Bacillus amyloliquofaciens
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''Bacillus'' (Latin "stick") is a genus of Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria, a member of the phylum '' Bacillota'', with 266 named species. The term is also used to describe the shape (rod) of other so-shaped bacteria; and the plural ''Bacilli'' is the name of the
class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
of bacteria to which this genus belongs. ''Bacillus'' species can be either obligate aerobes which are dependent on oxygen, or facultative anaerobes which can survive in the absence of oxygen. Cultured ''Bacillus'' species test positive for the enzyme
catalase Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting t ...
if oxygen has been used or is present. ''Bacillus'' can reduce themselves to oval
endospore An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., no ...
s and can remain in this dormant state for years. The endospore of one species from Morocco is reported to have survived being heated to 420 °C. Endospore formation is usually triggered by a lack of nutrients: the bacterium divides within its cell wall, and one side then engulfs the other. They are not true
spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
s (i.e., not an offspring). Endospore formation originally defined the genus, but not all such species are closely related, and many species have been moved to other genera of the ''Bacillota''. Only one endospore is formed per cell. The spores are resistant to heat, cold, radiation, desiccation, and disinfectants. ''Bacillus anthracis'' needs oxygen to sporulate; this constraint has important consequences for epidemiology and control. In vivo, ''B. anthracis'' produces a polypeptide (polyglutamic acid) capsule that kills it from phagocytosis. The genera ''Bacillus'' and ''Clostridium'' constitute the family ''Bacillaceae''. Species are identified by using morphologic and biochemical criteria. Because the spores of many ''Bacillus'' species are resistant to heat, radiation, disinfectants, and desiccation, they are difficult to eliminate from medical and pharmaceutical materials and are a frequent cause of contamination. Not only are they resistant to heat, radiation, etc., but they are also resistant to chemicals such as antibiotics. This resistance allows them to survive for many years and especially in a controlled environment. ''Bacillus'' species are well known in the food industries as troublesome spoilage organisms. Ubiquitous in nature, ''Bacillus'' includes
symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
(sometimes referred to as endophytes) as well as independent species. Two parasitic pathogenic species are medically significant: ''
B. anthracis ''Bacillus anthracis'' is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium that causes anthrax, a deadly disease to livestock and, occasionally, to humans. It is the only permanent (obligate) pathogen within the genus '' Bacillus''. Its infection is a ...
'' causes
anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The sk ...
; and ''
B. cereus ''Bacillus cereus'' is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in soil, food, and marine sponges. The specific name, ''cereus'', meaning "waxy" in Latin, refers to the appearance of colonies grown on blood agar. Some strains are ha ...
'' causes
food poisoning Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease) ...
. Many species of ''Bacillus'' can produce copious amounts of enzymes, which are used in various industries, such as in the production of alpha amylase used in starch hydrolysis and the protease
subtilisin Subtilisin is a protease (a protein-digesting enzyme) initially obtained from ''Bacillus subtilis''. Subtilisins belong to subtilases, a group of serine proteases that – like all serine proteases – initiate the nucleophilic attack on the p ...
used in
detergent A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are more ...
s. ''
B. subtilis ''Bacillus subtilis'', known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium, found in soil and the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, humans and marine sponges. As a member of the genus ''Bacillus' ...
'' is a valuable model for bacterial research. Some ''Bacillus'' species can synthesize and secrete lipopeptides, in particular surfactins and mycosubtilins. ''Bacillus'' species are also found in marine sponges. Marine sponge associated ''Bacillus subtilis'' (strains WS1A and YBS29) can synthesize several antimicrobial peptides. These ''Bacillus subtilis'' strains can develop disease resistance in '' Labeo rohita''.


