Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #101759
Title: PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF MARINE BACILLUS ISOLATES FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO

Author
item SIEFERT, JANET - UNIV OF HOUSTON
item LARIOS-SANZ, MAIA - UNIV OF HOUSTON
item Nakamura, Lawrence
item SLEPECKY, RALPH - SYRACUSE UNIV
item PAUL, JOHN - UNIV OF SOUTH FLORIDA
item MOORE, EDWARD - NRIB BRAUNSCHWEIG GERMANY
item FOX, GEORGE - UNIV OF HOUSTON
item JURTSHUK, JR, PETER - UNIV OF HOUSTON

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Spore forming bacteria from marine sources have unique properties such as the production of novel antibiotics, useful biochemicals, and unusual physiological characteristics. Although these organisms are potentially useful, major problems that need to be addressed are: what is their relationship to their land counterpart?; what is their classification?; what are the identification criteria?; and how abundant are they? Results based on the biochemical and genetic characteristics of 10 spore forming bacteria from marine environments revealed that four were similar to land forms, whereas six were not. These observations suggest that some marine spore formers were derived from land forms. The study also showed that in the marine environment, spore forming bacteria are not as abundant as other types of bacteria. These findings will help fundamental researchers (e.g., taxonomists, general and evolutionary microbiologists) understand the origin of marine spore formers, and provide biotechnologists (developers and manufacturers of medical and agricultural biochemicals) information and methodology for the isolation and identification of marine spore formers with useful biochemical and biological activities.

Technical Abstract: Bacillus species are frequently found in marine environments. Whether they are long standing residents of these ecosystems or simply adaptations from recent terrestrial introductions is uncertain. To address this issue, phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses were performed on 10 marine Bacillus isolates. Forty-two biochemical characteristics were examined and a 16S rDNA sequence was obtained for each isolate. Four isolates were found, by both approaches, to have high affinity with well-known terrestrial species; B. subtilis (NRRL B-14907), B. pumilus (NRRL B- 14908) megaterium (NRRL B-14910), and B. sphaericus (NRRL B-14905). Biochemical analysis did not offer any definite taxonomic designations for the remaining seven strains. Sequence analysis, however, indicates that isolates NRRL B-14904 and NRRL B-14850 are related but not identical to B. pumilus, NRRL B-14911 is related to B. firmus, NRRL B-14906 is related to B. fastidiosus, and isolates NRRL B-14912 and NRRL B-14909 are members of the genus Paenibacillus. Only NRRL B-14851, an unusually thin rod that forms very small spores, may represent a separate genus within the family Bacilliaceae. The paraphyletic distribution of most strains, in conjunction with close proximity to known terrestrial species, argues that marine isolates are primarily adapted form relatively recent terrestrial introductions.