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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Crop Bioprotection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312888
Title: Phylogenomic analysis shows that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus methylotrophicus

Author
item Dunlap, Christopher
item KIM, SOO-JIM - National Academy Of Agricultural Science
item KWON, SOON-WO - National Academy Of Agricultural Science
item Rooney, Alejandro - Alex

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2015
Publication Date: 7/1/2015
Citation: Dunlap, C.A., Kim, S., Kwon, S., Rooney, A.P. 2015. Phylogenomic analysis shows that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus methylotrophicus. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 65:2104-2109. DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.000226.

Interpretive Summary: This study compares two important species of biocontrol bacteria and demonstrates they should be the same species based on genomic data. These results will simplify further studies and regulatory activities with the organisms accurately identified. This species comprises a large group of strains that have been commercial developed as plant growth promoters and for control of fungal pathogens.

Technical Abstract: The rhizosphere isolated bacteria belonging to the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum and Bacillus methylotrophicus clades are an important group of strains that are used as plant growth promoters and antagonists of plant pathogens. These properties have made these strains the focus of commercial interest. Here, we present the draft genome of the Bacillus methylotrophicus type strain. Comparative genomic analysis showed only minor differences between this strain and the genome of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp plantarum type strain. The results of morphological, physiological, chemotaxonic and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the type strains of these two taxa are highly similar. In fact, our results show that the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp plantarum type strain does not cluster with other members of the B. amyloliquefaciens taxon. Instead, it clusters well within a clade of strains that are assigned to Bacillus methylotrophicus, including the type strain of that species. Therefore, we propose that the subspecies Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp plantarum be reclassified as a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus methylotrophicus.