Structure


Cell wall

The cell wall of ''Bacillus'' is a structure on the outside of the cell that forms the second barrier between the bacterium and the environment, and at the same time maintains the rod shape and withstands the pressure generated by the cell's turgor. The cell wall is made of teichoic and teichuronic acids. ''B. subtilis'' is the first bacterium for which the role of an actin-like cytoskeleton in cell shape determination and peptidoglycan synthesis was identified and for which the entire set of peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzymes was localized. The role of the cytoskeleton in shape generation and maintenance is important. ''Bacillus'' species are rod-shaped, endospore-forming aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria; in some species cultures may turn Gram-negative with age. The many species of the genus exhibit a wide range of physiologic abilities that allow them to live in every natural environment. Only one endospore is formed per cell. The spores are resistant to heat, cold, radiation, desiccation, and disinfectants.


Origin of name

The genus ''Bacillus'' was named in 1835 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg, to contain rod-shaped (bacillus) bacteria. He had seven years earlier named the genus '' Bacterium''. ''Bacillus'' was later amended by
Ferdinand Cohn Ferdinand Julius Cohn (24 January 1828 – 25 June 1898) was a German biologist. He is one of the founders of modern bacteriology and microbiology. Ferdinand J. Cohn was born in the Jewish quarter of Breslau in the Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia ...
to further describe them as spore-forming, Gram-positive, aerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria. Like other genera associated with the early history of microbiology, such as ''Pseudomonas'' and ''Vibrio'', the 266 species of ''Bacillus'' are ubiquitous. The genus has a very large ribosomal 16S ribosomal RNA, 16S diversity.


Isolation and identification

Established methods for isolating ''Bacillus'' species for culture primarily involve suspension of sampled soil in distilled water, heat shock to kill off vegetative cells leaving primarily viable spores in the sample, and culturing on agar plates with further tests to confirm the identity of the cultured colonies. Additionally, colonies which exhibit characteristics typical of ''Bacillus'' bacteria can be selected from a culture of an environmental sample which has been significantly diluted following heat shock or hot air drying to select potential ''Bacillus'' bacteria for testing. Cultured colonies are usually large, spreading, and irregularly shaped. Under the microscope, the ''Bacillus'' cells appear as rods, and a substantial portion of the cells usually contain oval
endospore An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., no ...
s at one end, making them bulge.


Characteristics of ''Bacillus'' spp.

S.I. Paul et al. (2021) isolated and identified multiple strains of ''Bacillus'' species (strain
WS1AYBS29KSP163AOA122ISP161AOI6WS11KSP151ES8
from Sponge, marine sponges of the St. Martin's Island, Saint Martin's Island Area of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Based on their study, colony, morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of ''Bacillus'' spp. are shown in the Table below. Note: + = Positive, – =Negative, O= Oxidative, F= Fermentative


Phylogeny

Three proposals have been presented as representing the phylogeny of the genus ''Bacillus''. The first proposal, presented in 2003, is a ''Bacillus''-specific study, with the most diversity covered using 16S and the ITS regions. It divides the genus into 10 groups. This includes the nested genera ''Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Geobacillus, Marinibacillus'' and ''Virgibacillus''. The second proposal, presented in 2008, constructed a 16S (and 23S if available) tree of all validated species. The genus ''Bacillus'' contains a very large number of nested taxa and majorly in both 16S and 23S. It is paraphyletic to the Lactobacillales (''Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Listeria'', etc.), due to ''Bacillus coahuilensis'' and others. A third proposal, presented in 2010, was a gene concatenation study, and found results similar to the 2008 proposal, but with a much more limited number of species in terms of groups. (This scheme used ''Listeria'' as an outgroup, so in light of the ARB tree, it may be "inside-out"). One clade, formed by ''Bacillus anthracis'', ''Bacillus cereus'', ''Bacillus mycoides'', ''Bacillus pseudomycoides'', ''Bacillus thuringiensis'', and ''Bacillus weihenstephanensis'' under the 2011 classification standards, should be a single species (within 97% 16S identity), but due to medical reasons, they are considered separate species (an issue also present for four species of ''Shigella'' and ''Escherichia coli''). A phylogenomic study of 1104 ''Bacillus'' proteomes was based on 114 core proteins and delineated the relationships among the various species, defined as ''Bacillus'' from the NCBI taxonomy. The various strains were clustered into species, based on Average Nucleotide identity (ANI) values, with a species cutoff of 95%.


