Abstract: Bacillus causes one of the most rapidly blinding intraocular infections: endophthalmitis In this study, Bacillus spp were isolated from ocular infection cases, taxonomically characterized by riboprint analysis, and screened for the presence of putative virulence factors The ability of these isolates to kill retinal and corneal cells was examined, as were antibiotic susceptibility profiles The majority of isolates belonged to the B cereus taxonomic group of microorganisms and were identified as B cereus (53%) or B thuringiensis (26%) Toxins were identified in most B thuringiensis and B cereus isolates Most B cereus and B thuringiensis killed corneal and retinal cells within 6 h All isolates were susceptible to most antibiotics tested, with quinolones and vancomycin being the most potent These findings represent the first report of B thuringiensis as an important ocular pathogen, demonstrates the potential ocular toxicity of B cereus and B thuringiensis isolates, and identifies antibiotics whose efficacy against Bacillus were superior to those used clinically

Abstract: Lipase producing ability of 120 bacterial isolates was examined qualitatively, resulting in 32 lipase producers, which were further screened for 1,3-regiospecificity. Three Bacillus (GK-8, GK-31 and GK-42) and one Pseudomonas (GK-80) were found to produce 1,3-regiospecific lipases. These lipases were alkaline in nature as they showed pH optima of 9.0 and high stability in the alkaline pH range of 8.0–11.0. The lipases from three Bacillus isolates, viz. GK-8, GK-31 and GK-42 showed temperature optima of 37 °C, whereas the Pseudomonas (GK-80) lipase showed optimum activity at 50 °C. The lipase of GK-8 was highly stable and showed enhanced activity in different organic solvents like petroleum ether (172%), diethyl ether (143%) and acetone (135%).

Abstract: Bacillus spp. isolated from mushroom medium wastes were evaluated for their biocontrol potentials on control of Sclerotinia rot of lettuce. The Bacillus isolates were more effectively obtained from waste suspension when directly added into nutrient agar(NA) medium than plating on the agar medium. Totally 42 isolates obtained from the wastes B23 and B42 showed highest antifungal activity against eight fungal pathogens such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium oxysporum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Cladosporium cucumerinum, and Botrytis cinerea and B23 and B42 were finally selected for further studies. Optimal concentration of the isolates was to suppress the Sclerotinia rot of lettuce. Supplements such as starch, glycerol, and egg-yolk successfully maintained the bacterial population for 30 days in vitro and increased bio-control potentials against the disease. The bacterial isolate B23 alone showed 72% control value, furthermore it presented 95% control value when supplemented with 0.2% of starch, glycerol, and egg-yolk. The promising Bacillus isolates B23 and B42 were identified as Brevibacillus brevis and Bacillus stearothermophillus, respectively, based on morphological and physiological characteristics according to API database.

Abstract: The production of attieke, an important staple food in Ivory Coast made from cassava, depends greatly on different microbial activities. In the course of diversity studies of this microflora, 105 Bacillus isolates have been classified into phylogenetic groups by molecular biology methods such as PCR and ARDRA typing. 20 of them showed high pectinolytic and 15 high cellulase activities. They might belong to the dominant microorganisms during attieke production and will be investigated for further metabolic abilities. They could potentially be included in a starter culture that would facilitate semi-industrial attieke production for the steadily increasing demand on urban markets. Circular wells in agar plates containing citrus pectin and carboxymethylcellulose as substrates were filled with the super- natant and stained to visualize zones of degradation (Fig. 4 & 5). In this way, 20 of the total of 105 isolates were classified as very good pectin degraders and 15 as very good cellulose degraders. These two properties coincided with 7 isolates. Isolation of microorganisms from different attieke production stages Earlier studies 1 have shown the impor- tance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for the fermentation of cassava mash during attieke production. On the other hand, Bacillus species as well as yeasts and moulds have been associated with the desired softening of the plant material which is brought about by cell wall degrading enzymes such as pectinase and cellulase. Therefore, these types of micro- organisms were specifically isolated at different stages of attieke production, and their approximate numbers were calcu- lated (Fig. 1). amplified ribosomal DNA serves as dis- tinction at species or species group level (Fig. 2 & 3). All Bacilli that were investi- gated belonged to the phylogenetic cluster of the Bacillus subtilis group.

