue of rapid spore production and germination, calcium carbonate formation in vitro and in situ, leading to sealing of microcracks, B. pseudofirmus shows clear potential for remediation of concrete on a commercial scale. Microbial sealing of microcracks should become a practicable and sustainable means of increasing concrete durability. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Microbiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Trichomonas vaginalis Pathogenesis: a Narrative Review

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Zahra Arab-Mazar

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In the latest articles which were published during 2013-2014, Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis was mentioned as a neglected sexual transmission disease (STD, while the exact mechanism of its pathogenesis has not been cleared yet. Although trichomonasiasis is easy curable, there is concern that resistance to drug are increasing. This common infection as concerning the important public health implications needs more research to be done for understanding the diagnosis, treatment, immunology and pathogenesis. In this review we searched all valuable and relevant information considering the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis. We referred to the information databases of Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Google scholar. The used keywords were the combinations of T. vaginalis and words associated with pathogenicity. This review discusses the host-parasite interaction and pathogenicity of this parasite.

Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity (MCHCA for enhanced biogas production.

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Krzysztof ePoszytek

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a substrate in agricultural biogas plants is very popular and yields good results. However, the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and thus biogas production, is not always satisfactory due to the slow or incomplete degradation (hydrolysis of plant matter. To enhance the solubilization of the lignocellulosic biomass various physical, chemical and biological pretreatment methods are used.The aim of this study was to select and characterize cellulose-degrading bacteria, and to construct a microbial consortium, dedicated for degradation of maize silage and enhancing biogas production from this substrate.Over one hundred strains of cellulose-degrading bacteria were isolated from: sewage sludge, hydrolyzer from an agricultural biogas plant, cattle slurry and manure. After physiological characterization of the isolates, sixteen strains (representatives of Bacillus, Providencia and Ochrobactrum genera were chosen for the construction of a Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity, called MCHCA. The selected strains had a high endoglucanase activity (exceeding 0.21 IU/mL CMCase activity and a wide range of tolerance to various physical and chemical conditions. Lab-scale simulation of biogas production using the selected strains for degradation of maize silage was carried out in a two-bioreactor system, similar to those used in agricultural biogas plants.The obtained results showed that the constructed MCHCA consortium is capable of efficient hydrolysis of maize silage, and increases biogas production by even 38%, depending on the inoculum used for methane fermentation. The results in this work indicate that the mesophilic Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity has a great potential for application on industrial scale in agricultural biogas plants.

Pathogenesis of ovarian cancer: current perspectives | Chesang ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To present a review of current knowledge of the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer and its clinical implications. Data Source: Extensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies. Study Selection: Studies in the English language about or related to pathogenesis of ovarian cancer were selected.

Effects of organic loading rates on reactor performance and microbial community changes during thermophilic aerobic digestion process of high-strength food wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyun Min; Lee, Jae Won; Ha, Jeong Hyub; Park, Jong Moon

2013-11-01

To evaluate the applicability of single-stage thermophilic aerobic digestion (TAD) process treating high-strength food wastewater (FWW), TAD process was operated at four organic loading rates (OLRs) from 9.2 to 37.2 kg COD/m(3)d. The effects of OLRs on microbial community changes were also examined. The highest volumetric removal rate (13.3 kg COD/m(3)d) and the highest thermo-stable protease activity (0.95 unit/mL) were detected at OLR=18.6 kg COD/m(3)d. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles and quantitative PCR (qPCR) results showed significant microbial community shifts in response to changes in OLR. In particular, DGGE and phylogenetic analysis demonstrate that the presence of Bacillus sp. (phylum of Firmicutes) was strongly correlated with efficient removal of organic particulates from high-strength food wastewater. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilizing a Robotic Sprayer for High Lateral and Mass Resolution MALDI FT-ICR MSI of Microbial Cultures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anderton, Christopher R.; Chu, Rosalie K.; Tolic, Nikola; Creissen, Alain V.; Pasa-Tolic, Ljiljana

2016-01-07

The ability to visualize biochemical interactions between microbial communities using MALDI MSI has provided tremendous insights into a variety of biological fields. Matrix application using a sieve proved to be incredibly useful, but it had many limitations that include uneven matrix coverage and limitation in the types of matrices one could employ in their studies. Recently, there has been a concerted effort to improve matrix application for studying agar plated microbial cultures, many of which utilized automated matrix sprayers. Here, we describe the usefulness of using a robotic sprayer for matrix application. The robotic sprayer has two-dimensional control over where matrix is applied and a heated capillary that allows for rapid drying of the applied matrix. This method provided a significant increase in MALDI sensitivity over the sieve method, as demonstrated by FT-ICR MS analysis, facilitating the ability to gain higher lateral resolution MS images of Bacillus Subtilis than previously reported. This method also allowed for the use of different matrices to be applied to the culture surfaces.

Expression of the neutral protease gene from a thermophilic Bacillus sp BT1 strain in Bacillus subtilis and its natural host : Identification of a functional promoter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vecerek, B; Venema, G

The expression of the neutral protease gene (npr) from the thermophilic Bacillus sp. BT1 strain was studied in its natural host and in mesophilic Bacillus subtilis. In the thermophilic BT1 strain, the transcription of the protease gene is initiated from its own promoter, just 5' to the gene. In

Current research efforts with Bacillus thuringiensis

Science.gov (United States)

Normand R. Dubois

1991-01-01

The bioassay of 260 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and 70 commercial preparations show that regression coefficient estimates may be as critical as LC5O estimates when evaluating them for future consideration.

Enterotoxigenic gene profiles of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus megaterium isolates recovered from honey Búsqueda de factores de virulencia en cepas de Bacillus cereus y de Bacillus megaterium aisladas de miel

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A. C. López

2010-09-01

Full Text Available One hundred and thirty two Bacillus cereus and 52 Bacillus megaterium isolates from honeys were evaluated for the presence of genes encoding enterotoxin HBL, enterotoxin-T, cytotoxin K and the NHE complex, respectively. The relationship between hemolytic and coagulase activity and its correlation with the presence of the four mentioned enterotoxins was determined by principal component analysis (PCA. PCA in B. cereus revealed a positive correlation among free coagulase, hemolysis and the presence of genes hblA, hblB, hblC, hblD (HBL complex and bceT (enterotoxin-T, but no correlation with the clumping factor (bound coagulase and the presence of sequences of the NHE complex. On the other hand, PCA in B. megaterium showed a high positive correlation between coagulase (bound and free and the haemolytic activity but no correlation in relation to the presence of genes of the HBL complex, cytotoxin K, enterotoxin T and the NHE complex. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the detection of cytotoxin K and of the NHE complex genes in B. megaterium. The relationship between the coagulase activity and the presence of virulence factors has not been described before in the genus Bacillus, being this work the first report of this correlation. Interestingly, the presence of the cytK gene was almost independent of the presence of the rest of virulence factors herein analyzed both in B. cereus and B. megaterium populations. Our results suggest that honey could be a possible vehicle for foodborne illness due to the presence of toxigenic B. cereus and B. megaterium strains containing different virulence factors.Se evaluaron 132 aislamientos de Bacillus cereus y 52 de Bacillus megaterium provenientes de mieles de distintos orígenes geográficos para investigar la presencia de secuencias de ADN relacionadas con genes de virulencia y su posible correlación con la actividad hemolítica y coagulasa. Con respecto a los genes de virulencia, se analizaron por

Genome sequence of the thermophile Bacillus coagulans Hammer, the type strain of the species.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Fei; Tao, Fei; Tang, Hongzhi; Xu, Ping

2012-11-01

Here we announce a 3.0-Mb assembly of the Bacillus coagulans Hammer strain, which is the type strain of the species within the genus Bacillus. Genomic analyses based on the sequence may provide insights into the phylogeny of the species and help to elucidate characteristics of the poorly studied strains of Bacillus coagulans.

Genome Sequence of the Thermophile Bacillus coagulans Hammer, the Type Strain of the Species

OpenAIRE

Su, Fei; Tao, Fei; Tang, Hongzhi; Xu, Ping

2012-01-01

Here we announce a 3.0-Mb assembly of the Bacillus coagulans Hammer strain, which is the type strain of the species within the genus Bacillus. Genomic analyses based on the sequence may provide insights into the phylogeny of the species and help to elucidate characteristics of the poorly studied strains of Bacillus coagulans.

Microbial Observatory (ISS-MO): Molecular characterization of Bacillus issensis sp. nov. isolated from various quarters of the International Space Station

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — As part of an ongoing effort to catalogue microbial communities inhabiting the International Space Station (ISS) crew-associated environmental samples were collected...

Aetio-pathogenesis of breast cancer | Abdulkareem | Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This is a literature review on the aetiology and pathogenesis of breast cancer, which is the most common cancer worldwide, and the second leading cause of cancer death, especially in Western countries. Several aetiological factors have been implicated in its pathogenesis, and include age, genetics, family history, diet, ...

Immobilization of alginate-encapsulated Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis containing different multivalent counterions for mosquito control.

Science.gov (United States)

Prabakaran, G; Hoti, S L

2008-08-01

Immobilized techniques have been used widely for the controlled release formulation of mosquitoes. Among the microbial formulations, polymeric matrices play an important role in the controlled release of microbial pesticide at rates sufficiently effective to kill mosquitoes in the field. The advantage of these matrices is that they enhance the stability of both spores and toxin against pH, temperature variations, and UV irradiation. The disadvantage of using calcium alginate beads is that they are unstable upon contact with phosphate of potassium or sodium ions rich in the mosquito habitats. To overcome these problems, attempts were made to encapsulate Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis within alginate by using different multivalent counterions, namely, calcium chloride, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, cobalt chloride, and ferric chloride, and the beads formed were tested for its mosquito larvicidal activity. Among all the beads tested, zinc alginate beads resulted in maximum larvicidal activity of 98% (+/-1.40 SE) against Culex quinquefasciatus IIIrd instar larvae and maximum spore count of 3.36 x 10(5) (+/-5291.50 SE) CFU/ml. Zinc alginate beads maintained their structure for up to 48 h when shaken vigorously on a rotary shaker at 180 rpm in the presence of 10 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.8 +/- 0.1). In conclusion, our results suggest that the use of zinc sulfate as counterions to encapsulate B. thuringiensis var. israelensis within alginate may be a potent mosquito control program in the habitats where more phosphate ions are present.

The Antimicrobial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles in Bacillus subtilis Are Mediated by Released Ag+ Ions

Science.gov (United States)

Hsueh, Yi-Huang; Lin, Kuen-Song; Ke, Wan-Ju; Hsieh, Chien-Te; Chiang, Chao-Lung; Tzou, Dong-Ying; Liu, Shih-Tung

2015-01-01

The superior antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are well-documented, but the exact mechanisms underlying Ag-NP microbial toxicity remain the subject of intense debate. Here, we show that Ag-NP concentrations as low as 10 ppm exert significant toxicity against Bacillus subtilis, a beneficial bacterium ubiquitous in the soil. Growth arrest and chromosomal DNA degradation were observed, and flow cytometric quantification of propidium iodide (PI) staining also revealed that Ag-NP concentrations of 25 ppm and above increased membrane permeability. RedoxSensor content analysis and Phag-GFP expression analysis further indicated that reductase activity and cytosolic protein expression decreased in B. subtilis cells treated with 10–50 ppm of Ag NPs. We conducted X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analyses to directly clarify the valence and fine structure of Ag atoms in B. subtilis cells placed in contact with Ag NPs. The results confirmed the Ag species in Ag NP-treated B. subtilis cells as Ag2O, indicating that Ag-NP toxicity is likely mediated by released Ag+ ions from Ag NPs, which penetrate bacterial cells and are subsequently oxidized intracellularly to Ag2O. These findings provide conclusive evidence for the role of Ag+ ions in Ag-NP microbial toxicity, and suggest that the impact of inappropriately disposed Ag NPs to soil and water ecosystems may warrant further investigation. PMID:26669836

The Antimicrobial Properties of Silver Nanoparticles in Bacillus subtilis Are Mediated by Released Ag+ Ions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Huang Hsueh

Full Text Available The superior antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs are well-documented, but the exact mechanisms underlying Ag-NP microbial toxicity remain the subject of intense debate. Here, we show that Ag-NP concentrations as low as 10 ppm exert significant toxicity against Bacillus subtilis, a beneficial bacterium ubiquitous in the soil. Growth arrest and chromosomal DNA degradation were observed, and flow cytometric quantification of propidium iodide (PI staining also revealed that Ag-NP concentrations of 25 ppm and above increased membrane permeability. RedoxSensor content analysis and Phag-GFP expression analysis further indicated that reductase activity and cytosolic protein expression decreased in B. subtilis cells treated with 10-50 ppm of Ag NPs. We conducted X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS analyses to directly clarify the valence and fine structure of Ag atoms in B. subtilis cells placed in contact with Ag NPs. The results confirmed the Ag species in Ag NP-treated B. subtilis cells as Ag2O, indicating that Ag-NP toxicity is likely mediated by released Ag+ ions from Ag NPs, which penetrate bacterial cells and are subsequently oxidized intracellularly to Ag2O. These findings provide conclusive evidence for the role of Ag+ ions in Ag-NP microbial toxicity, and suggest that the impact of inappropriately disposed Ag NPs to soil and water ecosystems may warrant further investigation.