Species

* ''Bacillus Sohan, B. Symun'' * ''Bacillus acidicola, B. acidicola'' * ''Bacillus acidiproducens, B. acidiproducens'' * ''Bacillus acidocaldarius, B. acidocaldarius'' * ''Bacillus acidoterrestris, B. acidoterrestris'' * ''Bacillus aeolius, B. aeolius'' * ''Bacillus aerius, B. aerius'' * ''Bacillus aerophilus, B. aerophilus'' * ''Bacillus agaradhaerens, B. agaradhaerens'' * ''Bacillus agri, B. agri'' * ''Bacillus aidingensis, B. aidingensis'' * ''Bacillus akibai, B. akibai'' * ''Bacillus albus, B. albus'' * ''Bacillus alcalophilus, B. alcalophlus'' * ''Bacillus Sohan , B. algicola''i * ''Bacillus alginolyticus, B. alginolyticus'' * ''Bacillus alkalidiazotrophicus, B. alkalidiazotrophicus'' * ''Bacillus alkalinitrilicus, B. alkalinitrilicus'' * ''Bacillus alkalisediminis, B. alkalisediminis'' * ''Bacillus alkalitelluris, B. alkalitelluris'' * ''Bacillus altitudinis, B. altitudinis'' * ''Bacillus alveayuensis, B. alveayuensis'' * ''Bacillus alvei, B. alvei'' * ''Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. amyloliquefaciens'' ** ''B. a. ''subsp.'' amyloliquefaciens'' ** ''B. a. ''subsp.'' plantarum'' * ''Bacillus aminovorans, B. aminovorans'' * ''Bacillus amylolyticus, B. amylolyticus'' * ''Bacillus andreesenii, B. andreesenii'' * ''Bacillus aneurinilyticus, B. aneurinilyticus'' * ''
B. anthracis ''Bacillus anthracis'' is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium that causes anthrax, a deadly disease to livestock and, occasionally, to humans. It is the only permanent (obligate) pathogen within the genus '' Bacillus''. Its infection is a ...
'' * ''Bacillus aquimaris, B. aquimaris'' * ''Bacillus arenosi, B. arenosi'' * ''Bacillus arseniciselenatis, B. arseniciselenatis'' * ''Bacillus arsenicus, B. arsenicus'' * ''Bacillus aurantiacus, B. aurantiacus'' * ''Bacillus arvi, B. arvi'' * ''Bacillus aryabhattai, B. aryabhattai'' * ''Bacillus asahii, B. asahii'' * ''Bacillus atrophaeus, B. atrophaeus'' * ''Bacillus axarquiensis, B. axarquiensis'' * ''Bacillus azotofixans, B. azotofixans'' * ''Bacillus azotoformans, B. azotoformans'' * ''Bacillus badius, B. badius'' * ''Bacillus barbaricus, B. barbaricus'' * ''Bacillus bataviensis, B. bataviensis'' * ''Bacillus beijingensis, B. beijingensis'' * ''Bacillus benzoevorans, B. benzoevorans'' * ''Bacillus beringensis, B. beringensis'' * ''Bacillus berkeleyi, B. berkeleyi'' * ''Bacillus beveridgei, B. beveridgei'' * ''Bacillus bogoriensis, B. bogoriensis'' * ''Bacillus boroniphilus, B. boroniphilus'' * ''Bacillus borstelensis, B. borstelensis'' * ''Bacillus brevis, B. brevis'' * ''Bacillus butanolivorans, B. butanolivorans'' * ''Bacillus canaveralius, B. canaveralius'' * ''Bacillus carboniphilus, B. carboniphilus'' * ''Bacillus cecembensis, B. cecembensis'' * ''Bacillus cellulosilyticus, B. cellulosilyticus'' * ''Bacillus centrosporus, B. centrosporus'' * ''
B. cereus ''Bacillus cereus'' is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in soil, food, and marine sponges. The specific name, ''cereus'', meaning "waxy" in Latin, refers to the appearance of colonies grown on blood agar. Some strains are ha ...
