枯草芽孢杆菌群β-甘露聚糖酶基因克隆及同源性分析

本文对33株枯草芽孢杆菌群菌株进行β-甘露聚糖酶活性筛选,其中的32株具有β-甘露聚糖酶活性,只有1株无β-甘露聚糖酶活性.通过基因克隆测序的方法获得33株枯草芽孢杆菌群菌株β-甘露聚糖酶基因编码区全序列,对酶基因进行同源性分析并构建系统发育树;在β-甘露聚糖酶基因系统发育树中,33株枯草芽孢杆菌群菌株聚为3个分支,分别是枯草芽孢杆菌分支、地衣芽孢杆菌分支和解淀粉芽孢杆菌分支;枯草芽孢杆菌、地衣芽孢杆菌和解淀粉芽孢杆菌β-甘露聚糖酶基因种内同源性大于91%,而种间同源性为60%69%.     

First report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme produced by Bacillus pumilus SG2

Bacillus pumilus SG2 isolated from high salinity ecosystem in Iran produces two chitinases (ChiS and ChiL) and secretes them into the medium. In this study, chiS and chiL genes were cloned in pQE-30 expression vector and were expressed in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli strain M15. The recombinant proteins were purified using Ni-NTA column. The optimum pH and optimum temperature for enzyme activity of ChiS were pH 6, 50°C; those of ChiL were pH 6.5, 40°C. The purified chitinases showed antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum, Rhizoctonia solani, Magnaporthe grisea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Trichoderma reesei, Botrytis cinerea and Bipolaris sp. Moreover, purified ChiS was identified as chitinase/lysozyme, which are capable of degrading the chitin component of fungal cell walls and the peptidoglycan component of cell walls with many kinds of bacteria (Xanthomonas translucens pv. hordei, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, Bacillus licheniformis, E. coli C600, E. coli TOP10, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida). Strong homology was found between the three-dimensional structures of ChiS and a chitinase/lysozyme from Bacillus circulans WL-12. This is the first report of a bifunctional chitinase/lysozyme from B. pumilus.     

Phylogeny of gamma-polyglutamic acid-producing Bacillus strains isolated from a fermented locust bean product manufactured in West Africa

Twenty-five Bacillus strains capable of producing gamma-polyglutamic acid (PGA) were isolated from fermented locust bean products manufactured in the savanna area of Ghana. To clarify the phylogeny of these PGA-producing strains, phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of 16S rDNA, rpoB (RNA polymerase beta-subunit) and fus (elongation factor G) genes were performed. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rDNA indicated that ten isolates were clustered in the same group of Bacillus subtilis. Another ten isolates were located in the cluster of B. amyloliquefaciens, and the remaining isolates were identified as B. pumilus (three isolates) and B. licheniformis (two isolates), respectively. Phylogenetic trees based on the partial sequences of rpoB and fus genes were similar to the phylogeny based on 16S rDNA sequences. Thirty-four strains in 27 species belonging to the genus Bacillus and its neighbors were also investigated for PGA production. It was found that PGA was produced by B. amyloliquefaciens NBRC 14141 and NBRC 15535(T), B. atrophaeus NBRC 15539(T), B. licheniformis NBRC 12107, B. mojavensis NBRC 15718(T), B. pumilus NBRC 12094, B. subtilis NBRC 16449, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus NBRC 3525. Except for L. sphaericus, the above Bacillus species are very closely related in phylogeny, indicating that PGA-producing Bacillus strains constitute a cluster.     

玉米根系内生细菌种群及动态分析

2000-2002年,先后对辽宁省14个玉米主栽品种进行了根系内主要细菌种群分析．结果表明．玉米内生细菌的主要种群为芽孢杆菌属(Bucillus spp．),此外还包括肠杆菌属、沙雷氏杆菌属、假单胞菌属、黄单胞菌属和棍状杆菌属．其中Bacillus分布最广,已鉴定出8个种,包括枯草芽孢杆菌、巨大芽孢杆菌、蜡状芽孢杆菌、地衣芽孢杆菌、炭疽芽孢杆菌、蕈状芽孢杆菌、短小芽孢杆菌、环状芽孢杆菌．Bacillusspp．总量占根系内生细菌总量比苗期和成株期分别为75．5％和76．6％．内生细菌在不同玉米品种和不同生育期之间存在程度不同的差异．研究发现,品种的遗传背景与其内生细菌的种类和数量显著相关．     

