Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium graminearum</Emphasis> inhibitory lipopeptide from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> IB

Bacillus subtilis strain IB exhibiting inhibitory activity against the Fusarium head blight disease fungus Fusarium graminearum was isolated and identified. The major inhibitory compound was purified from the culture broth through anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) steps. It was a 1,463-Da lipopeptide and had an amino acid composition consisting of Ala, Glx, Ile, Orn, Pro, Thr, and Tyr at a molar ratio of 1:3:1:1:1:1:2. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ESI MS/MS) analyses of the natural and the ring-opened peptides showed the antagonist was fengycin, a kind of macrolactone molecule with antifungal activity produced by several Bacillus strains. Fluorescence microscopic analysis indicated this peptide permeabilized and disrupted F. graminearum hyphae.     

Genotyping of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus anthracis</Emphasis> and Closely Related Microorganisms

Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, which includes the causative agent of anthrax Bacillus anthracis, has a high degree of genetic similarity. However, in recent years, the development of molecular genetics has made it possible to find some molecular markers for identifying Bacillus anthracis in order to differentiate it from the closely related bacilli, get the clustering of the collection of strains, and describe the phylogenetic relationships between the clusters. This article deals with up-to-date methods of genotyping of Bacillus anthracis; it also evaluates its discrimination ability, informational value, validity of the results, efficiency, simplicity, and ease of use. In addition, international online resources and the possibility of their use for comparing collections of the B. anthracis strains isolated from various parts of the world are discussed.     

Mutational analysis of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ribC</Emphasis> gene of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

The nucleotide sequence of the ribC gene encoding the synthesis of bifunctional flavokinase/flavine adenine nucleotide (FAD) synthetase in Bacillus subtilis have been determined in a family of riboflavinconstitutive mutants. Two mutations have been found in the proximal region of the gene, which controls the transferase (FAD synthase) activity. Three point mutations and one double mutation have been found (in addition to the two mutations that were detected earlier) in the distal region of the gene, which controls the flavokinase (flavin mononucleotide (FMN) synthase) activity. On the basis of all data known to date, it has been concluded that the identified mutations affect riboflavin and ATP binding sites. No mutations have been found in the PTAN conserved sequence, which forms the magnesium and ATP common binding site and is identical for organisms of all organizational levels, from bacteria too humans.     

Chemostat-induced uneven division of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Anomalous forms of Bacillus subtilis A32 produced by prolonged cultivation in a chemostat under nitrogen limitation are described. A change in the cultivation conditions brought about a transformation of these forms to bacillar rods. The transformation was gradual and lasted for several generations.     

Protein Profile of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Spore

Natural wild-type strains of Bacillus subtilis spore is regarded as a non-pathogenic for both human and animal, and has been classified as a novel food which is currently being used as probiotics added in the consumption. To identify B. subtilis spore proteins, we have accomplished a preliminary proteomic analysis of B. subtilis spore, with a combination of two-dimensional electrophoretic separations and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI–TOF–MS). In this article, we presented a reference map of 158 B. subtilis spore proteins with an isoelectric point (pI) between 4 and 7. Followed by mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, we identified 71 B. subtilis spore proteins with high level of confidence. Database searches, combined with hydropathy analysis and GO analysis revealed that most of the B. subtilis spore proteins were hydrophilic proteins related to catalytic function. These results should accelerate efforts to understand the resistance of spore to harsh conditions.     

Surface display of lipolytic enzyme,Lipase A and Lipase B of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> spore

For the enhancement of lipase stability in organic solvent containing reaction, live immobilization method, using Bacillus subtilis spore as a display vehicle was attempted. Bacillus subtilis coat protein cotE was used as an anchoring motif for the display of lipA and lipB of Bacillus subtilis. Using this motif, lipolytic enzyme Lipase A and Lipase B were functionally displayed on the surface of Bacillus subtilis spore. Purified spore displaying CotE-LipB fusion protein showed higher lipolytic activity compared to that of CotE-LipA fusion protein. The surface localization of Lipase B was verified with flow cytometry and protease accessibility experiment. Spore displayed lipase retained its activity against acetone and benzene which completely deactivated free soluble lipase in the same reaction condition.     

Assay-dependent effect of silver nanoparticles to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

We assess the microbial assay-dependent effect of AgNP on gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Bacillus subtilis. The experiment was conducted via three different assays: a growth inhibition assay, a colony forming unit assay, and a liquid-to-plate assay. AgNP were exposed either as liquid suspensions or in an agar state. Bacterial sensitivity to AgNP was found to be dependent on the microbial assay employed. E. coli was more sensitive than B. subtilis in the growth inhibition and CFU assays, but B. subtilis was more vulnerable than E. coli in the liquid-to-plate assay, ostensibly owing to the food stress mechanisms of B. subtilis in exposure medium. The dissolution of silver from AgNP could not explain the observed toxicity of AgNP. We detected clear evidence of AgNP uptake by cells. The results of this study showed that the microbial toxicity of AgNP and the effects of dissolved silver ions were influenced profoundly by the microbial test method employed.     