'' * ''Bacillus chagannorensis, B. chagannorensis'' * ''Bacillus chitinolyticus, B. chitinolyticus'' * ''Bacillus chondroitinus, B. chondroitinus'' * ''Bacillus choshinensis, B. choshinensis'' * ''Bacillus chungangensis, B. chungangensis'' * ''Bacillus cibi, B. cibi'' * ''Bacillus circulans, B. circulans'' * ''Bacillus clarkii, B. clarkii'' * ''Bacillus clausii, B. clausii'' * ''Bacillus coagulans, B. coagulans'' * ''Bacillus coahuilensis, B. coahuilensis'' * ''Bacillus cohnii, B. cohnii'' * ''Bacillus composti, B. composti'' * ''Bacillus curdlanolyticus, B. curdlanolyticus'' * ''Bacillus cycloheptanicus, B. cycloheptanicus'' * ''Bacillus cytotoxicus, B. cytotoxicus'' * ''Bacillus daliensis, B. daliensis'' * ''Bacillus decisifrondis, B. decisifrondis'' * ''Bacillus decolorationis, B. decolorationis'' * ''Bacillus deserti, B. deserti'' * ''Bacillus dipsosauri, B. dipsosauri'' * ''Bacillus drentensis, B. drentensis'' * ''Bacillus edaphicus, B. edaphicus'' * ''Bacillus ehimensis, B. ehimensis'' * ''Bacillus eiseniae, B. eiseniae'' * ''Bacillus enclensis, B. enclensis'' * ''Bacillus endophyticus, B. endophyticus'' * ''Bacillus endoradicis, B. endoradicis'' * ''Bacillus farraginis, B. farraginis'' * ''Bacillus fastidiosus, B. fastidiosus'' * ''Bacillus fengqiuensis, B. fengqiuensis'' * ''Bacillus filobacterium rodentium, B. filobacterium rodentuim'' * ''Bacillus firmus, B. firmus'' * ''Bacillus flexus, B. flexus'' * ''Bacillus foraminis, B. foraminis'' * ''Bacillus fordii, B. fordii'' * ''Bacillus formosus, B. formosus'' * ''Bacillus fortis, B. fortis'' * ''Bacillus fumarioli, B. fumarioli'' * ''Bacillus funiculus, B. funiculus'' * ''Bacillus fusiformis, B. fusiformis'' * ''Bacillus gaemokensis, B. gaemokensis'' * ''Bacillus galactophilus, B. galactophilus'' * ''Bacillus galactosidilyticus, B. galactosidilyticus'' * ''Bacillus galliciensis, B. galliciensis'' * ''Bacillus gelatini, B. gelatini'' * ''Bacillus gibsonii, B. gibsonii'' * ''Bacillus ginsengi, B. ginsengi'' * ''Bacillus ginsengihumi, B. ginsengihumi'' * ''Bacillus ginsengisoli, B. ginsengisoli'' * ''Bacillus glucanolyticus, B. glucanolyticus'' * ''Bacillus gordonae, B. gordonae'' * ''Bacillus gottheilii, B. gottheilii'' * ''Bacillus graminis, B. graminis'' * ''Bacillus halmapalus, B. halmapalus'' * ''Bacillus haloalkaliphilus, B. haloalkaliphilus'' * ''Bacillus halochares, B. halochares'' * ''Bacillus halodenitrificans, B. halodenitrificans'' * ''Bacillus halodurans, B. halodurans'' * ''Bacillus halophilus, B. halophilus'' * ''Bacillus halosaccharovorans, B. halosaccharovorans'' * ''Bacillus hemicellulosilyticus, B. hemicellulosilyticus'' * ''Bacillus hemicentroti, B. hemicentroti'' * ''Bacillus herbersteinensis, B. herbersteinensis'' * ''Bacillus horikoshii, B. horikoshii'' * ''Bacillus horneckiae, B. horneckiae'' * ''Bacillus horti, B. horti'' * ''Bacillus huizhouensis, B. huizhouensis'' * ''Bacillus humi, B. humi'' * ''Bacillus hwajinpoensis, B. hwajinpoensis'' * ''Bacillus idriensis, B. idriensis'' * ''Bacillus indicus, B. indicus'' * ''Bacillus infantis, B. infantis'' * ''Bacillus infernus, B. infernus'' * ''Bacillus insolitus, B. insolitus'' * ''Bacillus invictae, B. invictae'' * ''Bacillus iranensis, B. iranensis'' * ''Bacillus isabeliae, B. isabeliae'' * ''Bacillus isronensis, B. isronensis'' * ''Bacillus jeotgali, B. jeotgali'' * ''Bacillus kaustophilus, B. kaustophilus'' * ''Bacillus kobensis, B. kobensis'' * ''Bacillus kochii, B. kochii'' * ''Bacillus kokeshiiformis, B. kokeshiiformis'' * ''Bacillus