Abstract: Aims: To examine predominant isolates of Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus isolated from Soumbala for their antimicrobial activity against indicator microorganisms as Micrococcus luteus, Staphyloccocusaureus, Bacillus cereus, Enterococus facium, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Yersinia enterocolitica, Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium roqueforti. Methods and Results: Growth inhibition of indicator microorganisms by cells and supernatants of three B. subtilis and two B. pumilus strains was investigated using agar diffusion tests. Inactivation of indicator microorganisms was investigated in laboratory broth and during the fermentation of African locust bean for Soumbala production. The Bacillus isolates showed variable ability of inhibition and inactivation according to the indicator microorganism. The supernatants of pure cultures of B. subtilis inhibited one strain of B. cereus, one of Staph. aureus and E. coli and caused abnormal germination of Aspergillus ochraceus. The supernatant of mixed cultures of B. subtilis and indicators inhibited all the indicators. A treatment with protease eliminated the inhibitions. Isolates of B. subtilis inactivated all the indicators organisms during the fermentation of African locust bean as well as in laboratory broth with about five to eight decimal reduction. Conclusion: Bacillus isolates from Soumbala inhibit and inactivate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as ochratoxin A producing fungi during both laboratory cultivation and natural fermentation. Significance and Impact of the Study: Selection of starter cultures of Bacillus spp. for controlled production of Soumbala.

Abstract: Bacillus is commonly isolated from soils, with organisms of Bacillus cereus sensu lato being prevalent. Knowledge of the ecology of B. cereus and other Bacillus species in soil is far from complete. While the older literature favors a model of growth on soil-associated organic matter, the current paradigm is that B. cereus sensu lato germinates and grows in association with animals or plants, resulting in either symbiotic or pathogenic interactions. An in terra approach to study soil-associated bacteria is described, using filter-sterilized soil-extracted soluble organic matter (SESOM) and artificial soil microcosms (ASM) saturated with SESOM. B. cereus ATCC 14579 displayed a life cycle, with the ability to germinate, grow, and subsequently sporulate in both the liquid SESOM extract and in ASM inserted into wells in agar medium. Cells grew in liquid SESOM without separating, forming multicellular structures that coalesced to form clumps and encasing the ensuing spores in an extracellular matrix. Bacillus was able to translocate from the point of inoculation through soil microcosms as shown by the emergence of outgrowths on the surrounding agar surface. Microscopic inspection revealed bundles of parallel chains inside the soil. The motility inhibitor L-ethionine failed to suppress outgrowth, ruling out translocation by a flagellar-mediated mechanism such as swimming or swarming. Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis Marburg and four Bacillus isolates taken at random from soils also displayed a life cycle in SESOM and ASM and were all able to translocate through ASM, even in presence of L-ethionine. These data indicate that B. cereus is a saprophytic bacterium that is able to grow in soil and furthermore that it is adapted to translocate by employing a multicellular mode of growth.

Abstract: Suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify genetic markers associated with biological control of plant pathogens by Bacillus subtilis. The genomes of two commercialized strains, GB03 and QST713, were compared with that of strain 168, which has no defined biocontrol capacities, to obtain a pool of DNA fragments unique to the two biocontrol strains. The sequences of 149 subtracted fragments were determined and compared with those present in GenBank, but only 80 were found to correspond to known Bacillus genes. Of these, 65 were similar to genes with a wide range of metabolic functions, including the biosynthesis of cell wall components, sporulation, and antibiotic biosynthesis. Sixteen subtracted fragments shared a high degree of similarity to sequences found in multiple B. subtilis strains with proven biocontrol capacities. Oligonucleotide primers specific to nine of these genes were developed. The targeted genes included five genes involved in antibiotic synthesis (bmyB, fenD, ituC,srfAA, and srfAB) and four additional genes (yndJ, yngG, bioA, and a hypothetical open reading frame) not previously associated with biological control. All nine markers were amplified from the commercialized B. subtilis strains GB03, QST713, and MBI600, with the exception of ituC, which was not detected in GB03. The markers also were amplified from four other B. subtilis isolates, but they were not amplified from other related Bacillus strains, including the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria IN937a and IN937b. Sequencing of the amplified markers revealed that all seven of the isolates that scored positive for multiple markers were genotypically distinct strains. Interestingly, strains scored positive for the amplifiable markers generally were more effective at inhibiting the growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum than other Bacillus isolates that lacked the markers. The potential utility of the defined genetic markers to further define the diversity, ecology, and biocontrol activities of B. subtilis are discussed.