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Relations between phenotypic changes of spores and biofilm production by Bacillus atrophaeus ATCC 9372 growing in solid-state fermentation

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Abstract

Bacillus spp. spores are usually obtained from strains cultivated in artificial media. However, in natural habitats, spores are predominantly formed from bacteria present in highly surface-associated communities of cells. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is the culture method that best mimetizes the natural environment of many microorganisms that grow attached to the surface of solid particles. This study aims to confirm that sporulation through SSF of Bacillus atrophaeus occurs by biofilm formation and that this model of fermentation promotes important phenotypic changes in the spores. Sporulation on standard agar and by SSF with sand and sugarcane bagasse as support was followed by a comparative study of the formed spores. Growth characteristics, metabolic and enzymatic profiles confirmed that sporulation through SSF occurs by biofilm formation promoting important phenotypic changes. It was possible to demonstrate that spores coat had different structure and the presence of ridges only on SSF spores’ surface. The sporulation conditions did not affect the dry-heat spore resistance. The type of support evaluated also influenced in the phenotypic alterations; however, the used substrates did not cause interference. This work provides novel information about B. atrophaeus response when submitted to different sporulation conditions and proposes a new concept about bacterial biofilm formation by SSF.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Electron Microscopy Center/UFPR for the use of transmission and scanning electron microscopy facilities and the Parana State Central Laboratory and Lavinea Arend for the VITEK analysis. This research was supported by the Department of Health of the State of Parana, Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Production and Research Centre of Immunobiological Products, Parana State Department of Health, Av. São Roque, 716, Piraquara, PR, 83302-200, Brazil

    Sandra Regina B. R. Sella & João Carlos Minozzo

  2. Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Sandra Regina B. R. Sella, Belquis P. Guizelini, Patricia Milla Gouvea, Luis Felipe M. Figueiredo, Luciana P. S. Vandenberghe & Carlos Ricardo Soccol

  3. Cell Biology Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Ciro A. O. Ribeiro

Authors
  1. Sandra Regina B. R. Sella
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  2. Belquis P. Guizelini
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  3. Patricia Milla Gouvea
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  4. Luis Felipe M. Figueiredo
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  5. Ciro A. O. Ribeiro
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  6. Luciana P. S. Vandenberghe
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  7. João Carlos Minozzo
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  8. Carlos Ricardo Soccol
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Regina B. R. Sella.

Additional information

Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Sella, S.R.B.R., Guizelini, B.P., Gouvea, P.M. et al. Relations between phenotypic changes of spores and biofilm production by Bacillus atrophaeus ATCC 9372 growing in solid-state fermentation. Arch Microbiol 194, 815–825 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-012-0815-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-012-0815-0

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