koreensis, B. koreensis'' * ''Bacillus korlensis, B. korlensis'' * ''Bacillus kribbensis, B. kribbensis'' * ''Bacillus krulwichiae, B. krulwichiae'' * ''Bacillus laevolacticus, B. laevolacticus'' * ''Bacillus larvae, B. larvae'' * ''Bacillus laterosporus, B. laterosporus'' * ''Bacillus lautus, B. lautus'' * ''Bacillus lehensis, B. lehensis'' * ''Bacillus lentimorbus, B. lentimorbus'' * ''Bacillus lentus, B. lentus'' * ''Bacillus licheniformis, B. licheniformis'' * ''Bacillus ligniniphilus, B. ligniniphilus'' * ''Bacillus litoralis, B. litoralis'' * ''Bacillus locisalis, B. locisalis'' * ''Bacillus luciferensis, B. luciferensis'' * ''Bacillus luteolus, B. luteolus'' * ''Bacillus luteus, B. luteus'' * ''Bacillus macauensis, B. macauensis'' * ''Bacillus macerans, B. macerans'' * ''Bacillus macquariensis, B. macquariensis'' * ''Bacillus macyae, B. macyae'' * ''Bacillus malacitensis, B. malacitensis'' * ''Bacillus mannanilyticus, B. mannanilyticus'' * ''Bacillus marisflavi, B. marisflavi'' * ''Bacillus marismortui, B. marismortui'' * ''Bacillus marmarensis, B. marmarensis'' * ''Bacillus massiliensis, B. massiliensis'' * ''Bacillus megaterium, B. megaterium'' * "''Bacillus mesentericus, B. mesentericus''" * ''Bacillus mesonae, B. mesonae'' * ''Bacillus methanolicus, B. methanolicus'' * ''Bacillus methylotrophicus, B. methylotrophicus'' * ''Bacillus migulanus, B. migulanus'' * ''Bacillus mojavensis, B. mojavensis'' * ''Bacillus mucilaginosus, B. mucilaginosus'' * ''Bacillus muralis, B. muralis'' * ''Bacillus murimartini, B. murimartini'' * ''Bacillus mycoides, B. mycoides'' * ''Bacillus naganoensis, B. naganoensis'' * ''Bacillus nanhaiensis, B. nanhaiensis'' * ''Bacillus nanhaiisediminis, B. nanhaiisediminis'' * ''Bacillus nealsonii, B. nealsonii'' * ''Bacillus neidei, B. neidei'' * ''Bacillus neizhouensis, B. neizhouensis'' * ''Bacillus niabensis, B. niabensis'' * ''Bacillus niacini, B. niacini'' * ''Bacillus novalis, B. novalis'' * ''Bacillus oceanisediminis, B. oceanisediminis'' * ''Bacillus odysseyi, B. odysseyi'' * ''Bacillus okhensis, B. okhensis'' * ''Bacillus okuhidensis, B. okuhidensis'' * ''Bacillus oleronius, B. oleronius'' * ''Bacillus oryzaecorticis, B. oryzaecorticis'' * ''Bacillus oshimensis, B. oshimensis'' * ''Bacillus pabuli, B. pabuli'' * ''Bacillus pakistanensis, B. pakistanensis'' * ''Bacillus pallidus, B. pallidus'' * ''Bacillus pallidus, B. pallidus'' * ''Bacillus panacisoli, B. panacisoli'' * ''Bacillus panaciterrae, B. panaciterrae'' * ''Bacillus pantothenticus, B. pantothenticus'' * ''Bacillus parabrevis, B. parabrevis'' * ''Bacillus paraflexus, B. paraflexus'' * ''Bacillus pasteurii, B. pasteurii'' * ''Bacillus patagoniensis, B. patagoniensis'' * ''Bacillus peoriae, B. peoriae'' * ''Bacillus persepolensis, B. persepolensis'' * ''Bacillus persicus, B. persicus'' * ''Bacillus pervagus, B. pervagus'' * ''Bacillus plakortidis, B. plakortidis'' * ''Bacillus pocheonensis, B. pocheonensis'' * ''Bacillus polygoni, B. polygoni'' * ''Bacillus polymyxa, B. polymyxa'' * ''Bacillus popilliae, B. popilliae'' * ''Bacillus pseudalcalophilus, B. pseudalcalophilus'' * ''Bacillus pseudofirmus, B. pseudofirmus'' * ''Bacillus pseudomycoides, B. pseudomycoides'' * ''Bacillus psychrodurans, B. psychrodurans'' * ''Bacillus psychrophilus, B. psychrophilus'' * ''Bacillus