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Identification and Characterization of a Chitinase-Produced Bacillus Showing Significant Antifungal Activity

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Abstract

Strain MY75 is a gram-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming bacterium that can secrete high levels of extracellular chitinase (4.645 U/ml) when chitin powder exists as an inducer. This strain was identified as Bacillus licheniformis using the Biolog MicroLog microbial identification system and sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, gyrA and rpoB genes. Strain MY75 has the ability to inhibit the growth of Gibberella saubinetii and Aspergillus niger, two major pathogenic fungi in agriculture, and to restrain their spore germination completely. The chitinase was proved to play an important role in the strain’s antifungal activity.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 30570052 and 30600015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People’s Republic of China

    Liang Xiao, Chi-chu Xie, Jun Cai, Zhi-Jie Lin & Yue-Hua Chen

  2. Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Tianjin , People’s Republic of China

    Jun Cai & Yue-Hua Chen

  3. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, Tianjin, 300071, People’s Republic of China

    Jun Cai & Yue-Hua Chen

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  1. Liang Xiao
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  2. Chi-chu Xie
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  3. Jun Cai
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Correspondence to Yue-Hua Chen.

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Xiao, L., Xie, Cc., Cai, J. et al. Identification and Characterization of a Chitinase-Produced Bacillus Showing Significant Antifungal Activity. Curr Microbiol 58, 528–533 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9363-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9363-5

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