Modeling heat resistance of Bacillus weihenstephanensis and Bacillus licheniformis spores as function of sporulation temperature and pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Baril, Eugénie; Coroller, Louis; Couvert, Olivier; Leguérinel, Ivan; Postollec, Florence; Boulais, Christophe; Carlin, Frédéric; Mafart, Pierre

2012-05-01

Although sporulation environmental factors are known to impact on Bacillus spore heat resistance, they are not integrated into predictive models used to calculate the efficiency of heating processes. This work reports the influence of temperature and pH encountered during sporulation on heat resistance of Bacillus weihenstephanensis KBAB4 and Bacillus licheniformis AD978 spores. A decrease in heat resistance (δ) was observed for spores produced either at low temperature, at high temperature or at acidic pH. Sporulation temperature and pH maximizing the spore heat resistance were identified. Heat sensitivity (z) was not modified whatever the sporulation environmental factors were. A resistance secondary model inspired by the Rosso model was proposed. Sporulation temperatures and pHs minimizing or maximizing the spore heat resistance (T(min(R)), T(opt(R)), T(max(R)), pH(min(R)) and pH(opt(R))) were estimated. The goodness of the model fit was assessed for both studied strains and literature data. The estimation of the sporulation temperature and pH maximizing the spore heat resistance is of great interest to produce spores assessing the spore inactivation in the heating processes applied by the food industry. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

J-GLOBAL MeSH Dictionary: Bacillus stearothermophilus [MeCab user dictionary for science technology term[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available MeCab user dictionary for science technology term Bacillus stearothermophilus 名詞 一般 * * * * Bacillus stea...rothermophilus ... MeSH D001411 200906079736943583 C LS07 UNKNOWN_2 Bacillus stearothermophilus

Inhibitory effects of Bacillus probionts on growth and toxin production of Vibrio harveyi pathogens of shrimp.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakayama, T; Lu, H; Nomura, N

2009-12-01

To investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus megaterium in terms of toxin and growth of pathogenic Vibrio harveyi. Three Bacillus probionts were isolated from probiotic BZT aquaculture and identified using a 16S rDNA sequence. Growth inhibition assay showed that supernatants from the 24-h culture of three Bacillus species were able to inhibit the growth of V. harveyi (LMG 4044); B. subtilis was the most effective based on the well diffusion method. Results of a liquid culture model showed that B. subtilis was also widely effective in inhibiting three strains of V. harveyi (isolated from Thailand, the Philippines and LMG 4044), and that both B. licheniformis and B. megaterium inhibit the growth of V. harveyi isolated from the Philippines. Moreover, a haemolytic activity assay demonstrated that V. harveyi (IFO 15634) was significantly decreased by the addition of B. licheniformis or B. megaterium supernatant. Bacillus subtilis inhibited Vibrio growth, and both B. licheniformis and B. megaterium suppressed haemolytic activity in Vibrio. The cell-free supernatants produced by Bacillus probionts inhibit Vibrio disease, and Bacillus probionts might have an influence on Vibrio cell-to-cell communications.

Effect of Agricultural Amendments on Cajanus cajan (Pigeon Pea and Its Rhizospheric Microbial Communities--A Comparison between Chemical Fertilizers and Bioinoculants.

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Rashi Gupta

Full Text Available Inoculation of leguminous seeds with bioinoculants has been practiced in agriculture for decades to ameliorate grain yield by enhanced growth parameters and soil fertility. However, effective enhancement of plant growth parameters results not only from the direct effects these bioinoculants impose on them but also from their non-target effects. The ability of bioinoculants to reduce the application of chemicals for obtaining optimum yield of legume appears to be of great ecological and economic importance. In the present study, we compared the influence of seed inoculation of Cajanus cajan with a microbial consortium, comprising Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum, with that of application of chemical fertilizers on plant's growth parameters and its rhizospheric microbial communities. Real-time PCR assay was carried out to target the structure (16S rRNA and function (nitrogen cycle of rhizospheric microbiota, using both DNA and RNA as markers. The results showed that the microbial consortium was the most efficient in increasing grain yield (2.5-fold, even better than the recommended dose of chemical fertilizers (by 1.2-fold and showed enhancement in nifH and amoA transcripts by 2.7- and 2.0-fold, respectively. No adverse effects of bioinoculants' application were observed over the rhizospheric microbial community, rendering the consortium to be safe for release in agricultural fields.

Viral pathogenesis in diagrams

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tremblay, Michel; Berthiaume, Laurent; Ackermann, Hans-Wolfgang

2001-01-01

.... The 268 diagrams in Viral Pathogenesis in Diagrams were selected from over 800 diagrams of English and French virological literature, including one derived from a famous drawing by Leonardo da Vinci...

Intracellular Biosynthesis of Fluorescent CdSe Quantum Dots in Bacillus subtilis: A Strategy to Construct Signaling Bacterial Probes for Visually Detecting Interaction Between Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zheng-Yu; Ai, Xiao-Xia; Su, Yi-Long; Liu, Xin-Ying; Shan, Xiao-Hui; Wu, Sheng-Mei

2016-02-01

In this work, fluorescent Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) cells were developed as probes for imaging applications and to explore behaviorial interaction between B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). A novel biological strategy of coupling intracellular biochemical reactions for controllable biosynthesis of CdSe quantum dots by living B. subtilis cells was demonstrated, through which highly luminant and photostable fluorescent B. subtilis cells were achieved with good uniformity. With the help of the obtained fluorescent B. subtilis cells probes, S. aureus cells responded to co-cultured B. subtilis and to aggregate. The degree of aggregation was calculated and nonlinearly fitted to a polynomial model. Systematic investigations of their interactions implied that B. subtilis cells inhibit the growth of neighboring S. aureus cells, and this inhibition was affected by both the growth stage and the amount of surrounding B. subtilis cells. Compared to traditional methods of studying bacterial interaction between two species, such as solid culture medium colony observation and imaging mass spectrometry detection, the procedures were more simple, vivid, and photostable due to the efficient fluorescence intralabeling with less influence on the cells' surface, which might provide a new paradigm for future visualization of microbial behavior.

Mitochondrial Contribution to Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis

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Anthony H. V. Schapira

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The identification of the etiologies and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD should play an important role in enabling the development of novel treatment strategies to prevent or slow the progression of the disease. The last few years have seen enormous progress in this respect. Abnormalities of mitochondrial function and increased free radical mediated damage were described in post mortem PD brain before the first gene mutations causing familial PD were published. Several genetic causes are now known to induce loss of dopaminergic cells and parkinsonism, and study of the mechanisms by which these mutations produce this effect has provided important insights into the pathogenesis of PD and confirmed mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress pathways as central to PD pathogenesis. Abnormalities of protein metabolism including protein mis-folding and aggregation are also crucial to the pathology of PD. Genetic causes of PD have specifically highlighted the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction to PD: PINK1, parkin, DJ-1 and most recently alpha-synuclein proteins have been shown to localise to mitochondria and influence function. The turnover of mitochondria by autophagy (mitophagy has also become a focus of attention. This review summarises recent discoveries in the contribution of mitochondrial abnormalities to PD etiology and pathogenesis.

Microbial quality of some vegetables sold in ED DueimTwon, Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Goja, Arafat Mohammed; Mahmoud, Mohamed Salih Osman

2013-06-15

This study was probably the first research carried out to investigate the microbiological quality of some vegetables sold in ED DueimTwon, Sudan. Four species of vegetables were used, Arugula (Eruca sativa), Mloukhia (Corchorus olitorius), Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and Green pepper (Capsicum annuum). The samples were collected and examined according to standardized methods for total viable bacteria, coliforms and fecal coliform count. The average of total viable count ranged from 1.2 x 105-5.6 x 105 CFU mL(-1) for Arugula; 2.1 x 105-2.8 x 107 CFU mL(-1) for Mloukhia; 3.4 x 105-4.8 x 105 for Tomato and 2.3 x 105-8.0 x 106 CFU mL(-1) for Green pepper. However, the maximum level of total and fecal coliform were (93, 21); (28, 11); (75, 15) and (150, 20) MPN 100 mL(-1), respectively. Twelve bacteria belonging to five genera were isolated. Staphylococcus (33%) was the most predominant isolated followed by Enterobacteriaceae (25%), Bacillus (17%) and Streptococcus (17%). Micrococcus (8%) was the least dominant isolated. The results of microbial counts of these vegetable samples in this study indicate that, the agricultural practices, harvesting, hygiene, transporting and selling points are poor and therefore, the higher microbial load could be risked for public health.

Evaluation of in situ valine production by Bacillus subtilis in young pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Nørgaard, J V; Canibe, N; Soumeh, E A; Jensen, B B; Nielsen, B; Derkx, P; Cantor, M D; Blaabjerg, K; Poulsen, H D

2016-11-01

Mutants of Bacillus subtilis can be developed to overproduce Val in vitro. It was hypothesized that addition of Bacillus subtilis mutants to pig diets can be a strategy to supply the animal with Val. The objective was to investigate the effect of Bacillus subtilis mutants on growth performance and blood amino acid (AA) concentrations when fed to piglets. Experiment 1 included 18 pigs (15.0±1.1 kg) fed one of three diets containing either 0.63 or 0.69 standardized ileal digestible (SID) Val : Lys, or 0.63 SID Val : Lys supplemented with a Bacillus subtilis mutant (mutant 1). Blood samples were obtained 0.5 h before feeding and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h after feeding and analyzed for AAs. In Experiment 2, 80 piglets (9.1±1.1 kg) were fed one of four diets containing 0.63 or 0.67 SID Val : Lys, or 0.63 SID Val : Lys supplemented with another Bacillus subtilis mutant (mutant 2) or its parent wild type. Average daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were measured on days 7, 14 and 21. On day 17, blood samples were taken and analyzed for AAs. On days 24 to 26, six pigs from each dietary treatment were fitted with a permanent jugular vein catheter, and blood samples were taken for AA analysis 0.5 h before feeding and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h after feeding. In experiment 1, Bacillus subtilis mutant 1 tended (PBacillus subtilis mutant 2 and the wild type did not result in a growth performance different from the negative and positive controls. In conclusion, results obtained with the mutant strains of Bacillus subtilis were not better than results obtained with the wild-type strain, and for both strains, the results were not different than the negative control.

Sporulation of Bacillus spp. within biofilms: a potential source of contamination in food processing environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Faille, C; Bénézech, T; Midelet-Bourdin, G; Lequette, Y; Clarisse, M; Ronse, G; Ronse, A; Slomianny, C

2014-06-01

Bacillus strains are often isolated from biofilms in the food industries. Previous works have demonstrated that sporulation could occur in biofilms, suggesting that biofilms would be a significant source of food contamination with spores. In this study, we investigated the properties of mono-species and mixed Bacillus biofilms and the ability of Bacillus strains to sporulate inside biofilms. Bacillus strains were able to form mono-species biofilms on stainless steel coupons, with up to 90% spores after a 48 h-incubation. These spores were highly resistant to cleaning but were easily transferred to agar, mimicking the cross-contamination of food, thereby suggesting that biofilms would be of particular concern due to a potential for Bacillus spore food contamination. This hypothesis was strengthened by the fact that Bacillus strains were able to form mixed biofilms with resident strains and that sporulation still occurred easily in these complex structures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of dissolved heavy metals and radionuclides by microbial spores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Revis, N.W.; Hadden, C.T.; Edenborn, H.