应用多重PCR鉴定微生物肥料常用芽孢杆菌

[目的]枯草群芽孢杆菌中枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)、解淀粉芽孢杆菌(B.amyloliq-wefaciens)、地衣芽孢杆菌(B.licheniformis)和短小芽孢杆菌(B.pumilus)是微生物肥料中常用菌种,用传统方法鉴定费时费力,有必要建立检测和鉴定这些芽孢杆菌的种特异性PCR方法.[方法]利用已登录的gyrA、rpoA和16s rRNA基因序列分别设计和筛选上述菌种的特异引物并建立多重PCR反应体系.[结果]以基因组DNA为模板,扩增芽孢杆菌、类芽孢杆菌和短芽孢杆菌3属15种的标准菌株(共33株),4个目标种分别产生了大小不同的唯一的产物,除个别种与短小芽孢杆菌引物有交叉反应外,其余参考菌株均为阴性.从23株枯草群菌株的基因组DNA扩增发现,PCR鉴定与常规鉴定结果一致.[结论]本文建立的多重PCR方法具有较好的特异性,可快速准确鉴定枯草群的4个种,在微生物肥料检测方面有良好的实用前景.     

Cross-Species Induction of Antimicrobial Compounds, Biosurfactants and Quorum-Sensing Inhibitors in Tropical Marine Epibiotic Bacteria by Pathogens and Biofouling Microorganisms

Enhancement or induction of antimicrobial, biosurfactant, and quorum-sensing inhibition property in marine bacteria due to cross-species and cross-genera interactions was investigated. Four marine epibiotic bacteria (Bacillus sp. S3, B. pumilus S8, B. licheniformis D1, and Serratia marcescens V1) displaying antimicrobial activity against pathogenic or biofouling fungi (Candida albicans CA and Yarrowia lipolytica YL), and bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA and Bacillus pumilus BP) were chosen for this study. The marine epibiotic bacteria when co-cultivated with the aforementioned fungi or bacteria showed induction or enhancement in antimicrobial activity, biosurfactant production, and quorum-sensing inhibition. Antifungal activity against Y. lipolytica YL was induced by co-cultivation of the pathogens or biofouling strains with the marine Bacillus sp. S3, B. pumilus S8, or B. licheniformis D1. Antibacterial activity against Ps. aeruginosa PA or B. pumilus BP was enhanced in most of the marine isolates after co-cultivation. Biosurfactant activity was significantly increased when cells of B. pumilus BP were co-cultivated with S. marcescens V1, B. pumilus S8, or B. licheniformis D1. Pigment reduction in the quorum-sensing inhibition indicator strain Chromobacterium violaceum 12472 was evident when the marine strain of Bacillus sp. S3 was grown in the presence of the inducer strain Ps. aeruginosa PA, suggesting quorum-sensing inhibition. The study has important ecological and biotechnological implications in terms of microbial competition in natural environments and enhancement of secondary metabolite production.     

Genetic relationship among Bacillus licheniformis rolling-circle-replicating plasmids and complete nucleotide sequence of pBL63.1, an atypical replicon

The degree of biodiversity among Bacillus licheniformis plasmids and their relation to other Bacillus subtilis group plasmids has been evaluated. To attain this goal we surveyed the diversity and linkage of replication modules in a collection of 21 naturally occurring plasmids of B. licheniformis strains, isolated from different geographical areas. On the basis of rep gene sequence analysis it was possible to group the B. licheniformis plasmids rep genes in two main cluster. Comparison with known rep genes from Bacillus rolling-circle-replicating (RCR) plasmids revealed the presence in B. licheniformis plasmids of replication genes with a DNA sequence peculiar to B. licheniformis species together with rep genes with a very high sequence similarity to B. subtilis plasmids. Furthermore, the molecular organization of an atypical replicon, pBL63.1, was shown. This plasmid did not display any significant similarity with known Bacillus RCR plasmids. The complete nucleotide sequence evidenced a replication module with an unexpected similarity with Rep proteins from RCR plasmids of bacterial species phylogenetically distantly related to Bacillus. pBL63.1 represents an exception to the low-level diversity hypothesis among Bacillus RC replicons.     