Comparative structural bioinformatics analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus amyloliquefaciens</Emphasis> chemotaxis proteins within <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> group

Chemotaxis is a process in which bacteria sense their chemical environment and move towards more favorable conditions. Since plant colonization by bacteria is a multifaceted process which requires a response to the complex chemical environment, a finely tuned and sensitive chemotaxis system is needed. Members of the Bacillus subtilis group including Bacillus amyloliquefaciens are industrially important, for example, as bio-pesticides. The group exhibits plant growth-promoting characteristics, with different specificity towards certain host plants. Therefore, we hypothesize that while the principal molecular mechanisms of bacterial chemotaxis may be conserved, the bacterial chemotaxis system may need an evolutionary tweaking to adapt it to specific requirements, particularly in the process of evolution of free-living soil organisms, towards plant colonization behaviour. To date, almost nothing is known about what parts of the chemotaxis proteins are subjected to positive amino acid substitutions, involved in adjusting the chemotaxis system of bacteria during speciation. In this novel study, positively selected and purified sites of chemotaxis proteins were calculated, and these residues were mapped onto homology models that were built for the chemotaxis proteins, in an attempt to understand the spatial evolution of the chemotaxis proteins. Various positively selected amino acids were identified in semi-conserved regions of the proteins away from the known active sites.     

Morphologies and phenotypes in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> biofilms

In this study, we explored Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth under various conditions such as the use of substrates with different stiffnesses and nutrient levels using a well-developed optical imaging technique to spatially and temporally track biofilm growth. We also developed a quantitative method to characterize B. subtilis biofilm morphologies under various growth conditions. To determine biofilm rim irregularities, we used the dimensionless P2A ratio, defined as P²/4πA, where P is the perimeter and A is the area of the biofilm. To estimate biofilm thickness from transmission images, we developed a calibration procedure based on Beer- Lambert’s law and cross sectioning. Furthermore, to determine the distributions of different B. subtilis cell phenotypes during biofilm growth, we used a triple-fluorescence-labeled B. subtilis strain that expressed motility, matrix production, and sporulation. Based on this work, we are able to tune biofilm growth by changing its growing environment.     

The expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus intermedius</Emphasis> glutamyl endopeptidase gene in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> recombinant strains

The gene encoding for B. intermedius glutamyl endopeptidase (gseBi) has previously been cloned and its nucleotide sequence analyzed. In this study, the expression of this gene was explored in protease-deficient strain B. subtilis AJ73 during stationary phase of bacterial growth. We found that catabolite repression usually involved in control of endopeptidase expression during vegetative growth was not efficient at the late stationary phase. Testing of B. intermedius glutamyl endopeptidase gene expression with B. subtilis spo0-mutants revealed slight effect of these mutations on endopeptidase expression. Activity of glutamyl endopeptidase was partly left in B. subtilis ger-mutants. Probably, gseBi expression was not connected with sporulation. This enzyme might be involved in outgrowth of the spore, when germinating endospore converts into the vegetative cell. These data suggest complex regulation of B. intermedius glutamyl endopeptidase gene expression with contribution of several regulatory systems and demonstrate changes in control of enzyme biosynthesis at different stages of growth.     

Heterospecific Expression of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Cell Shape Determination Genes <Emphasis Type="Italic">mreBCD</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>*

The divIVB operon of Bacillus subtilis includes the cell shape-associated mre genes, including the membrane-associated proteins MreC and MreD. TnphoA mutagenesis was utilized to analyze a topological model for MreC. MreC has a short cytoplasmic amino terminus, a single membrane-spanning domain, and a large carboxy terminal domain which lies externally to the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. Expression of the B. subtilis MreB protein, or the Mre C and D proteins, results in a morphological conversion of the Escherichia coli host cells from a rod to a roughly spherical cell, morphologically similar to mre-negative mutants of E. coli. Immunolocalization of the MreC protein in B. subtilis revealed that this protein is found at the midcell division site of the bacterial cells, consistent with the postulated role of the Mre proteins in the regulation of septum-specific peptidoglycan synthesis. RID= ID= <E5>Correspondence to: </E5>G.C. Stewart; <E5>email:</E5> stewart&commat;vet.ksu.edu Received: 5 August 2002 / Accepted: 7 October 2002     

Catabolite-Induced Repression of Sporulation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