1997-01-01

Microbial systems have been shown to remove specific heavy metals from contaminated aqueous waste to levels acceptable to EPA for environmental release. However, systems capable of removing a variety of heavy metals from aqueous waste to environmentally acceptable levels remain to be reported. The present studies were performed to determine the specificity of spores of the bacterium Bacillus megaterium for the adsorption of dissolved metals and radionuclides from aqueous waste. The spores effectively adsorbed eight heavy metals from a prepared metal mix and from a plating rinse waste to EPA acceptable levels for waste water. These results suggest that spores have multiple binding sites for the adsorption of heavy metals. Spores were also effective in adsorbing the radionuclides 85 strontium and 197 cesium. The presence of multiple sites in spores for the adsorption of heavy metals and radionuclides makes this biosorbent a good candidate for the treatment of aqueous wastes associated with the plating and nuclear industries. 17 refs., 4 tabs

21 CFR 184.1012 - α-Amylase enzyme preparation from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true α-Amylase enzyme preparation from Bacillus... GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE Listing of Specific Substances Affirmed as GRAS § 184.1012 α-Amylase enzyme preparation from Bacillus stearothermophilus. (a) α-Amylase enzyme preparation is obtained from the culture...

Degradation of lignocelluloses in rice straw by BMC-9, a composite microbial system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hongyan; Yu, Hairu; Yuan, Xufeng; Piao, Renzhe; Li, Hulin; Wang, Xiaofen; Cui, Zongjun

2014-05-01

To evaluate the potential utility of pretreatment of raw biomass with a complex microbial system, we investigated the degradation of rice straw by BMC-9, a lignocellulose decomposition strain obtained from a biogas slurry compost environment. The degradation characteristics and corresponding changes in the bacterial community were assessed. The results showed that rapid degradation occurred from day 0 to day 9, with a peak total biomass bacterium concentration of 3.3 × 10(8) copies/ml on day 1. The pH of the fermentation broth declined initially and then increased, and the mass of rice straw decreased steadily. The highest concentrations of volatile fatty acid contents (0.291 mg/l lactic acid, 0.31 mg/l formic acid, 1.93 mg/l acetic acid, and 0.73 mg/l propionic acid) as well as the highest xylanse activity (1.79 U/ml) and carboxymethyl cellulase activity (0.37 U/ml) occurred on day 9. The greatest diversity among the microbial community also occurred on day 9, with the presence of bacteria belonging to Clostridium sp., Bacillus sp., and Geobacillus sp. Together, our results indicate that BMC-9 has a strong ability to rapidly degrade the lignocelluloses of rice straw under relatively inexpensive conditions, and the optimum fermentation time is 9 days.

40 CFR 180.1128 - Bacillus subtilis MBI 600; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Bacillus subtilis MBI 600; exemption... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1128 Bacillus subtilis MBI 600; exemption from the requirement of... biofungicide Bacillus subtilis MBI 600 in or on all food commodities, including residues resulting from post...

Microbially induced selective flotation of sphalerite from galena using mineral-adapted strains of Bacillus megaterium.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasanthakumar, B; Ravishankar, H; Subramanian, S

2013-12-01

The selective flotation of sphalerite from a sphalerite-galena mineral mixture has been achieved using cells and extracellular secretions of Bacillus megaterium after adaptation to the chosen minerals. The extracellular secretions obtained after thermolysis of bacterial cells adapted to sphalerite yield the highest flotation recovery of sphalerite with a selectivity index value of 24.5, in comparison to the other cellular and extra-cellular bio-reagents studied. The protein profile for the unadapted and mineral-adapted cells has been found to differ distinctly, attesting to variation in the yield and nature of extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS). The changes induced in the bacterial cell wall components after adaptation to sphalerite or galena with respect to the contents of phosphate, uronic acid and acetylated sugars of B. megaterium have been quantified. The role of the dissolved metal ions from the minerals as well as that of the constituents of extracellular secretions in modulating the surface charge of the bacterial cells as well as the minerals under study has been confirmed using various enzymatic treatments of the bacterial cells. It has been demonstrated that the induction of additional molecular weight protein fractions as well as the higher amount of extracellular proteins and phosphate secreted after adaptation to sphalerite vis-à-vis galena are contributory factors for the selective separation of sphalerite from galena. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bacterial succession and metabolite changes during flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) retting with Bacillus cereus HDYM-02.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Dan; Liu, Pengfei; Pan, Chao; Du, Renpeng; Ping, Wenxiang; Ge, Jingping

2016-09-02

High-throughput sequencing and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) were jointly used to reveal the bacterial succession and metabolite changes during flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) retting. The inoculation of Bacillus cereus HDYM-02 decreased bacterial richness and diversity. This inoculum led to the replacement of Enterobacteriaceae by Bacillaceae. The level of aerobic Pseudomonadaceae (mainly Azotobacter) and anaerobic Clostridiaceae_1 gradually increased and decreased, respectively. Following the addition of B. cereus HDYM-02, the dominant groups were all degumming enzyme producers or have been proven to be involved in microbial retting throughout the entire retting period. These results could be verified by the metabolite changes, either degumming enzymes or their catalytic products galacturonic acid and reducing sugars. The GC-MS data showed a clear separation between flax retting with and without B. cereus HDYM-02, particularly within the first 72 h. These findings reveal the important bacterial groups that are involved in fiber retting and will facilitate improvements in the retting process.

Pathogenesis Concept Of Extracranial Dissections In Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kavian Ghandehari

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Dissection of Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery (EICA and Extracranial Vertebral Artery (EVA is an amportant cause of brain infarction with miscellaneous etiologies around the world. Methods: A prospective observational clinical study was conducted in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran between 2008-2016. Diagnosis of brain infarction and TIA was made by stroke neurologist. Detection of EICA and EVA dissections were made by performing CT angiography  and MR angiography  or DSA in the suspected patients. Demographic features, clinical manifestations, territorial involvement, pathophysiology and pathogenesis of dissections were assessed in all of the patients. Pathogenesis of dissections was classified as Idiopathic, Trumatic, Postural and Genetic categories. Results: Twenty eight patients (21 males, 7 females were admitted with extracranial arterial dissection. Mean age of males and females with dissection was 39.81± 4.2 and 35.71±6.1 years respectively. Influence of gender on age of the patients was not significant, p>0.05. Among patients with extracranial dissection only 3.6% had atherosclerosis risk factors and 96.4% had no other cause for brain infarction. 100% of extracranial dissections in males occured in carotid territory, while 28.6% of females had dissection in the EVA. The influence of gender in territory of dissection was significant, p<0.05. Idiopathic dissections and genetic susceptibility was found in 10.7% and 3.6% of extracranial dissections respectively. 53.5% of the patienrs had trumatic pathogenesis for extracranial dissections and 32.1% developed dissection due to special neck  postures. Important details in pathophysiology and pathogenesis of extracranial dissections will be presented in the lecture. Conclusion: Stroke patients with extracranial dissections have characteristic demographic and  territorial involvement. Trumatic pathogenesis is the most frequent cause of dissection in Iran followed by neck

Anti-Bacillus Activity Of Some Plants Used In Traditional Medicine Of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Based on collected information about traditional use of plants, anti-bacillus activity of methanol extracts of 180 plant species belonging to 72 families were investigated by in vitro bioassays using agar diffusion-method against standard strains of Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus and B. pumilis at 20 mg/ml. Seventy eight species ...

Effect of changing temperature on anaerobic hydrogen production and microbial community composition in an open-mixed culture bioreactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karadag, Dogan; Puhakka, Jaakko A. [Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere (Finland)

2010-10-15

The temperature effect (37-65 C) on H{sub 2} production from glucose in an open-mixed culture bioreactor using an enrichment culture from a hot spring was studied. The dynamics of microbial communities was investigated by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). At 45 and 60 C the H{sub 2} production was the highest i.e. 1.71 and 0.85 mol H{sub 2}/mol glucose, respectively. No H{sub 2} was produced at temperatures 50 and 55 C. At 37-45 C, H{sub 2} production was produced by butyrate type fermentation while fermentation mechanism changed to ethanol type at 60 C. Clostridium species were dominant at 37-45 C while at 50-55 C and 60 C the culture was dominated by Bacillus coagulans and Thermoanaerobacterium, respectively. In the presence of B. Coagulans the metabolism was directed to lactate production. The results show that the mixed culture had two optima for H{sub 2} production and that the microbial communities and metabolic patterns promptly changed according to changing temperatures. (author)

Aroma characteristics of Moutai-flavour liquor produced with Bacillus licheniformis by solid-state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, R; Wu, Q; Xu, Y

2013-07-01

The potential of Bacillus licheniformis as a starter culture for aroma concentration improvement in the fermentation of Chinese Moutai-flavour liquor was elucidated. The volatile compounds produced by B. licheniformis were identified by GC-MS, in which C4 compounds, pyrazines, volatile acids, aromatic and phenolic compounds were the main ingredients. The strains B. licheniformis (MT-6 and MT-15) produced more volatile compound concentrations, mainly C4 compounds, than the type strain of B. licheniformis (ATCC 14580) at the fermentation temperature of 55°C. Meanwhile, more volatile compound concentrations were produced by B. licheniformis in solid-state fermentation than in submerged state fermentation. Thus, the strains MT-6 and MT-15 were used as the Bacillus starter culture for investigating Moutai-flavour liquor production. The distilled liquor inoculated with Bacillus starter culture was significantly different from the liquor without inoculum. This was particularly evident in the fore-run part of the distilled sample which was inoculated with Bacillus starter culture, where volatile compounds greatly increased compared to the control. Furthermore, the distilled liquor with Bacillus starter culture showed improved results in sensory appraisals. These results indicated that B. licheniformis was one of the main species influencing the aroma characteristics of Moutai-flavour liquor. This is the first report of an investigation into the effect of Bacillus starter cultures on the flavour features of Moutai-flavour liquor, which verified that Bacillus licheniformis can enhance aroma concentration in Moutai-flavour liquor. Bacillus starter culture brought C4 compounds, pyrazines, volatile acids, aromatic and phenolic compounds to the liquor, which gave a better result in sensory appraisals. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Fungal Competitors Affect Production of Antimicrobial Lipopeptides in Bacillus subtilis Strain B9-5.

Science.gov (United States)

DeFilippi, Stefanie; Groulx, Emma; Megalla, Merna; Mohamed, Rowida; Avis, Tyler J

2018-04-01

Bacillus subtilis has shown success in antagonizing plant pathogens where strains of the bacterium produce antimicrobial cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) in response to microbial competitors in their ecological niche. To gain insight into the inhibitory role of these CLPs, B. subtilis strain B9-5 was co-cultured with three pathogenic fungi. Inhibition of mycelial growth and spore germination was assessed and CLPs produced by B. subtilis B9-5 were quantified over the entire period of microbial interaction. B. subtilis B9-5 significantly inhibited mycelial growth and spore germination of Fusarium sambucinum and Verticillium dahliae, but not Rhizopus stolonifer. LC-MS analysis revealed that B. subtilis differentially produced fengycin and surfactin homologs depending on the competitor. CLP quantification suggested that the presence of Verticillium dahliae, a fungus highly sensitive to the compounds, caused an increase followed by a decrease in CLP production by the bacterium. In co-cultures with Fusarium sambucinum, a moderately sensitive fungus, CLP production increased more gradually, possibly because of its slower rate of spore germination. With co-cultures of the tolerant fungus Rhizopus stolonifer, B. subtilis produced high amounts of CLPs (per bacterial cell) for the duration of the interaction. Variations in CLP production could be explained, in part, by the pathogens' overall sensitivities to the bacterial lipopeptides and/or the relative growth rates between the plant pathogen and B. subtilis. CLP production varied substantially temporally depending on the targeted fungus, which provides valuable insight concerning the effectiveness of B. subtilis B9-5 protecting its ecological niche against the ingress of these pathogens.