Screening and identification of polyhydroxyalkanoates producing bacteria and biochemical characterization of their possible application

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) accumulating bacteria were isolated under various selective conditions such as pH, salt concentrations and types of heavy metal. Fifty strains of bacterial isolates were found to belong to Bacillus, Proteus, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Alcaligenes and Chromobacterium, based on phenotypical features and genotypic investigation. Only twenty five bacterial isolates were selected and observed for the production of PHAs. Interestingly, bacteria belonging to Firmucutes Bacillus sp. produced a high amount of PHAs. The maximum PHAs were accumulated by B. licheniformis PHA 007 at 68.80% of dry cell weight (DCW). Pseudomonas sp., Aeromonas sp., Alcaligenes sp. and Chromobacterium sp. were recorded to produce a moderate amount of PHAs, varying from 10.00-44.32% of DCW. The enzymatic activity was preliminarily analyzed by the ratio of the clear zone diameter to colony diameter. Bacillus gave the highest ratio of hydrolysis zone which corresponds to the highest hydrolytic enzyme activities. Bacillus licheniformis PHA 007 had the highest lipase and protease activity at 2.1 and 5.1, respectively. However, the highest amylase activity was observed in Bacillus sp. PHA 023 at 1.4. Determination of metabolic characteristics was also investigated to check for their ability to consume a wide range of substrates. Bacillus, Aeromonas sp. and Alcaligenes sp. had great ability to utilize a variety of substrates. To decrease high PHA cost, different sources of cheap substrates were tested for the production of PHAs. Bacillus cereus PHA 008 gave the maximal yield of PHA production (64.09% of DCW) when cultivated in anaerobically treated POME. In addition, the accumulation of PHA copolymers such as 3-hydroxyvalerate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate was also observed in Bacillus and Pseudomomas sp. strain 012 and 045, respectively. Eight of the nine isolates accumulated a significant amount of PHAs when inexpensive carbon sources were used as substrates. Here it varied from 1.69% of DCW by B. licheniformis PHA 007 to 64.09% of DCW by B. cereus PHA 008.     

Detection of antibiotic-related genes from bacterial biocontrol agents with polymerase chain reaction

Pseudomonas chlororaphis PA23, Pseudomonas spp. strain DF41, and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS6 consistently inhibit infection of canola petals by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in both greenhouse and field experiments. Bacillus thuringiensis BS8, Bacillus cereus L, and Bacillus mycoides S have shown significant inhibition against S. sclerotiorum on plate assays. The presence of antibiotic biosynthetic or self-resistance genes in these strains was investigated with polymerase chain reaction and, in one case, Southern blotting. Thirty primers were used to amplify (i) antibiotic biosythetic genes encoding phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, pyoluteorin, and pyrrolnitrin, and (ii) the zwittermicin A self-resistance gene. Our findings revealed that the fungal antagonist P. chlororaphis PA23 contains biosynthetic genes for phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyrrolnitrin. Moreover, production of these compounds was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. Pseudomonas spp. DF41 and B. amyloliquefaciens BS6 do not appear to harbour genes for any of the antibiotics tested. Bacillus thuringiensis BS8, B. cereus L, and B. mycoides S contain the zwittermicin A self-resistance gene. This is the first report of zmaR in B. mycoides.     

Design of a PCR test based on the gyrA gene sequence for the identification of closely related species of the Bacillus subtilis group

A method for the taxonomic identification of seven closely related bacterial species of the Bacillus subtilis group (B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. licheniformis, B. vallismortis, B. atrophaeus, B. sonorensis, and B. mojavensis) using specific primers selected on the basis of the gyrA gene sequences was developed. The effectiveness of this method both for the identification of pure cultures of type strains of this group and for the precise species identification of collection and industrial bacterial strains was demonstrated. The principal possibility of using this method for detecting B. subtilis group bacteria in mixed cultures was shown.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of a gene coding for heat- and pH-stable alpha-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis: comparison of the amino acid sequences of three bacterial liquefying alpha-amylases deduced from the DNA sequences

The gene coding for the heat-stable and pH-stable alpha-amylase of Bacillus licheniformis 584 (ATCC 27811) was cloned in Escherichia coli and the nucleotide sequence of a DNA fragment of 1,948 base pairs containing the entire amylase gene was determined. As inferred from the DNA sequence, the B. licheniformis alpha-amylase had a signal peptide of 29 amino acid residues and the mature enzyme comprised 483 amino acid residues, giving a molecular weight of 55,200. The amino acid sequence of B. licheniformis alpha-amylase showed 65.4% and 80.3% homology with those of heat-stable Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase and relatively heat-unstable Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase, respectively. Nevertheless, several regions of the alpha-amylases appeared to be clearly distinct from one another when their hydropathy profiles were compared.     

