Identification and molecular characterization of a novel Bacillus strain capable of degrading Tween-80

A Tween-80-degrading novel marine Bacillus strain, N10, has recently been isolated in Alexandria University, Egypt. The taxonomic position of this endospore forming bacterium was investigated on the basis of fatty acid analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Comparative computer database analyses revealed that the bacterium is a Bacillus subtilis strain. The gene encoding the small acid-soluble protein gamma-type (SASP-B), sspE, was successfully utilized in this study as a tool for discrimination between the two B. subtilis subspecies W23 and 168. Based on the alignment of 16S rRNA sequences and analysis of SASP-B relatedness, it has been demonstrated that the novel marine B. subtilis strain N10 is more closely related to the B. subtilis reference strain W23 than to 168. The strain, N10, has been deposited in the Bacillus Genetic Stock Center (BGSC) and assigned the accession number 3A17.