Glyphosate biodegradation and potential soil bioremediation by Bacillus subtilis strain Bs-15.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, X M; Yu, T; Yin, G H; Dong, Q L; An, M; Wang, H R; Ai, C X

2015-11-23

Glyphosate and glyphosate-containing herbicides have an adverse effect on mammals, humans, and soil microbial ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to develop methods for enhancing glyphosate degradation in soil through bioremediation. We investigated the potential of glyphosate degradation and bioremediation in soil by Bacillus subtilis Bs-15. Bs-15 grew well at high concentrations of glyphosate; the maximum concentration tolerated by Bs-15 reached 40,000 mg/L. The optimal conditions for bacterial growth and glyphosate degradation were less than 10,000 mg/L glyphosate, with a temperature of 35°C and a pH of 8.0. Optimal fermentation occurred at 180 rpm for 60 h with an inoculum ratio of 4%. Bs-15 degraded 17.65% (12 h) to 66.97% (96 h) of glyphosate in sterile soil and 19.01% (12 h) to 71.57% (96 h) in unsterilized soil. Using a BIOLOG ECO plate test, we observed no significant difference in average well color development values between the soil inoculated with Bs-15 and the control soil before 72 h, although there was a significant difference (P bioremediation of glyphosate-contaminated soils.

Characterization of 21 Strains of Bacillus Anthracis

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kournikakis, B

2000-01-01

Twenty-one strains of Bacillus anthracis currently held in the culture collection at DRES were characterized by colonial morphology, antibiotic sensitivity and BiologTM metabolic identification profiles...

Extended genetic analysis of Brazilian isolates of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viviane Zahner

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Multiple locus sequence typing (MLST was undertaken to extend the genetic characterization of 29 isolates of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis previously characterized in terms of presence/absence of sequences encoding virulence factors and via variable number tandem repeat (VNTR. Additional analysis involved polymerase chain reaction for the presence of sequences (be, cytK, inA, pag, lef, cya and cap, encoding putative virulence factors, not investigated in the earlier study. MLST analysis ascribed novel and unique sequence types to each of the isolates. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from a single sequence of 2,838 bp of concatenated loci sequences. The strains were not monophyletic by analysis of any specific housekeeping gene or virulence characteristic. No clear association in relation to source of isolation or to genotypic profile based on the presence or absence of putative virulence genes could be identified. Comparison of VNTR profiling with MLST data suggested a correlation between these two methods of genetic analysis. In common with the majority of previous studies, MLST was unable to provide clarification of the basis for pathogenicity among members of the B. cereus complex. Nevertheless, our application of MLST served to reinforce the notion that B. cereus and B. thuringiensis should be considered as the same species.

Chitinase production by Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus licheniformis: their potential in antifungal biocontrol.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomaa, Eman Zakaria

2012-02-01

Thirty bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of plants collected from Egypt and screened for production of chitinase enzymes. Bacillus thuringiensis NM101-19 and Bacillus licheniformis NM120-17 had the highest chitinolytic activities amongst those investigated. The production of chitinase by B. thuringiensis and B. licheniformis was optimized using colloidal chitin medium amended with 1.5% colloidal chitin, with casein as a nitrogen source, at 30°C after five days of incubation. An enhancement of chitinase production by the two species was observed by addition of sugar substances and dried fungal mats to the colloidal chitin media. The optimal conditions for chitinase activity by B. thuringiensis and B. licheniformis were at 40°C, pH 7.0 and pH 8.0, respectively. Na(+), Mg(2+), Cu(2+), and Ca(2+) caused enhancement of enzyme activities whereas they were markedly inhibited by Zn(2+), Hg(2+), and Ag(+). In vitro, B. thuringiensis and B. licheniformis chitinases had potential for cell wall lysis of many phytopathogenic fungi tested. The addition of B. thuringiensis chitinase was more effective than that of B. licheniformis in increasing the germination of soybean seeds infected with various phytopathogenic fungi.

Hepatitis E: Molecular Virology and Pathogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Panda, Subrat K.; Varma, Satya P.K.

2013-01-01

Hepatitis E virus is a single, positive-sense, capped and poly A tailed RNA virus classified under the family Hepeviridae. Enteric transmission, acute self-limiting hepatitis, frequent epidemic and sporadic occurrence, high mortality in affected pregnants are hallmarks of hepatitis E infection. Lack of an efficient culture system and resulting reductionist approaches for the study of replication and pathogenesis of HEV made it to be a less understood agent. Early studies on animal models, sub-genomic expression of open reading frames (ORF) and infectious cDNA clones have helped in elucidating the genome organization, important stages in HEV replication and pathogenesis. The genome contains three ORF's and three untranslated regions (UTR). The 5′ distal ORF, ORF1 is translated by host ribosomes in a cap dependent manner to form the non-structural polyprotein including the viral replicase. HEV replicates via a negative-sense RNA intermediate which helps in the formation of the positive-sense genomic RNA and a single bi-cistronic sub-genomic RNA. The 3′ distal ORF's including the major structural protein pORF2 and the multifunctional host interacting protein pORF3 are translated from the sub-genomic RNA. Pathogenesis in HEV infections is not well articulated, and remains a concern due to the many aspects like host dependent and genotype specific variations. Animal HEV, zoonosis, chronicity in immunosuppressed patients, and rapid decompensation in affected chronic liver diseased patients warrants detailed investigation of the underlying pathogenesis. Recent advances about structure, entry, egress and functional characterization of ORF1 domains has furthered our understanding about HEV. This article is an effort to review our present understanding about molecular biology and pathogenesis of HEV. PMID:25755485

Degradation of proteins during the fermentation of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) by strains of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus for production of Soumbala

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ouoba, L.I.I.; Rechinger, K.B.; Barkholt, Vibeke

2003-01-01

Aims: To examine isolates of Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus predominant in Soumbala for their ability to degrade African locust bean proteins (ALBP).Methods and Results: Agar diffusion test in casein and ALBP agar was used for screening of isolates. The profiles of water-soluble proteins and free...... amino acids (FAA) during the fermentation of ALBP by the Bacillus isolates were studied by SDS-PAGE and cation exchange chromatography. The profile of soluble proteins changed with the fermentation time and varied depending on the isolate. The quantity of total FAA and essential FAA such as lysine...... was increased sharply between 24 and 48 h of fermentation and differed among the isolates. Simultaneously, a pH increase was observed. Cysteine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine and phenylalaline appeared during fermentation.Conclusion: The Bacillus isolates studied degraded ALBP leading to a profile...

Characteristics and Application of a Novel Species of Bacillus: Bacillus velezensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Miao; Tang, Xiangfang; Yang, Ru; Zhang, Hongfu; Li, Fangshu; Tao, Fangzheng; Li, Fei; Wang, Zaigui

2018-03-16

Bacillus velezensis has been investigated and applied more and more widely recently because it can inhibit fungi and bacteria and become a potential biocontrol agent. In order to provide more clear and comprehensive understanding of B. velezensis for researchers, we collected the recent relevant articles systematically and reviewed the discovery and taxonomy, secondary metabolites, characteristics and application, gene function, and molecular research of B. velezensis. This review will give some direction to the research and application of this strain for the future.

‘Urmitella timonensis’ gen. nov., sp. nov., ‘Blautia marasmi’ sp. nov., ‘Lachnoclostridium pacaense’ sp. nov., ‘Bacillus marasmi’ sp. nov. and ‘Anaerotruncus rubiinfantis’ sp. nov., isolated from stool samples of undernourished African children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.-P.-T. Pham

2017-05-01

Full Text Available We report here the main characteristics of five new species ‘Urmitella timonensis’ strain Marseille-P2918T (CSUR P2918, ‘Blautia marasmi’ strain Marseille-P2377T (CSUR P2377, ‘Lachnoclostridium pacaense’ strain Marseille-P3100T (CSUR P3100, ‘Bacillus marasmi’ strain Marseille-P3556T (CSUR P3556 and ‘Anaerotruncus rubiinfantis’ strain MT15T (CSUR P2276, which were isolated recently from stool samples taken from undernourished children in Niger and Senegal using microbial culturomics.

40 CFR 180.1111 - Bacillus subtilis GB03; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Bacillus subtilis GB03; exemption from... FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1111 Bacillus subtilis GB03; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. The biofungicide Bacillus subtilis GB03 is exempted from the requirement of a tolerance in or on...

Enzyme activities and antibiotic susceptibility of colonial variants of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis.

OpenAIRE

Carlisle, G E; Falkinham, J O

1989-01-01

A nonmucoid colonial variant of a mucoid Bacillus subtilis strain produced less amylase activity and a transparent colonial variant of a B. licheniformis strain produced less protease activity compared with their parents. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the colonial variants differed, and increased resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics was correlated with increased production of extracellular beta-lactamase.

Microbial biopesticides for invertebrate pests and their markets in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Arthurs, Steven; Dara, Surendra K

2018-01-31

Microbial pesticides based on bacteria, fungi and viruses or their bioactive compounds have long been developed as alternatives for synthetic pesticides to control invertebrate pests. However, concern for environmental and human health from excessive reliance on chemical pesticides, changes in residue standards, and increased demand for organically grown produce has contributed to a considerable growth in their use in recent years. There are currently 356 registered biopesticide active ingredients in the U.S., including 57 species and/or strains of microbes or their derivatives, labelled for use against pestiferous insects, mites and nematodes. Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis for Lepidoptera remain the most popular products, but newer bacterial strains and their metabolites have been developed against a wider range of arthropods for use on fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops. Currently, ten fungal species/strains are registered against thrips, whiteflies, aphids, or other sucking pests and plant parasitic nematodes in greenhouse, nursery and field crops, while five nucleopolyhedroviruses and three granuloviruses are registered for Lepidoptera in field and greenhouse grown vegetables and ornamentals, tree fruit and nuts, forestry, and stored products. Many of these products are organic listed and most have 4 h or less reentry and no pre-harvest restrictions. Investment by multinational companies, advances in screening, industrial fermentation and storage of new microorganisms, are increasing the market share for microbials. Here, we summarize the market for microbial-based pesticides labelled for invertebrates in the U.S. We cover current uses and recent advances that further advance their use in additional markets in the coming decades. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Epigenetics and colorectal cancer pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bardhan, Kankana; Liu, Kebin

2013-06-05

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through a multistage process that results from the progressive accumulation of genetic mutations, and frequently as a result of mutations in the Wnt signaling pathway. However, it has become evident over the past two decades that epigenetic alterations of the chromatin, particularly the chromatin components in the promoter regions of tumor suppressors and oncogenes, play key roles in CRC pathogenesis. Epigenetic regulation is organized at multiple levels, involving primarily DNA methylation and selective histone modifications in cancer cells. Assessment of the CRC epigenome has revealed that virtually all CRCs have aberrantly methylated genes and that the average CRC methylome has thousands of abnormally methylated genes. Although relatively less is known about the patterns of specific histone modifications in CRC, selective histone modifications and resultant chromatin conformation have been shown to act, in concert with DNA methylation, to regulate gene expression to mediate CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, it is now clear that not only DNA methylation but also histone modifications are reversible processes. The increased understanding of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the context of CRC pathogenesis has led to development of epigenetic biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and epigenetic drugs for CRC therapy.

Epigenetics and Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardhan, Kankana; Liu, Kebin

2013-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through a multistage process that results from the progressive accumulation of genetic mutations, and frequently as a result of mutations in the Wnt signaling pathway. However, it has become evident over the past two decades that epigenetic alterations of the chromatin, particularly the chromatin components in the promoter regions of tumor suppressors and oncogenes, play key roles in CRC pathogenesis. Epigenetic regulation is organized at multiple levels, involving primarily DNA methylation and selective histone modifications in cancer cells. Assessment of the CRC epigenome has revealed that virtually all CRCs have aberrantly methylated genes and that the average CRC methylome has thousands of abnormally methylated genes. Although relatively less is known about the patterns of specific histone modifications in CRC, selective histone modifications and resultant chromatin conformation have been shown to act, in concert with DNA methylation, to regulate gene expression to mediate CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, it is now clear that not only DNA methylation but also histone modifications are reversible processes. The increased understanding of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the context of CRC pathogenesis has led to development of epigenetic biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and epigenetic drugs for CRC therapy

Epigenetics and Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kebin Liu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC develops through a multistage process that results from the progressive accumulation of genetic mutations, and frequently as a result of mutations in the Wnt signaling pathway. However, it has become evident over the past two decades that epigenetic alterations of the chromatin, particularly the chromatin components in the promoter regions of tumor suppressors and oncogenes, play key roles in CRC pathogenesis. Epigenetic regulation is organized at multiple levels, involving primarily DNA methylation and selective histone modifications in cancer cells. Assessment of the CRC epigenome has revealed that virtually all CRCs have aberrantly methylated genes and that the average CRC methylome has thousands of abnormally methylated genes. Although relatively less is known about the patterns of specific histone modifications in CRC, selective histone modifications and resultant chromatin conformation have been shown to act, in concert with DNA methylation, to regulate gene expression to mediate CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, it is now clear that not only DNA methylation but also histone modifications are reversible processes. The increased understanding of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the context of CRC pathogenesis has led to development of epigenetic biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and epigenetic drugs for CRC therapy.