Corrected Version Distribution of Heterogeneous and Homologous Plasmids in Bacillus spp

A total of 75 strains (including 5 reference strains) of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. cereus, B. circulans, B. licheniformis, B. megaterium, B. pumilus, B. sphaericus, B. subtilis, and B. thuringiensis and 36 species-unidentified Bacillus strains were surveyed for plasmids by cesium chloride-ethidium bromide equilibrium centrifugation of cell lysates in a study of antibiotic resistance in host cells. Of the 111 strains, 13 (including 3 reference strains) were found to harbor plasmids, and 5 of the 13 showed antibiotic resistance. This antibiotic resistance appeared not to be due to the plasmids, however, because the trait was not cured by cultivation of cells in nutrient medium containing ethidium bromide (1 mug/ml), sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.2 mug/ml), or novobiocin (1 mug/ml), except in one strain, in which kanamycin and streptomycin resistances were cured by novobiocin. One strain of B. amyloliquefaciens, S294, was found to harbor a plasmid, pFTB14, which differed from the plasmid species of classes 1 to 6 in B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens, as determined by restriction analysis and DNA contour length determination. However, in DNA-DNA hybridization on a filter after Southern blotting from an agarose gel, the pFTB14 DNA hybridized with plasmids of classes 1 to 5. Three strains of B. thuringiensis each carried at least 4 to 11 plasmid species, whereas no plasmids were detected in four strains of B. cereus, which, in relation to B. thuringiensis, is closely related taxonomically and has highly homologous DNA sequences. The plasmid DNAs prepared from species other than B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens did not hybridize with that of pFTB14.     

High pressure, thermal, and combined pressure-temperature stabilities of alpha-amylases from Bacillus species

Three different alpha-amylases from Bacillus subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens, and B. licheniformis, were mutually compared with respect to thermal stability, pressure stability, and combined pressure-temperature stability. Measurements of residual enzyme activity and residual denaturation enthalpy showed that the alpha-amylase from B. licheniformis has by far the highest thermostability and that the two other alpha-amylases have thermostabilities of the same order of magnitude. FTIR spectroscopy showed that changes in the conformation of the alpha-amylases from B. amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis due to pressure occurred at about 6.5, 7.5, and 11 kbar, respectively. It seemed that, for the enzymes studied, thermal stability was correlated with pressure stability. As to the resistance under combined heat and high pressure, the alpha-amylase from B. licheniformis was much more stable than the alpha-amylases from B. amyloliquefaciens and B. subtilis, the latter two being about equally stable. It appears that under high pressure and/or temperature, B. licheniformis alpha-amylase is the most resistant among the three enzymes studied. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

可可西里低温适生拮抗芽孢杆菌的筛选鉴定及脂肽化合物分析

极端环境特殊微生物资源研究和开发具有广阔的应用前景和研究意义.对分离筛选自青海可可西里境内植被根围的8株在4和10 ℃条件下生长良好的低温适生芽孢杆菌进行鉴定分析.结果表明: 通过生理生化特征分析、rep-PCR指纹图谱分析、16S rDNA及gyrB基因序列分析鉴定,8株供试菌株分别为莫哈韦芽孢杆菌(Bacillus mojavensis)3株,解淀粉芽孢杆菌(B. amyloliquefaciens)1株和简单芽孢杆菌(B. simplex)4株.采用平板对峙试验从中筛选到4株对油菜菌核病原真菌(Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)及水稻白叶枯病原细菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae)均具有显著拮抗活性的生防菌株;采用MALDI-TOF-MS质谱分析生防菌株的拮抗活性物质,结果显示菌株KKD-1 (B. mojavensis)产生脂肽类化合物泛革素和表面活性素,菌株KKD-2(B. amyloliquefaciens)产生脂肽类化合物伊枯草菌素A、泛革素和表面活性素,推断生防菌株的拮抗活性可能与脂肽化合物的合成及分泌有关.该研究为低温适生性芽孢杆菌生物肥料和生物农药的研发提供了菌株资源.     

