Catechol siderophore, produced by thermoresistent strain of Bacillus licheniformis VK21

Thermophilic and thermoresistant strains of bacilli were screened on a medium containing Chrome Azurol S for producers of siderophores. It was found that the Bacillus licheniformis VK21 strain dramatically increases secretion of the metabolite, a chelator of Fe3+, in response to addition of manganese(II) salts. The growth of the producer on a minimum medium containing MnSO4 under the conditions of iron deficiency is accompanied by the accumulation of a catechol product, the content of which reaches a maximum at the beginning of the stationary growth phase of culture. In the presence of FeCl3, the amount of the catechol product in the medium considerably decreases. The siderophore, called SVK21, was isolated from the cultural medium and purified by reversed phase HPLC, and its siderophore function was confirmed by the test for the restoration of growth of producer cells in a medium containing EDTA. The UV spectrum of the siderophore has absorption maxima at 248 and 315 nm. According to amino acid analysis and NMR spectrometry, the metabolite SVK21 is 2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl-glycyl-threonine. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2003, vol. 29, no. 6; see also http://www.maik.ru.