Epigenetics and Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardhan, Kankana; Liu, Kebin, E-mail: Kliu@gru.edu [Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, and Cancer Center, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912 (United States)

2013-06-05

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through a multistage process that results from the progressive accumulation of genetic mutations, and frequently as a result of mutations in the Wnt signaling pathway. However, it has become evident over the past two decades that epigenetic alterations of the chromatin, particularly the chromatin components in the promoter regions of tumor suppressors and oncogenes, play key roles in CRC pathogenesis. Epigenetic regulation is organized at multiple levels, involving primarily DNA methylation and selective histone modifications in cancer cells. Assessment of the CRC epigenome has revealed that virtually all CRCs have aberrantly methylated genes and that the average CRC methylome has thousands of abnormally methylated genes. Although relatively less is known about the patterns of specific histone modifications in CRC, selective histone modifications and resultant chromatin conformation have been shown to act, in concert with DNA methylation, to regulate gene expression to mediate CRC pathogenesis. Moreover, it is now clear that not only DNA methylation but also histone modifications are reversible processes. The increased understanding of epigenetic regulation of gene expression in the context of CRC pathogenesis has led to development of epigenetic biomarkers for CRC diagnosis and epigenetic drugs for CRC therapy.

Complete genome sequence of the industrial bacterium Bacillus licheniformis and comparisons with closely related Bacillus species

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Michael W; Ramaiya, Preethi; Nelson, Beth A; Brody-Karpin, Shari D; Zaretsky, Elizabeth J; Tang, Maria; de Leon, Alfredo Lopez; Xiang, Henry; Gusti, Veronica; Clausen, Ib Groth; Olsen, Peter B; Rasmussen, Michael D; Andersen, Jens T; Jørgensen, Per L; Larsen, Thomas S; Sorokin, Alexei; Bolotin, Alexander; Lapidus, Alla; Galleron, Nathalie; Ehrlich, S Dusko; Berka, Randy M

2004-01-01

Background Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming soil bacterium that is used in the biotechnology industry to manufacture enzymes, antibiotics, biochemicals and consumer products. This species is closely related to the well studied model organism Bacillus subtilis, and produces an assortment of extracellular enzymes that may contribute to nutrient cycling in nature. Results We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the B. licheniformis ATCC 14580 genome which comprises a circular chromosome of 4,222,336 base-pairs (bp) containing 4,208 predicted protein-coding genes with an average size of 873 bp, seven rRNA operons, and 72 tRNA genes. The B. licheniformis chromosome contains large regions that are colinear with the genomes of B. subtilis and Bacillus halodurans, and approximately 80% of the predicted B. licheniformis coding sequences have B. subtilis orthologs. Conclusions Despite the unmistakable organizational similarities between the B. licheniformis and B. subtilis genomes, there are notable differences in the numbers and locations of prophages, transposable elements and a number of extracellular enzymes and secondary metabolic pathway operons that distinguish these species. Differences include a region of more than 80 kilobases (kb) that comprises a cluster of polyketide synthase genes and a second operon of 38 kb encoding plipastatin synthase enzymes that are absent in the B. licheniformis genome. The availability of a completed genome sequence for B. licheniformis should facilitate the design and construction of improved industrial strains and allow for comparative genomics and evolutionary studies within this group of Bacillaceae. PMID:15461803

Bacillus Coagulans Enhance the Immune Function of the Intestinal Mucosa of Yellow Broilers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Xu

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus coagulans on the growth performance and immune functions of the intestinal mucosa of yellow broilers. Three hundred and sixty one-day-old yellow chicks were randomly allocated to four treatments groups with six replicates of 15 chicks each. The broilers were randomly subjected to one of the following treatments for 28 days: control group (group1, fed a basal diet and three treatments (group 2, 3, 4 fed the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans , respectively. The results showed that for 28 days, compared with the control diet, the dietary addition of 200 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans significantly decreased the feed/gain ratio (F/G (p<0.05, improved the thymus index, spleen index and bursa index (p<0.05, increased the villus height to crypt depth ratio (V/C in the duodenum (p<0.05, increased the number of secretory immunoglobulin (sIgA positive cells ( p<0.05. The dietary addition of 200 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans promoted a significant increase in Lactobacillus spp. populations and suppressed Escherichia coli replication in cecum, compared with the control (p<0.05. Moreover, the dietary addition of 200 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans also significantly enhanced the levels of interferon alpha (IFNα, toll-like receptor (TLR3, and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5(MDA5 in the duodenum (p<0.05. In conclusion, the dietary addition of Bacillus coagulans significantly improved broiler performance, and enhanced the intestinal mucosal barrier and immune function. The optimal dosage of Bacillus coagulans for yellow broilers was determined as 2×108 cfu/kg.

Pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

OpenAIRE

Riederer, Peter; Lange, Klaus W.

1992-01-01

The importance of genetic aspects, ageing, environmental factors, head trauma, defective mitochondrial respiration, altered iron metabolism, oxidative stress and glutamatergic overactivity of the basal ganglia in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) are considered in this review.

Two Strategies for Microbial Production of an Industrial Enzyme-Alpha-Amylase

Science.gov (United States)

Bernhardsdotter, Eva C. M. J.; Garriott, Owen; Pusey, Marc L.; Ng, Joseph D.

2003-01-01

Extremophiles are microorganisms that thrive in, from an anthropocentric view, extreme environments including hot springs, soda lakes and arctic water. This ability of survival at extreme conditions has rendered extremophiles to be of interest in astrobiology, evolutionary biology as well as in industrial applications. Of particular interest to the biotechnology industry are the biological catalysts of the extremophiles, the extremozymes, whose unique stabilities at extreme conditions make them potential sources of novel enzymes in industrial applications. There are two major approaches to microbial enzyme production. This entails enzyme isolation directly from the natural host or creating a recombinant expression system whereby the targeted enzyme can be overexpressed in a mesophilic host. We are employing both methods in the effort to produce alpha-amylases from a hyperthermophilic archaeon (Thermococcus) isolated from a hydrothermal vent in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as from alkaliphilic bacteria (Bacillus) isolated from a soda lake in Tanzania. Alpha-amylases catalyze the hydrolysis of internal alpha-1,4-glycosidic linkages in starch to produce smaller sugars. Thermostable alpha-amylases are used in the liquefaction of starch for production of fructose and glucose syrups, whereas alpha-amylases stable at high pH have potential as detergent additives. The alpha-amylase encoding gene from Thermococcus was PCR amplified using carefully designed primers and analyzed using bioinformatics tools such as BLAST and Multiple Sequence Alignment for cloning and expression in E.coli. Four strains of Bacillus were grown in alkaline starch-enriched medium of which the culture supernatant was used as enzyme source. Amylolytic activity was detected using the starch-iodine method.

Identification of Novel Raft Marker Protein, FlotP in Bacillus anthracis.

Science.gov (United States)

Somani, Vikas K; Aggarwal, Somya; Singh, Damini; Prasad, Tulika; Bhatnagar, Rakesh

2016-01-01

Lipid rafts are dynamic, nanoscale assemblies of specific proteins and lipids, distributed heterogeneously on eukaryotic membrane. Flotillin-1, a conserved eukaryotic raft marker protein (RMP) harbor SPFH (Stomatin, Prohibitin, Flotillin, and HflK/C) and oligomerization domains to regulate various cellular processes through its interactions with other signaling or transport proteins. Rafts were thought to be absent in prokaryotes hitherto, but recent report of its presence and significance in physiology of Bacillus subtilis prompted us to investigate the same in pathogenic bacteria (PB) also. In prokaryotes, proteins of SPFH2a subfamily show highest identity to SPFH domain of Flotillin-1. Moreover, bacterial genome organization revealed that Flotillin homolog harboring SPFH2a domain exists in an operon with an upstream gene containing NFeD domain. Here, presence of RMP in PB was initially investigated in silico by analyzing the presence of SPFH2a, oligomerization domains in the concerned gene and NfeD domain in the adjacent upstream gene. After investigating 300 PB, four were found to harbor RMP. Among them, domains of Bas0525 (FlotP) of Bacillus anthracis (BA) showed highest identity with characteristic domains of RMP. Considering the global threat of BA as the bioterror agent, it was selected as a model for further in vitro characterization of rafts in PB. In silico and in vitro analysis showed significant similarity of FlotP with numerous attributes of Flotillin-1. Its punctate distribution on membrane with exclusive localization in detergent resistant membrane fraction; strongly favors presence of raft with RMP FlotP in BA. Furthermore, significant effect of Zaragozic acid (ZA), a raft associated lipid biosynthesis inhibitor, on several patho-physiological attributes of BA such as growth, morphology, membrane rigidity etc., were also observed. Specifically, a considerable decrease in membrane rigidity, strongly recommended presence of an unknown raft associated

Diversity of Secondary Metabolites from Marine Bacillus Species: Chemistry and Biological Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Mondol, Muhammad Abdul Mojid; Shin, Hee Jae; Islam, Mohammad Tofazzal

2013-01-01

Marine Bacillus species produce versatile secondary metabolites including lipopeptides, polypeptides, macrolactones, fatty acids, polyketides, and isocoumarins. These structurally diverse compounds exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anticancer, and antialgal activities. Some marine Bacillus strains can detoxify heavy metals through reduction processes and have the ability to produce carotenoids. The present article reviews the chemistry and biological activities of secondary metabolites from marine isolates. Side by side, the potential for application of these novel natural products from marine Bacillus strains as drugs, pesticides, carotenoids, and tools for the bioremediation of heavy metal toxicity are also discussed. PMID:23941823

Synthetic microbial ecology and the dynamic interplay between microbial genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolinšek, Jan; Goldschmidt, Felix; Johnson, David R

2016-11-01

Assemblages of microbial genotypes growing together can display surprisingly complex and unexpected dynamics and result in community-level functions and behaviors that are not readily expected from analyzing each genotype in isolation. This complexity has, at least in part, inspired a discipline of synthetic microbial ecology. Synthetic microbial ecology focuses on designing, building and analyzing the dynamic behavior of ‘ecological circuits’ (i.e. a set of interacting microbial genotypes) and understanding how community-level properties emerge as a consequence of those interactions. In this review, we discuss typical objectives of synthetic microbial ecology and the main advantages and rationales of using synthetic microbial assemblages. We then summarize recent findings of current synthetic microbial ecology investigations. In particular, we focus on the causes and consequences of the interplay between different microbial genotypes and illustrate how simple interactions can create complex dynamics and promote unexpected community-level properties. We finally propose that distinguishing between active and passive interactions and accounting for the pervasiveness of competition can improve existing frameworks for designing and predicting the dynamics of microbial assemblages.

77 FR 73934 - Bacillus subtilis Strain QST 713 Variant Soil; Amendment to an Exemption From the Requirement of...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-12

... Bacillus subtilis Strain QST 713 To Include Residues of Bacillus subtilis Strain QST 713 Variant Soil... existing exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713 in or on all food commodities by including residues of Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713 variant soil...