psychrosaccharolyticus, B. psychrosaccharolyticus'' * ''Bacillus psychrotolerans, B. psychrotolerans'' * ''Bacillus pulvifaciens, B. pulvifaciens'' * ''Bacillus pumilus, B. pumilus'' * ''Bacillus purgationiresistens, B. purgationiresistens'' * ''Bacillus pycnus, B. pycnus'' * ''Bacillus qingdaonensis, B. qingdaonensis'' * ''Bacillus qingshengii, B. qingshengii'' * ''Bacillus reuszeri, B. reuszeri'' * ''Bacillus rhizosphaerae, B. rhizosphaerae'' * ''Bacillus rigui, B. rigui'' * ''Bacillus ruris, B. ruris'' * ''Bacillus safensis, B. safensis'' * ''Bacillus salarius, B. salarius'' * ''Bacillus salexigens, B. salexigens'' * ''Bacillus saliphilus, B. saliphilus'' * ''Bacillus schlegelii, B. schlegelii'' * ''Bacillus sediminis, B. sediminis'' * ''Bacillus selenatarsenatis, B. selenatarsenatis'' * ''Bacillus selenitireducens, B. selenitireducens'' * ''Bacillus seohaeanensis, B. seohaeanensis'' * ''Bacillus shacheensis, B. shacheensis'' * ''Bacillus shackletonii, B. shackletonii'' * ''Bacillus siamensis, B. siamensis'' * ''Bacillus silvestris, B. silvestris'' * ''Bacillus simplex, B. simplex'' * ''Bacillus siralis, B. siralis'' * ''Bacillus smithii, B. smithii'' * ''Bacillus soli, B. soli'' * ''Bacillus solimangrovi, B. solimangrovi'' * ''Bacillus solisalsi, B. solisalsi'' * ''Bacillus songklensis, B. songklensis'' * ''Bacillus sonorensis, B. sonorensis'' * ''Bacillus sphaericus, B. sphaericus'' * ''Bacillus sporothermodurans, B. sporothermodurans'' * ''Bacillus stearothermophilus, B. stearothermophilus'' * ''Bacillus stratosphericus, B. stratosphericus'' * ''Bacillus subterraneus, B. subterraneus'' * ''Bacillus subtilis, B. subtilis'' ** ''B. s. ''subsp.'' inaquosorum'' ** ''B. s. ''subsp.'' spizizenii'' ** ''B. s. ''subsp.'' subtilis'' * ''Bacillus taeanensis, B. taeanensis'' * ''Bacillus tequilensis, B. tequilensis'' * ''Bacillus thermantarcticus, B. thermantarcticus'' * ''Bacillus thermoaerophilus, B. thermoaerophilus'' * ''Bacillus thermoamylovorans, B. thermoamylovorans'' * ''Bacillus thermocatenulatus, B. thermocatenulatus'' * ''Bacillus thermocloacae, B. thermocloacae'' * ''Bacillus thermocopriae, B. thermocopriae'' * ''Bacillus thermodenitrificans, B. thermodenitrificans'' * ''Bacillus thermoglucosidasius, B. thermoglucosidasius'' * ''Bacillus thermolactis, B. thermolactis'' * ''Bacillus thermoleovorans, B. thermoleovorans'' * ''Bacillus thermophilus, B. thermophilus'' * ''Bacillus thermoproteolyticus, B. thermoproteolyticus'' * ''Bacillus thermoruber, B. thermoruber'' * ''Bacillus thermosphaericus, B. thermosphaericus'' * ''Bacillus thiaminolyticus, B. thiaminolyticus'' * ''Bacillus thioparans, B. thioparans'' * ''Bacillus thuringiensis, B. thuringiensis'' * ''Bacillus tianshenii, B. tianshenii'' * ''Bacillus trypoxylicola, B. trypoxylicola'' * ''Bacillus tusciae, B. tusciae'' * ''Bacillus validus, B. validus'' * ''Bacillus vallismortis, B. vallismortis'' * ''Bacillus vedderi, B. vedderi'' * ''Bacillus velezensis, B. velezensis'' * ''Bacillus vietnamensis, B. vietnamensis'' * ''Bacillus vireti, B. vireti'' * ''Bacillus vulcani, B. vulcani'' * ''Bacillus wakoensis, B. wakoensis'' * ''Bacillus xiamenensis, B. xiamenensis'' * ''Bacillus xiaoxiensis, B. xiaoxiensis'' * ''Bacillus zanthoxyli, B. zanthoxyli'' * ''Bacillus zhanjiangensis, B. zhanjiangensis


