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Diversity and enzymatic potentialities of Bacillus sp. strains isolated from a polluted freshwater ecosystem in Cuba

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Abstract

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Bacillus spp. from polluted freshwater has been poorly addressed. The objective of this research was to determine the diversity and enzymatic potentialities of Bacillus spp. strains isolated from the Almendares River. Bacilli strains from a polluted river were characterized by considering the production of extracellular enzymes using API ZYM. 14 strains were selected and identified using 16S rRNA, gyrB and aroE genes. Genotypic diversity of the Bacillus spp. strains was evaluated using pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the presence of genetic determinants of potential virulence toxins of the Bacillus cereus group and proteinaceous crystal inclusions of Bacillus thuringiensis was determined. 10 strains were identified as B. thuringiensis, two as Bacillus megaterium, one as Bacillus pumilus and one as Bacillus subtilis. Most strains produced proteases, amylases, phosphatases, esterases, aminopeptidases and glucanases, which reflect the abundance of biopolymeric matter in Almendares River. Comparison of the typing results revealed a spatio-temporal distribution among B. thuringiensis strains along the river. The results of the present study highlight the genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Bacillus spp. strains from a polluted river, which contributes to the knowledge of genetic diversity of Bacilli from tropical polluted freshwater ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the international cooperation project “Use of Bacillus genus in the development of sustainable ecosystems of economical and social interest in Cuba”, from the WBI (Wallonie-Bruxelles International) of the Walloon Region of Belgium and the CITMA National Program for Basic Science (Cuba).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Microbiology and Virology Department, Biology Faculty, Havana University, Havana, Cuba

    Jeny Adina Larrea-Murrell, Marcia Maria Rojas-Badia, Ivette García-Soto, Beatriz Romeu-Alvarez, Mayra Heydrich-Perez & Daysi Lugo-Moya

  2. Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados Agua (IMDEA Agua). C/Punto Net 4, Parque Científico Tecnológico de la Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Tristano Bacchetti & Ana Karina Boltes-Espinola

  3. Laboratory of Food and Environmental Microbiology, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Jeny Adina Larrea-Murrell, Annika Gillis & Jacques Mahillon

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  1. Jeny Adina Larrea-Murrell
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  2. Marcia Maria Rojas-Badia
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  3. Ivette García-Soto
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Correspondence to Marcia Maria Rojas-Badia.

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Larrea-Murrell, J.A., Rojas-Badia, M.M., García-Soto, I. et al. Diversity and enzymatic potentialities of Bacillus sp. strains isolated from a polluted freshwater ecosystem in Cuba. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 34, 28 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-018-2411-1

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