Analysis of Microbial Activity Under a Supercritical CO{sub 2} Atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Janelle

2012-11-30

Because the extent and impact of microbial activity in deep saline aquifers during geologic sequestration is unknown, the objectives of this proposal were to: (1) characterize the growth requirements and optima of a biofilm-producing supercritical CO{sub 2}-tolerant microbial consortium (labeled MIT0212) isolated from hydrocarbons recovered from the Frio Ridge, TX carbon sequestration site; (2) evaluate the ability of this consortium to grow under simulated reservoir conditions associated with supercritical CO{sub 2} injection; (3) isolate and characterize individual microbial strains from this consortium; and (4) investigate the mechanisms of supercritical CO{sub 2} tolerance in isolated strains and the consortium through genome-enabled studies. Molecular analysis of genetic diversity in the consortium MIT0212 revealed a predominance of sequences closely related to species of the spore-forming genus Bacillus. Strain MIT0214 was isolated from this consortium and characterized by physiological profiling and genomic analysis. We have shown that the strain MIT0214 is an aerobic spore-former and capable of facultative anaerobic growth under both reducing N{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} atmospheres by fermentation and possibly anaerobic respiration. Strain MIT0214 is best adapted to anaerobic growth at pressures of 1 atm but is able to growth at elevated pressures After 1 week growth was observed at pressures as high as 27 atm (N{sub 2}) or 9 atm (CO{sub 2}) and after 26-30 days growth can be observed under supercritical CO{sub 2}. In addition, we have determined that spores of strain B. cereus MIT0214 are tolerant of both direct and indirect exposure to supercritical CO{sub 2}. Additional physiological characterization under aerobic conditions have revealed MIT0214 is able to grow from temperature of 21 to 45 °C and salinities 0.01 to 40 g/L NaCl with optimal growth occurring at 30°C and from 1 - 5 g NaCl/L. The genome sequence of B. cereus MIT0214 shared 89 to 91% of genes

Effect of Bacillus subtilis on the growth and survival rate of shrimp ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect ofBacillus subtilis, isolated from digestive tract of Macrobrachium rosenbergii was investigated on growth and survival rate of Litopenaeus vannamei during 60 days of culture. Sixteen aquaria with four replicates were used for treatments and controls. Treatment groups were consisted of Bacillus subtilis, isolated ...

Novel giant siphovirus from Bacillus anthracis features unusual genome characteristics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holly H Ganz

Full Text Available Here we present vB_BanS-Tsamsa, a novel temperate phage isolated from Bacillus anthracis, the agent responsible for anthrax infections in wildlife, livestock and humans. Tsamsa phage is a giant siphovirus (order Caudovirales, featuring a long, flexible and non-contractile tail of 440 nm (not including baseplate structure and an isometric head of 82 nm in diameter. We induced Tsamsa phage in samples from two different carcass sites in Etosha National Park, Namibia. The Tsamsa phage genome is the largest sequenced Bacillus siphovirus, containing 168,876 bp and 272 ORFs. The genome features an integrase/recombinase enzyme, indicative of a temperate lifestyle. Among bacterial strains tested, the phage infected only certain members of the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group (B. anthracis, B. cereus and B. thuringiensis and exhibited moderate specificity for B. anthracis. Tsamsa lysed seven out of 25 B. cereus strains, two out of five B. thuringiensis strains and six out of seven B. anthracis strains tested. It did not lyse B. anthracis PAK-1, an atypical strain that is also resistant to both gamma phage and cherry phage. The Tsamsa endolysin features a broader lytic spectrum than the phage host range, indicating possible use of the enzyme in Bacillus biocontrol.

Evaluation of the microbial diversity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using high-throughput sequencing

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Xin Fang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available More and more evidences indicate that diseases of the central nervous system (CNS have been seriously affected by faecal microbes. However, little work is done to explore interaction between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS and faecal microbes. In the present study, high-throughput sequencing method was used to compare the intestinal microbial diversity of healthy people and ALS patients. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA, Venn and unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA showed an obvious microbial changes between healthy people (group H and ALS patients (group A, and the average ratios of Bacteroides, Faecalibacterium, Anaerostipes, Prevotella, Escherichia and Lachnospira at genus level between ALS patients and healthy people were 0.78, 2.18, 3.41, 0.35, 0.79 and 13.07. Furthermore, the decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio at phylum level using LEfSE (LDA >4.0, together with the significant increased genus Dorea (harmful microorganisms and significant reduced genus Oscillibacter, Anaerostipes, Lachnospiraceae (beneficial microorganisms in ALS patients, indicated that the imbalance in intestinal microflora constitution had a strong association with the pathogenesis of ALS.

Evaluation of the Microbial Diversity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using High-Throughput Sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Xin; Wang, Xin; Yang, Shaoguo; Meng, Fanjing; Wang, Xiaolei; Wei, Hua; Chen, Tingtao

2016-01-01

More and more evidences indicate that diseases of the central nervous system have been seriously affected by fecal microbes. However, little work is done to explore interaction between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fecal microbes. In the present study, high-throughput sequencing method was used to compare the intestinal microbial diversity of healthy people and ALS patients. The principal coordinate analysis, Venn and unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA) showed an obvious microbial changes between healthy people (group H) and ALS patients (group A), and the average ratios of Bacteroides , Faecalibacterium , Anaerostipes , Prevotella , Escherichia , and Lachnospira at genus level between ALS patients and healthy people were 0.78, 2.18, 3.41, 0.35, 0.79, and 13.07. Furthermore, the decreased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio at phylum level using LEfSE (LDA > 4.0), together with the significant increased genus Dorea (harmful microorganisms) and significant reduced genus Oscillibacter , Anaerostipes , Lachnospiraceae (beneficial microorganisms) in ALS patients, indicated that the imbalance in intestinal microflora constitution had a strong association with the pathogenesis of ALS.

Anaerobic 4-hydroxyproline utilization: Discovery of a new glycyl radical enzyme in the human gut microbiome uncovers a widespread microbial metabolic activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yolanda Y; Martínez-Del Campo, Ana; Balskus, Emily P

2018-02-06

The discovery of enzymes responsible for previously unappreciated microbial metabolic pathways furthers our understanding of host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions. We recently identified and characterized a new gut microbial glycyl radical enzyme (GRE) responsible for anaerobic metabolism of trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline (Hyp). Hyp dehydratase (HypD) catalyzes the removal of water from Hyp to generate Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C). This enzyme is encoded in the genomes of a diverse set of gut anaerobes and is prevalent and abundant in healthy human stool metagenomes. Here, we discuss the roles HypD may play in different microbial metabolic pathways as well as the potential implications of this activity for colonization resistance and pathogenesis within the human gut. Finally, we present evidence of anaerobic Hyp metabolism in sediments through enrichment culturing of Hyp-degrading bacteria, highlighting the wide distribution of this pathway in anoxic environments beyond the human gut.

Cytotoxic effect of microbial biosurfactants against human embryonic kidney cancerous cell: HEK-293 and their possible role in apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Arun Kumar; Pradhan, Nilotpala; Mohapatra, Purusottam; Kundu, Chanakya Nath; Panda, Prasanna Kumar; Mishra, Barada Kanta

2014-11-01

Two different microbial biosurfactants S9BS and CHBS were isolated from Lysinibacillus fusiformis S9 and Bacillus tequilensis CH. Cytotoxicity effect of these biosurfactants on human embryonic kidney cancerous cell (HEK-293) were studied with the help of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl-)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and morphological changes were observed under inverted microscope. The biosurfactants exhibited positive cytotoxic effect on HEK-293 cell line. It was found that LC50 of S9BS and CHBS were 75 and 100 μg ml(-1), respectively. Further cell cycle and apoptosis analysis of biosurfactant-treated HEK-293 cell line were done by FACS. In this study, cytotoxic effect of glycolipid biosurfactant against HEK-293 cell lines is reported for the first time. Mechanism towards increased membrane permeability of biosurfactant-treated cancer cell may be the incorporation of its lipid moiety into the plasma membrane leading to formation of pores and membrane disruption. Hence, these microbial biosurfactants can prove to be significant biomolecule for cancer treatment.

Fermentation stage-dependent adaptations of Bacillus licheniformis during enzyme production

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Industrial fermentations can generally be described as dynamic biotransformation processes in which microorganisms convert energy rich substrates into a desired product. The knowledge of active physiological pathways, reflected by corresponding gene activities, allows the identification of beneficial or disadvantageous performances of the microbial host. Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq is a powerful tool to accomplish in-depth quantification of these gene activities, since the low background noise and the absence of an upper limit of quantification allow the detection of transcripts with high dynamic ranges. Such data enable the identification of potential bottlenecks and futile energetic cycles, which in turn can lead to targets for rational approaches to productivity improvement. Here we present an overview of the dynamics of gene activity during an industrial-oriented fermentation process with Bacillus licheniformis, an important industrial enzyme producer. Thereby, valuable insights which help to understand the complex interactions during such processes are provided. Results Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq has been performed to study the gene expression at five selected growth stages of an industrial-oriented protease production process employing a germination deficient derivative of B. licheniformis DSM13. Since a significant amount of genes in Bacillus strains are regulated posttranscriptionally, the generated data have been confirmed by 2D gel-based proteomics. Regulatory events affecting the coordinated activity of hundreds of genes have been analyzed. The data enabled the identification of genes involved in the adaptations to changing environmental conditions during the fermentation process. A special focus of the analyses was on genes contributing to central carbon metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, starvation and stress responses and protein secretion. Genes contributing to lantibiotics production and Tat-dependent protein secretion have

Efektivitas Bacillus thuringiensis dalam Pengendalian Larva Nyamuk Anopheles sp.

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Citra Inneke Wibowo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Nyamuk Anopheles sp adalah vektor penyakit malaria. Pengendalian vektor penyakit malaria dapat dilakukan secara biologis yaitu dengan menggunakan Bacillus thuringiensis. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengetahui efektivitas konsentrasi Bacillus thuringiensis dalam pengendalian larva nyamuk Anopheles sp.Penelitian ini dilakukan secara eksperimental menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap Faktorial (RAL Faktorial yang terdiri atas dua faktor yaitu konsentrasi Bacillus thuringiensis dan stadia larva Anopheles dengan pengulangan tiga kali.Perlakuan yang dicobakan adalahkonsentrasi Bacillus thuringiensis (A yang terdiri atas 5 taraf:A0: konsentrasi B.thuringiensis 0 CFU.mL-1, A1: konsentrasi B.thuringiensis 102 CFU.mL-1, A2: konsentrasi B.thuringiensis 104 CFU.mL-1, A3: konsentrasi B.thuringiensis 106CFU.mL-1, A4: konsentrasi B.thuringiensis 108CFU.mL-1. Perlakuan tahapan instar larva Anopheles sp. (B adalah sebagai berikut:B1: stadia larva instar I, B2: stadia larva instar II, B3: stadia larva instar III, B4: stadia larva instar IVsehingga terdapat 60 satuan percobaan. Hasil penelitian  menunjukkan konsentrasi B. thuringiensis isolat CK dan IPB CC yang paling berpengaruh dalam pengendalian larva Anopheles sp adalah 108 CFU.mL-1 . Instar larva yang paling peka terhadap B. thuringiensis isolat IPB CC adalah instar I dan II sedangkan instar yang peka terhadap isolat CK adalah instar II, Perlakuan konsentrasi isolat B. thuringiensis dan tingkat instar larva yang paling baik dalam pengendalian larva Anopheles sp. adalah 108 CFU.mL-1, dan instar I dan II.

The Regulatory RNAs of Bacillus subtilis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mars, Ruben

2014-01-01

In vrijwel alle organismen wordt RNA aangemaakt dat niet codeert voor eiwit, maar een regulerende functie heeft. Dit proefschrift beschrijft de identificatie van ~1600 nieuwe potentiële regulatie-RNAs in de bodembacterie Bacillus subtilis die veel voor biotechnologische toepassingen ingezet wordt.

Evaluation of sampling methods for Bacillus spore-contaminated HVAC filters

OpenAIRE

Calfee, M. Worth; Rose, Laura J.; Tufts, Jenia; Morse, Stephen; Clayton, Matt; Touati, Abderrahmane; Griffin-Gatchalian, Nicole; Slone, Christina; McSweeney, Neal

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare an extraction-based sampling method to two vacuum-based sampling methods (vacuum sock and 37 mm cassette filter) with regards to their ability to recover Bacillus atrophaeus spores (surrogate for Bacillus anthracis) from pleated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) filters that are typically found in commercial and residential buildings. Electrostatic and mechanical HVAC filters were tested, both without and after loading with dust to 50...