Ecological and clinical significance

''Bacillus'' species are ubiquitous in nature, e.g. in soil. They can occur in extreme environments such as high pH (''Bacillus alcalophilus, B. alcalophilus''), high temperature (''Bacillus thermophilus, B. thermophilus''), and high salt concentrations (''Bacillus halodurans, B. halodurans''). They also are very commonly found as endophytes in plants where they can play a critical role in their immune system, Plant nutrition, nutrient absorption and Nitrogen Fixation, nitrogen fixing capabilities. ''Bacillus thuringiensis, B. thuringiensis'' produces a toxin that can kill insects and thus has been used as insecticide. ''B. siamensis'' has antimicrobial compounds that inhibit plant pathogens, such as the fungi ''Rhizoctonia solani'' and ''Botrytis cinerea'', and they promote plant growth by volatile emissions. Some species of ''Bacillus'' are naturally natural competence, competent for DNA uptake by transformation (genetics), transformation. *Two ''Bacillus'' species are medically significant: ''
B. anthracis ''Bacillus anthracis'' is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium that causes anthrax, a deadly disease to livestock and, occasionally, to humans. It is the only permanent (obligate) pathogen within the genus '' Bacillus''. Its infection is a ...
'', which causes
anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The sk ...
; and ''
B. cereus ''Bacillus cereus'' is a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium commonly found in soil, food, and marine sponges. The specific name, ''cereus'', meaning "waxy" in Latin, refers to the appearance of colonies grown on blood agar. Some strains are ha ...
'', which causes
food poisoning Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease) ...
, with symptoms similar to that caused by ''Staphylococcus''. **''B. cereus'' produces toxins which cause two different set of symptoms: ***emetic toxin which can cause vomiting and nausea ***diarrhea * ''B. thuringiensis'' is an important insect pathogen, and is sometimes used to control insect pests. *''B. subtilis'' is an important model organism. It is also a notable food spoiler, causing ropiness in bread and related food. **''B. subtilis'' can also produce and secrete antibiotics. *Some environmental and commercial strains of ''Bacillus coagulans, B. coagulans'' may play a role in food spoilage of highly acidic, tomato-based products.