牡丹根部内生细菌的分离鉴定及脂肽类物质的拮抗活性研究

【目的】从牡丹(Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.)根部组织中分离鉴定内生细菌,测定拮抗菌株脂肽类活性物质的体外抑菌活性。【方法】采用平板对峙法筛选出对牡丹灰霉病菌(Botrytis paeoniae Oadem)、牡丹炭疽病菌(Gloeosporium sp.)、牡丹黑斑病菌(Altenaria sp.)、牡丹黄斑病菌(Phyllosticta commonsii)有拮抗作用的内生细菌。基于形态特征、生理生化特性和16S rRNA基因序列同源性鉴定拮抗菌株。根据脂肽类抗菌物质合成相关基因序列对拮抗菌株进行基因扩增检测,采用酸沉淀法提取拮抗菌株的脂肽类物质,平板对峙法测定脂肽类物质的体外抑菌活性。【结果】从牡丹根部组织中共分离获得62株内生细菌,其中菌株Md31和Md33对4种病原菌均有较明显的抑制作用。Md31和Md33被鉴定为解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)。通过对菌株Md31和Md33进行5个脂肽类合成功能基因bmyB、fenD、ituC、srfAA和srfAB的检测,序列同源性分析,表明两个菌株具有合成脂肽类物质的能力。菌株Md31和Md33的脂肽类粗提物对所测试的牡丹病原真菌均具有不同程度的抑制作用。【结论】获得了2株对牡丹病原菌有良好抑制效果的解淀粉芽孢杆菌Md31和Md33,两个菌株的脂肽类粗提物也具有较强的体外抑菌活性,该研究为牡丹内生细菌的进一步开发应用奠定了基础。     

Enzymatic evaluation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens phytase as a feed additive

Phytases from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DS11 and Aspergillus ficuum for feed enzyme were compared on the basis of phosphate inhibition and thermal stabilities. The apparent half-life of the former enzyme at 80 °C was 42 min. The activity of B. amyloliquefaciens phytase was retained up to 5 mM phosphate while 3 mM phosphate inhibited 50% of the original activity in case of A. ficuum phytase. Addition of 5 mM CaCl₂ significantly broadened the active pH range and also increased the pH stability of DS11 phytase.     

Effects of antibiotics and anti-bacterial components of preparations for local treatment of suppurative wounds on pathogens of odonto- genic infections]

The results of identification and sensitivity assay of 156 strains of pathogens causing odontogenic infections are presented. In the sensitivity assay antibacterial drugs were used. 42.3 percent of the strains were obligate anaerobes belonging to Bacteroides, Fusobacterium, Peptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Veillonella and Actinomyces. Significant differences in the microbial sensitivity to the drugs used for general and local therapy were detected. There was observed high sensitivity of the obligate anaerobes to gramicidin (0.02 micrograms/ml), nitazol (10 micrograms/ml), levomycetin and tetracycline (60 micrograms/ml). Antiseptics such as dioxidine and chlorhexidine used locally showed satisfactory results. The above mentioned drugs and especially levomycetin were also rather active against facultative organisms in associations of pathogens causing odontogenic infections: Bacillus coagulans, B. licheniformis, Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Staphylococcus sp. and Streptococcus sp.     

BIOLOG系统鉴定黄瓜根围促生菌的初步研究

对筛选出的８株具有明显促生防病作用的黄瓜根围促生菌ＣＮ１１,ＣＮ３１,ＣＮ４５,ＣＮ１ １６,ＣＮ１２９,ＸＢ１２０,ＸＢ５,ＸＢ４１通过ＢＩＯＬＯＧ法进行了分类鉴定,分别为：铜绿假单胞菌（Ｐｓｅｎｄｏｍｏｎａｓ ａｅｒｕｇｉｎｏｓａ）,波纹假单胞菌（Ｐ． Ｃｏｒｒｕｇａｔａ）,短芽孢杆菌（Ｂａｃｉｌｌｕｓ ｂｒｅｖｉｓ）,荧光假单胞菌Ｂ型（Ｐ． Ｆｌｕｏｒｅｓｃｅｎｓ ｔｙｐｅ Ｂ）,铜绿假单胞菌（Ｐ． Ａｅｒｕｇｉｎｏｓａ）,荧光假     