Dynamics and diversity of microbial community succession in traditional fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Zhiqiang; Zheng, Yu; Du, Hongfu; Xie, Sankuan; Wang, Min

2015-05-01

The traditional fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV), a well-known traditional Chinese vinegar, generally involves the preparation of starter daqu, starch saccharification, alcoholic fermentation (AF) and acetic acid fermentation (AAF). Dynamics and diversity of microbial community succession in daqu and other fermentation stages were investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Results showed that eight bacterial genera and four fungal genera were found in daqu. However, Staphylococcus, Saccharopolyspora, Bacillus, Oceanobacillus, Enterobacter, Streptomyces, Eurotium, Monascus and Pichia in daqu were eradicated during AF. Four bacterial genera and three fungal genera were found in this stage. Weissella, Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Saccharomyces, and Saccharomycopsis were the dominant microorganisms in the late stage of AF. During AAF, four bacterial genera and four fungal genera were found. Weissella, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Escherichia, and Cladosporium gradually disappeared; the dominant microorganisms were Acetobacter, Lactobacillus, Saccharomycopsis, and Alternaria in the late stage of AAF. Alpha diversity metrics showed that fungal diversity in daqu was greater than that in AF and AAF. By contrast, bacterial diversity decreased from daqu to AF and increased in the first three days of AAF and then decreased. Hence, these results could help understand dynamics of microbial community succession in continuous fermentation of traditional Chinese vinegars. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of milk-clotting enzyme by Bacillus subtilis B1 from wheat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Three strains, Bacillus subtilis B1, B. subtilis B18 and Bacillus thuringiensis B12, were screened from wheat bran to produce milk-clotting enzyme. Among them, B. subtilis B1 exhibited considerable milkclotting activity with low proteolytic activity. After response surface methodology optimization, milkclotting activity was ...

Enhanced production of poly glutamic acid by Bacillus sp. SW1-2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bacillus sp. SW1-2 producing poly glutamic acid (PGA), locally isolated from Eastern province in Saudi Arabia, was characterized and identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed its closeness to Bacillus megaterium. The homopolymer consists mainly of glutamic as indicated in the ...

Microbial abundance on the eggs of a passerine bird and related fitness consequences between urban and rural habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang-Im; Lee, Hyunna; Jablonski, Piotr G; Choe, Jae Chun; Husby, Magne

2017-01-01

Urban environments present novel and challenging habitats to wildlife. In addition to well-known difference in abiotic factors between rural and urban environments, the biotic environment, including microbial fauna, may also differ significantly. In this study, we aimed to compare the change in microbial abundance on eggshells during incubation between urban and rural populations of a passerine bird, the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica), and examine the consequences of any differences in microbial abundances in terms of hatching success and nestling survival. Using real-time PCR, we quantified the abundances of total bacteria, Escherichia coli/Shigella spp., surfactin-producing Bacillus spp. and Candida albicans on the eggshells of magpies. We found that urban magpie eggs harboured greater abundances of E. coli/Shigella spp. and C. albicans before incubation than rural magpie eggs. During incubation, there was an increase in the total bacterial load, but a decrease in C. albicans on urban eggs relative to rural eggs. Rural eggs showed a greater increase in E. coli/Shigella spp. relative to their urban counterpart. Hatching success of the brood was generally lower in urban than rural population. Nestling survival was differentially related with the eggshell microbial abundance between urban and rural populations, which was speculated to be the result of the difference in the strength of the interaction among the microbes. This is the first demonstration that avian clutches in urban and rural populations differ in eggshell microbial abundance, which can be further related to the difference in hatching success and nestling survival in these two types of environments. We suggest that future studies on the eggshell microbes should investigate the interaction among the microbes, because the incubation and/or environmental factors such as urbanization or climate condition can influence the dynamic interactions among the microbes on the eggshells which can further determine the

Microbial pathogenesis and biofilm development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reisner, A.; Høiby, N.; Tolker-Nielsen, Tim

2004-01-01

been termed 'maturation', which is thought to be mediated by a differentiation process. Maturation into late stages of biofilm development resulting in stable and robust structures may require the formation of a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which are most often assumed to consist...... a highly significant role in connection with chronic infections [1]. Bacterial growth on surfaces depends on several factors [2]. In nature, surfaces are probably often conditioned with a thin film of organic molecules, which may serve as attractants for bacterial chemotactic systems and which subsequently...... permit bacterial growth to occur. In laboratory model systems the growth of the surface-associated bacteria is supported by the nutrient supply in the moving or standing liquid. A benchmark of biofilm formation by several organisms in vitro is the development of three-dimensional structures that have...

Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense.

Science.gov (United States)

1998-03-01

such diseases as toxic shock syndrome and bovine mastitis . S. aureus cells exhibited dose-dependent invasion of epithelial cells and intracellular...Idaho, Moscow: The internalization of S. aureus by bovine mammary epithelial cells leads to the induction of apoptosis. 130 Drynda, A.,’ Kbnig, B...Microbiology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030 The primary virulence factor of the gram-negative, bovine

Engineering of thermotolerant Bacillus coagulans for production of D(-)-lactic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qingzhao; Shanmugam, Keelnatham T; Ingram, Lonnie O

2014-12-02

Genetically modified microorganisms having the ability to produce D(-)-lactic acid at temperatures between 30.degree. C. and 55.degree. C. are provided. In various embodiments, the microorganisms may have the chromosomal lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) gene and/or the chromosomal acetolactate synthase (alsS) gene inactivated. Exemplary microorganisms for use in the disclosed methods are Bacillus spp., such as Bacillus coagulans.

Characterization of Bacillus phage-K2 isolated from chungkookjang, a fermented soybean foodstuff.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eun Ju; Hong, Jeong Won; Yun, Na-Rae; Lee, Young Nam

2011-01-01

An investigation of a virulent Bacillus phage-K2 (named Bp-K2) isolated from chungkookjang (a fermented soybean foodstuff) was made. Bp-K2 differed in infectivity against a number of Bacillus subtilis strains including starter strains of chungkookjang and natto, being more infectious to Bacillus strains isolated from the chungkookjang, but much less active against a natto strain. Bp-K2 is a small DNA phage whose genome size is about 21 kb. Bp-K2 is a tailed bacteriophage with an isometric icosahedral head (50 nm long on the lateral side, 80 nm wide), a long contractile sheath (85-90 nm × 28 nm), a thin tail fiber (80-85 nm long, 10 nm wide), and a basal plate (29 nm long, 47 nm wide) with a number of spikes, but no collar. The details of the structures of Bp-K2 differ from natto phage ϕBN100 as well as other known Bacillus phages such as SPO1-like or ϕ 29-like viruses. These data suggest that Bp-K2 would be a new member of the Myoviridae family of Bacillus bacteriophages.

New Cyclic Lipopeptides of the Iturin Class Produced by Saltern-Derived Bacillus sp. KCB14S006

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Sangkeun Son

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Salterns, one of the most extreme natural hypersaline environments, are a rich source of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms, but they remain largely underexplored ecological niches in the discovery of bioactive secondary metabolites. In continued efforts to investigate the metabolic potential of microbial populations from chemically underexplored sites, three new lipopeptides named iturin F1, iturin F2 and iturin A9 (1–3, along with iturin A8 (4, were isolated from Bacillus sp. KCB14S006 derived from a saltern. The structures of the isolated compounds were established by 1D-, 2D-NMR and HR-ESIMS, and their absolute configurations were determined by applying advanced Marfey’s method and CD spectroscopy. All isolates exhibited significant antifungal activities against various pathogenic fungi and moderate cytotoxic activities toward HeLa and srcts-NRK cell lines. Moreover, in an in vitro enzymatic assay, compound 4 showed a significant inhibitory activity against indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.

Systematic characterization of Bacillus Genetic Stock Center Bacillus thuringiensis strains using Multi-Locus Sequence Typing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kui; Shu, Changlong; Soberón, Mario; Bravo, Alejandra; Zhang, Jie

2018-04-30

The goal of this work was to perform a systematic characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains from the Bacillus Genetic Stock Center (BGSC) collection using Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST). Different genetic markers of 158 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains from 73 different serovars stored in the BGSC, that represented 92% of the different Bt serovars of the BGSC were analyzed, the 8% that were not analyzed were not available. In addition, we analyzed 72 Bt strains from 18 serovars available at the pubMLST bcereus database, and Bt strains G03, HBF18 and Bt185, with no H serovars provided by our laboratory. We performed a systematic MLST analysis using seven housekeeping genes (glpF, gmK, ilvD, pta, pur, pycA and tpi) and analyzed correlation of the results of this analysis with strain serovars. The 233 Bt strains analyzed were assigned to 119 STs from which 19 STs were new. Genetic relationships were established by phylogenetic analysis and showed that STs could be grouped in two major Clusters containing 21 sub-groups. We found that a significant number of STs (101 in total) correlated with specific serovars, such as ST13 that corresponded to nine Bt isolates from B. thuringiensis serovar kenyae. However, other serovars showed high genetic variability and correlated with multiple STs; for example, B. thuringiensis serovar morrisoni correlated with 11 different STs. In addition, we found that 16 different STs correlated with multiple serovars (2-4 different serovars); for example, ST12 correlated with B. thuringiensis serovar alesti, dakota, palmanyolensis and sotto/dendrolimus. These data indicated that only partial correspondence between MLST and serotyping can be established. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of myo-inositol hexakisphosphate hydrolysis by Bacillus phytase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kerovuo, J.; Rouvinen, J.; Hatzack, Frank-Andreas

2000-01-01

Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, InsP(6)) hydrolysis by Bacillus phytase (PhyC) was studied. The enzyme hydrolyses only three phosphates from phytic acid. Moreover, the enzyme seems to prefer the hydrolysis of every second phosphate over that of adjacent ones. Furthermore, it is very...... a reaction mechanism different from that of other phytases. By combining the data presented in this study with (1) structural information obtained from the crystal structure of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens phytase [Ha, Oh, Shin, Kim, Oh, Kim, Choi and Oh (2000) Nat. Struct. Biol. 7, 147-153], and (2) computer...

Contribution of Bacillus Isolates to the Flavor Profiles of Vanilla Beans Assessed through Aroma Analysis and Chemometrics

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Fenglin Gu

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Colonizing Bacillus in vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews beans is involved in glucovanillin hydrolysis and vanillin formation during conventional curing. The flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electronic nose, and quantitative sensory analysis. The flavor profiles were analytically compared among the vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, conventional curing, and non-microorganism-assisted curing. Vanilla beans added with Bacillus vanillea XY18 and Bacillus subtilis XY20 contained higher vanillin (3.58% ± 0.05% and 3.48% ± 0.10%, respectively than vanilla beans that underwent non-microorganism-assisted curing and conventional curing (3.09% ± 0.14% and 3.21% ± 0.15%, respectively. Forty-two volatiles were identified from endogenous vanilla metabolism. Five other compounds were identified from exogenous Bacillus metabolism. Electronic nose data confirmed that vanilla flavors produced through the different curing processes were easily distinguished. Quantitative sensory analysis confirmed that Bacillus-assisted curing increased vanillin production without generating any unpleasant sensory attribute. Partial least squares regression further provided a correlation model of different measurements. Overall, we comparatively analyzed the flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, indirectly demonstrated the mechanism of vanilla flavor formation by microbes.

Contribution of Bacillus Isolates to the Flavor Profiles of Vanilla Beans Assessed through Aroma Analysis and Chemometrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Fenglin; Chen, Yonggan; Fang, Yiming; Wu, Guiping; Tan, Lehe

2015-10-09

Colonizing Bacillus in vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) beans is involved in glucovanillin hydrolysis and vanillin formation during conventional curing. The flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, electronic nose, and quantitative sensory analysis. The flavor profiles were analytically compared among the vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, conventional curing, and non-microorganism-assisted curing. Vanilla beans added with Bacillus vanillea XY18 and Bacillus subtilis XY20 contained higher vanillin (3.58%±0.05% and 3.48%±0.10%, respectively) than vanilla beans that underwent non-microorganism-assisted curing and conventional curing (3.09%±0.14% and 3.21%±0.15%, respectively). Forty-two volatiles were identified from endogenous vanilla metabolism. Five other compounds were identified from exogenous Bacillus metabolism. Electronic nose data confirmed that vanilla flavors produced through the different curing processes were easily distinguished. Quantitative sensory analysis confirmed that Bacillus-assisted curing increased vanillin production without generating any unpleasant sensory attribute. Partial least squares regression further provided a correlation model of different measurements. Overall, we comparatively analyzed the flavor profiles of vanilla beans under Bacillus-assisted curing, indirectly demonstrated the mechanism of vanilla flavor formation by microbes.