In response to nutrient limitations, Bacillus subtilis cells undergo a series of morphological and genetic changes that culminate in the formation of endospores. Conversely, excess catabolites inhibit sporulation. It has been demonstrated previously that excess catabolites caused a decrease in culture medium pH in a process that required functional AbrB. Culture medium acidification was also shown to inhibit Ï^H-dependent sporulation gene expression. The studies reported here investigate the effects of AbrB-mediated pH sensing on B. subtilis developmental competence. We have found that neither addition of a pH stabilizer, MOPS (pH 7.5), nor null mutations in abrB blocked catabolite repression of sporulation. Moreover, catabolite-induced culture medium acidification was observed in cultures of catabolite-resistant sporulation mutants, crsA47, rvtA11, and hpr-16, despite their efficient sporulation. These results suggest that AbrB-mediated pH sensing is not the only mechanism regulating catabolite repression of sporulation. The AbrB pathway may function to channel cells toward genetic competence, as opposed to other postexponential differentiation pathways.     

Chromosome segregation in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive bacterium commonly found in soil, is an excellent model organism for the study of basic cell processes, such as cell division and cell differentiation, called sporulation. In B. subtilis the essential genetic information is carried on a single circular chromosome, the correct segregation of which is crucial for both vegetative growth and sporulation. The proper completion of life cycle requires each daughter cell to obtain identical genetic information. The consequences of inaccurate chromosome segregation can lead to formation of anucleate cells, cells with two chromosomes, or cells with incomplete chromosomes. Although bacteria miss the classical eukaryotic mitotic apparatus, the chromosome segregation is undeniably an active process tightly connected to other cell processes as DNA replication and compaction. To fully understand the chromosome segregation, it is necessary to study this process in a wider context and to examine the role of different proteins at various cell life cycle stages. The life cycle of B. subtilis is characteristic by its specific cell differentiation process where, two slightly different segregation mechanisms exist, specialized in vegetative growth and in sporulation.     

Conjugative chromosomal gene transfer in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Conjugative transfer of 20-kb chromosomal fragment carrying genes encoding tetracycline (tet ^r ) and lincomycin (lin ^r ) resistance in the soil strain Bacillus subtilis 19 is described. Transfer was preceded by this fragment insertion into the large conjugative p19cat plasmid producing a hybrid plasmid. Insertion frequency was 10^?4?10^?5. Then genes tet ^r and lin ^r were transferred to the recipient strains. The transfer of chromosomal genes inserted into the plasmid and plasmid gene cat occurred sequentially and resembled sexduction, which represents chromosomal gene transfer by F′ and R′ plasmids during conjugation in Escherichia coli and other gram negative bacteria.     

High level expression of a recombinant phospholipase C from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus cereus</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Twenty-two Bacillus cereus strains were screened for phospholipase C (PLC, EC 3.1.4.3) activity using p-nitrophenyl phosphorylcholine as a substrate. Two strains (B. cereus SBUG 318 and SBUG 516) showed high activity at elevated temperatures (>70°C) at acidic pH (pH 3.5–6) and were selected for cloning and functional expression using Bacillus subtilis. The genes were amplified from B. cereus DNA using primers based on a known PLC sequence and cloned into the expression vector pMSE3 followed by transformation into B. subtilis WB800. On the amino acid level, one protein (PLC318) was identical to a PLC described from B. cereus, whereas PLC516 contained an amino acid substitution (E173D). PLC production using the recombinant strains was performed by an acetoin-controlled expression system. For PLC516, 13.7 U g⁻¹ wet cell weight was determined in the culture supernatant after 30 h cultivation time. Three purification steps resulted in pure PLC516 with a specific activity of 13,190 U mg⁻¹ protein.     

Characterization of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">codY</Emphasis> gene and its influence on biofilm formation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">cereus</Emphasis>

The foodborne pathogen Bacillus cereus can form biofilms on various food contact surfaces, leading to contamination of food products. To study the mechanisms of biofilm formation by B. cereus, a Tn5401 library was generated from strain UW101C. Eight thousand mutants were screened in EPS, a low nutrient medium. One mutant (M124), with a disruption in codY, developed fourfold less biofilm than the wild-type, and its defective biofilm phenotype was rescued by complementation. Addition of 0.1% casamino acids to EPS prolonged the duration of biofilms in the wild-type but not codY mutant. When decoyinine, a GTP synthesis inhibitor, was added to EPS, biofilm formation was decreased in the wild-type but not the mutant. The codY mutant produced three times higher protease activity than the wild-type. Zymogram and SDS-PAGE data showed that production of the protease (∼130 kDa) was repressed by CodY. Addition of proteinase K to EPS decreased biofilm formation by the wild-type. Using a dpp-lacZ fusion reporter system, it was shown that that the B. cereus CodY can sense amino acids and GTP levels. These data suggest that by responding to amino acids and intracellular GTP levels CodY represses production of an unknown protease and is involved in biofilm formation.