Abstract
Geobacillus, a bacterial genus, is represented by over 25 species of Gram-positive isolates from various man-made and natural thermophilic areas around the world. An isolate of this genus (M-7) has been acquired from a thermal area near Yellowstone National Park, MT and partially characterized. The cells of this organism are globose (ca. 0.5 μ diameter), and they are covered in a matrix capsule which gives rise to elongate multicelled bacilliform structures (ranging from 3 to 12 μm) as seen by light and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The organism produces unique petal-shaped colonies (undulating margins) on nutrient agar, and it has an optimum pH of 7.0 and an optimum temperature range of 55–65°C. The partial 16S rRNA sequence of this organism has 97% similarity with Geobacillus stearothermophilus, one of its closest relatives genetically. However, uniquely among all members of this genus, Geobacillus sp. (M-7) produces volatile organic substances (VOCs) that possess potent antibiotic activities. Some of the more notable components of the VOCs are benzaldehyde, acetic acid, butanal, 3-methyl-butanoic acid, 2-methyl-butanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, and benzeneacetaldehyde. An exposure of test organisms such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Botrytis cinerea, Verticillium dahliae, and Geotrichum candidum produced total inhibition of growth on a 48-h exposure to Geobacillus sp.(M-7) cells (ca.107) and killing at a 72-h exposure at higher bacterial cell concentrations. A synthetic mixture of those available volatile compounds, at the ratios occurring in Geobacillus sp. (M-7), mimicked the bioactivity of this organism.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the assistance of NSF grant CBET-0802666 in providing support for this project. Ms. Suzan Strobel constructed the drawing represented in Fig. 1. The Howard Hughes undergraduate research program at MSU supported the summer stipend of Ms. Melina Park who worked on this project.
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Ren, Y., Strobel, G., Sears, J. et al. Geobacillus sp., a Thermophilic Soil Bacterium Producing Volatile Antibiotics. Microb Ecol 60, 130–136 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9630-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9630-9