Dust-borne bacteria in animal sheds, schools and children's day care centres

A total of 316 bacterial strains, including psychrophiles, mesophiles and thermophiles, were isolated and identified from indoor dusts in schools, children's day care centres and animal sheds. Several species which had not previously been reported from indoor environments were found: Sphingomonas, Brevibacterium, Nocardiopsis, Deinococcus and Rhodococcus/Gordona. A new psychrophilic actinomycete genus was also found in animal sheds, representing a new undescribed peptidoglycan type and an unusual whole-cell fatty acid composition. The indoor dusts of animal sheds contained mainly the Gram-negative genera Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Flavobacterium and Xanthomonas early in the indoor feeding season, but changed to a composition dominated by Bacillus, Micrococcus and mesophilic and thermophilic actinomycetes towards the end of the season. The dust contained, and air-borne bacterial flora in schools and day care centres were dominated by, Gram-positive bacilli and actinomycetes, notably Bacillus cereus, Brevibacillus brevis, B. licheniformis, B. subtilis and species of Arthrobacter, Corynebacterium, Rhodococcus/Gordona, Nocardiopsis sp., Deinococcus, Staphylococcus and Micrococcus. Indoor air and dust contained Klebsiella oxytoca, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Ac. lwoffi, Bacillus cereus and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei with the status of hazard group II. Indoor dusts of animal sheds contained eight different 3-hydroxy fatty acids, the 2-hydroxy fatty acid 14:0 and two 10-methyl fatty acids, whereas in dusts from schools and day care centres, these were below the detection level (< 3.5 ng mg-1). The 3-and 2-hydroxy fatty acids could be assigned to one or more of the dust-contained cultivable strains, but 10-methyl C16:0 was not present in any of the strains isolated. The dusts from schools and children's day care centres contained 0.2-0.3 ng of endotoxin mg-1 and 0.5-1.4 ng of beta-D-glucan mg-1, whereas the dusts from animal sheds contained more 0.3-41 ng mg-1 and 8-35 ng mg-1, respectively.     

Identification and properties of type I-signal peptidases of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

The use of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for enzyme production and its exceptional high protein export capacity initiated this study where the presence and function of multiple type I signal peptidase isoforms was investigated. In addition to type I signal peptidases SipS(ba) [Meijer, W.J.J., de Jong, A., Bea, G., Wisman, A., Tjalsma, H., Venema, G., Bron, S. & van Dijl, J.M. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 17, 621-631] and SipT(ba) [Hoang, V. & Hofemeister, J. (1995) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1269, 64-68] which were previously identified, here we present evidence for two other Sip-like genes in B. amyloliquefaciens. Same map positions as well as sequence motifs verified that these genes encode homologues of Bacillus subtilis SipV and SipW. SipU-encoding DNA was not found in B. amyloliquefaciens. SipW-encoding DNA was also found for other Bacillus strains representing different phylogenetic groups, but not for Bacillus stearothermophilus and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. The absence of these genes, however, could have been overlooked due to sequence diversity. Sequence alignments of 23 known Sip-like proteins from Bacillus origin indicated further branching of the P-group signal peptidases into clusters represented by B. subtilis SipV, SipS-SipT-SipU and B. anthracis Sip3-Sip5 proteins, respectively. Each B. amyloliquefaciens sip(ba) gene was expressed in an Escherichia coli LepBts mutant and tested for genetic complementation of the temperature sensitive (TS) phenotype as well as pre-OmpA processing. Although SipS(ba) as well as SipT(ba) efficiently restored processing of pre-OmpA in E. coli, only SipS(ba) supported growth at TS conditions, indicating functional diversity. Changed properties of the sip(ba) gene disruption mutants, including cell autolysis, motility, sporulation, and nuclease activities, seemed to correlate with specificities and/or localization of B. amyloliquefaciens SipS, SipT and SipV isoforms.