Industrial significance

Many ''Bacillus'' species are able to secretion, secrete large quantities of enzymes. ''Bacillus amyloliquefaciens'' is the source of a natural antibiotic protein barnase (a ribonuclease), alpha amylase used in starch hydrolysis, the protease
subtilisin Subtilisin is a protease (a protein-digesting enzyme) initially obtained from ''Bacillus subtilis''. Subtilisins belong to subtilases, a group of serine proteases that – like all serine proteases – initiate the nucleophilic attack on the p ...
used with detergents, and the BamH1 restriction enzyme used in DNA research. A portion of the ''Bacillus thuringiensis'' genome was incorporated into corn (and cotton) crops. The resulting GMOs are resistant to some insect pests. ''Bacillus subtilis'' (natto) is the key microbial participant in the ongoing production of the soya-based traditional natto fermentation, and some ''Bacillus'' species are on the Food and Drug Administration's GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list. The capacity of selected ''Bacillus'' strains to produce and secrete large quantities (20–25 g/L) of extracellular enzymes has placed them among the most important industrial enzyme producers. The ability of different species to ferment in the acid, neutral, and alkaline pH ranges, combined with the presence of thermophiles in the genus, has led to the development of a variety of new commercial enzyme products with the desired temperature, pH activity, and stability properties to address a variety of specific applications. Classical mutation and (or) selection techniques, together with advanced cloning and protein engineering strategies, have been exploited to develop these products. Efforts to produce and secrete high yields of foreign recombinant proteins in ''Bacillus'' hosts initially appeared to be hampered by the degradation of the products by the host proteases. Recent studies have revealed that the slow folding of heterologous proteins at the membrane-cell wall interface of Gram-positive bacteria renders them vulnerable to attack by wall-associated proteases. In addition, the presence of thiol-disulphide oxidoreductases in ''B. subtilis'' may be beneficial in the secretion of disulphide-bond-containing proteins. Such developments from our understanding of the complex protein translocation machinery of Gram-positive bacteria should allow the resolution of current secretion challenges and make ''Bacillus'' species preeminent hosts for heterologous protein production. ''Bacillus'' strains have also been developed and engineered as industrial producers of nucleotides, the vitamin riboflavin, the flavor agent ribose, and the supplement poly-gamma-glutamic acid. With the recent characterization of the genome of ''B. subtilis'' 168 and of some related strains, ''Bacillus'' species are poised to become the preferred hosts for the production of many new and improved products as we move through the genomic and proteomic era.


Use as model organism

''Bacillus subtilis'' is one of the best understood prokaryotes, in terms of molecular and cellular biology. Its superb genetic amenability and relatively large size have provided the powerful tools required to investigate a bacterium from all possible aspects. Recent improvements in fluorescent microscopy techniques have provided novel insight into the dynamic structure of a single cell organism. Research on ''B. subtilis'' has been at the forefront of bacterial molecular biology and cytology, and the organism is a model for differentiation, gene/protein regulation, and cell cycle events in bacteria.


See also

* ''Paenibacillus'' and ''Virgibacillus'', genera of bacteria formerly included in ''Bacillus''.


References


External links


Bacillus
genomes and related information a
PATRIC
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NIAID
{{Authority control Bacillus, Bacteria genera Gram-positive bacteria