Tryptophan-induced pathogenesis of breast cancer | Cao | African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The pathogenesis of breast cancer remains unclear. Aims: To investigate the pathogenesis of breast cancer through targeted metabolomics of amino acids components in serum of patients with breast cancer. Methods: Patients with breast cancers were enrolled in our hospital between year January 1st, 2013 ...

Effect of corona electric field on the production of gamma-poly glutamic acid based on bacillus natto

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Hong; Na, Ri; Xin, Jiletu; Jie Xie, Ya; Guo, Jiu Feng

2013-03-01

Bacillus Natto is an important strain for gamma-poly glutamic acid (γ-PGA) production. The mutagenesis of Bacillus Natto 20646 under corona electric field and the screening of high γ-PGA producing mutant were investigated. A new mutant bacillus natto Ndlz01 was isolated from Bacillus Natto 20646 after mutation in corona electric field at 9kV for 2min. The Ndlz01 exhibited genetic stability of high γ-PGA producing ability even after five generation cultures. When the bacterium was mutated in streamer discharge state at 9kV for 2min, its death rate was more than 90%. Compared with the yield of γ-PGA based on the original Bacillus Natto 20646, the γ-PGA yield of mutant bacillus natto Ndlz01 increased from 2.6 to 5.94 g/L, with an increase rate of 129.78%.

Effect of corona electric field on the production of gamma-poly glutamic acid based on bacillus natto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Hong; Na, Ri; Xin, Jiletu; Xie, Ya Jie; Guo, Jiu Feng

2013-01-01

Bacillus Natto is an important strain for gamma-poly glutamic acid (γ-PGA) production. The mutagenesis of Bacillus Natto 20646 under corona electric field and the screening of high γ-PGA producing mutant were investigated. A new mutant bacillus natto Ndlz01 was isolated from Bacillus Natto 20646 after mutation in corona electric field at 9kV for 2min. The Ndlz01 exhibited genetic stability of high γ-PGA producing ability even after five generation cultures. When the bacterium was mutated in streamer discharge state at 9kV for 2min, its death rate was more than 90%. Compared with the yield of γ-PGA based on the original Bacillus Natto 20646, the γ-PGA yield of mutant bacillus natto Ndlz01 increased from 2.6 to 5.94 g/L, with an increase rate of 129.78%.

Antimicrobial activity of surfactants produced by Bacillus subtilis R14 against multidrug-resistant bacteria Atividade antimicrobiana de surfactantes produzidos por Bacillus subtilis R14 frente a bacterias multidroga-resistentes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo André Vicente Fernandes

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Lipopeptides represent a class of microbial surfactants with increasing scientific, therapeutic and biotechnological interests. The genus Bacillus is a producer of these active compounds, and among them B. subtilis produces surfactin, the most potent biosurfactant known. These compounds can act as antibiotics, antivirals, antitumorals, immunomodulators and enzyme inhibitors. In this work, the antimicrobial activity of biosurfactants obtained by cultivation of B. subtilis R14 was investigated against multidrug-resistant bacteria. During cultivation in defined medium, the surface tension of the medium was reduced from 54 mN/m in the beginning of the microbial growth to 30 mN/m after 20 hours. A crude surfactant concentration of 2.0 g/L was obtained after 40 hours of cultivation. A preliminary characterization suggested that two surfactants were produced. The evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of these compounds was carried out against 29 bacteria. Enterococcus faecalis (11 strains, Staphylococcus aureus (6 strains and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7 strains and Escherichia coli CI 18 (1 strain displayed a profile of well defined drug resistance. All strains were sensitive to the surfactants, in particular Enterococcus faecalis. The results demonstrated that lipopeptides have a broad spectrum of action, including antimicrobial activity against microorganisms with multidrug-resistant profiles.Os lipopeptídeos representam uma classe de surfactantes microbiológicos com crescente interesse científico, terapêutico e biotecnológico. O gênero Bacillus é um dos maiores produtores destes compostos ativos. Dentre as espécies produtoras de biossurfactante, B. subtilis produz surfactina um dos mais conhecidos. Estes compostos atuam como antibióticos, antivirais, agente antitumorais, imunomoduladores e inibidores enzimáticos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a atividade antimicrobiana de biossurfactantes, obtidos pelo cultivo de B. subtilis R

The microbial ecology of wine grape berries.

Science.gov (United States)

Barata, A; Malfeito-Ferreira, M; Loureiro, V

2012-02-15

Grapes have a complex microbial ecology including filamentous fungi, yeasts and bacteria with different physiological characteristics and effects upon wine production. Some species are only found in grapes, such as parasitic fungi and environmental bacteria, while others have the ability to survive and grow in wines, constituting the wine microbial consortium. This consortium covers yeast species, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria. The proportion of these microorganisms depends on the grape ripening stage and on the availability of nutrients. Grape berries are susceptible to fungal parasites until véraison after which the microbiota of truly intact berries is similar to that of plant leaves, which is dominated by basidiomycetous yeasts (e.g. Cryptococcus spp., Rhodotorula spp. Sporobolomyces spp.) and the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans. The cuticle of visually intact berries may bear microfissures and softens with ripening, increasing nutrient availability and explaining the possible dominance by the oxidative or weakly fermentative ascomycetous populations (e.g. Candida spp., Hanseniaspora spp., Metschnikowia spp., Pichia spp.) approaching harvest time. When grape skin is clearly damaged, the availability of high sugar concentrations on the berry surface favours the increase of ascomycetes with higher fermentative activity like Pichia spp. and Zygoascus hellenicus, including dangerous wine spoilage yeasts (e.g. Zygosaccharomyces spp., Torulaspora spp.), and of acetic acid bacteria (e.g. Gluconobacter spp., Acetobacter spp.). The sugar fermenting species Saccharomyces cerevisiae is rarely found on unblemished berries, being favoured by grape damage. Lactic acid bacteria are minor partners of grape microbiota and while being the typical agent of malolactic fermentation, Oenococcus oeni has been seldom isolated from grapes in the vineyard. Environmental ubiquitous bacteria of the genus Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., Bacillus spp

Proteomics study of extracellular fibrinolytic proteases from Bacillus licheniformis RO3 and Bacillus pumilus 2.g isolated from Indonesian fermented food

Science.gov (United States)

Nur Afifah, Diana; Rustanti, Ninik; Anjani, Gemala; Syah, Dahrul; Yanti; Suhartono, Maggy T.

2017-02-01

This paper presents the proteomics study which includes separation, identification and characterization of proteins. The experiment on Indonesian fermented food such as extracellular fibrinolytic protease from Bacillus licheniformis RO3 and Bacillus pumilus 2.g isolated from red oncom and tempeh gembus was conducted. The experimental works comprise the following steps: (1) a combination of one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis, (2) mass spectrometry analysis using MALDI-TOF-MS and (3) investigation using protein database. The result suggested that there were new two protein fractions of B. licheniformis RO3 and three protein fractions of B. pumilus 2.g. These result has not been previously reported.

Microbial contamination in industrial tofu

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Thaís Teresa Brandão Cavalheiro Ribeiro

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of tofu sold in supermarkets in Porto Alegre/Brazil. Bacteria counts were performed for Bacillus cereus , mesophilic, coliforms and Staphylococcus coagulase positive and negative. The presence of Listeria sp. was also evaluated. Two different brands of tofu (A and B were collected, one lot per month, for six months. Five samples from each lot were analyzed. All lots presented mesophilic aerobic counts above 4.3x105CFU g-1. Four of the six lots from brand A and all lots from brand B showed E. coli and/or Staphylococcus coagulase positive counts above the Brazilian law accepted limits. The Staphylococcus coagulase negative counts were higher than those of coagulase positive in all lots. In all lots where Staphylococcus coagulase positive counts were above the legal limit, there were counts of coagulase negative above 104CFU g-1. B. cereus and Listeria sp. were not found in either brand. The majority of lots of brand A and all lots of brand B were unsuitable for human consumption. Our results showed that there are problems in tofu manufacturing in both industries analyzed. There is a need of improvement on its microbial quality to avoid problems of food-borne illness, and finally the need of a better control by the Brazilian inspection services.

The comER Gene Plays an Important Role in Biofilm Formation and Sporulation in both Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Fang; Yu, Yiyang; Wang, Luyao; Luo, Yuming; Guo, Jian-Hua; Chai, Yunrong

2016-01-01

Bacteria adopt alternative cell fates during development. In Bacillus subtilis, the transition from planktonic growth to biofilm formation and sporulation is controlled by a complex regulatory circuit, in which the most important event is activation of Spo0A, a transcription factor and a master regulator for genes involved in both biofilm formation and sporulation. In B. cereus, the regulatory pathway controlling biofilm formation and cell differentiation is much less clear. In this study, we show that a novel gene, comER, plays a significant role in biofilm formation as well as sporulation in both B. subtilis and B. cereus. Mutations in the comER gene result in defects in biofilm formation and a delay in spore formation in the two Bacillus species. Our evidence supports the idea that comER may be part of the regulatory circuit that controls Spo0A activation. comER likely acts upstream of sda, a gene encoding a small checkpoint protein for both sporulation and biofilm formation, by blocking the phosphor-relay and thereby Spo0A activation. In summary, our studies outlined a conserved, positive role for comER, a gene whose function was previously uncharacterized, in the regulation of biofilm formation and sporulation in the two Bacillus species.

The comER Gene Plays an Important Role in Biofilm Formation and Sporulation in both Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Fang; Yu, Yiyang; Wang, Luyao; Luo, Yuming; Guo, Jian-hua; Chai, Yunrong

2016-01-01

Bacteria adopt alternative cell fates during development. In Bacillus subtilis, the transition from planktonic growth to biofilm formation and sporulation is controlled by a complex regulatory circuit, in which the most important event is activation of Spo0A, a transcription factor and a master regulator for genes involved in both biofilm formation and sporulation. In B. cereus, the regulatory pathway controlling biofilm formation and cell differentiation is much less clear. In this study, we show that a novel gene, comER, plays a significant role in biofilm formation as well as sporulation in both B. subtilis and B. cereus. Mutations in the comER gene result in defects in biofilm formation and a delay in spore formation in the two Bacillus species. Our evidence supports the idea that comER may be part of the regulatory circuit that controls Spo0A activation. comER likely acts upstream of sda, a gene encoding a small checkpoint protein for both sporulation and biofilm formation, by blocking the phosphor-relay and thereby Spo0A activation. In summary, our studies outlined a conserved, positive role for comER, a gene whose function was previously uncharacterized, in the regulation of biofilm formation and sporulation in the two Bacillus species. PMID:27446060

Pathogenesis of Nervous and Mental Diseases in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Harms, Ernest, Ed.

Major pathogenic sources of mental diseases in children and a classification of these diseases are considered. Contributions include the following: pathogenesis of mental diseases in childhood by Ernest Harms, organ inferiority and psychiatric disorders by Bernard Shulman and Howard Klapman, pathogenesis of neurological disorders by George Gold,…

Potensi Bacillus Coagulans Dari Serasah Hutan Sebagai Probiotik Ayam Broiler

OpenAIRE

Wizna, Wizna; Abbas, H; Dharma, A; Kompiang, P

2013-01-01

Probiotics are living microorganisms which controls the balance of pathogenic microbes in the digestive tract of cattle through competitive exclusion mechanism which lately has been widely used as a feed aditive both ruminants and poultry . One type of microbes used in probiotics in poultry livestock is a bacterium of the genus Bacillus . Bacillus coagulans (Lactobacillus sporogenes) had the same function as Lactobacillus sp known as probiotics were able to live in the digestive tract and pro...

Functional Analysis of the ComK Protein of Bacillus coagulans

OpenAIRE

Kovacs, Akos; Eckhardt, Thomas; van Kranenburg, Richard; Kuipers, Oscar

2013-01-01

The genes for DNA uptake and recombination in Bacilli are commonly regulated by the transcriptional factor ComK. We have identified a ComK homologue in Bacillus coagulans, an industrial relevant organism that is recalcitrant for transformation. Introduction of B. coagulans comK gene under its own promoter region into Bacillus subtilis comK strain results in low transcriptional induction of the late competence gene comGA, but lacking bistable expression. The promoter regions of B. coagulans co...

Acetoin catabolism and acetylbutanediol formation by Bacillus pumilus in a chemically defined medium.