Bacillus

Bacillus subtilis ([[Gram stain)|right|thumb]]

The cell wall of Bacillus is a structure on the outside of the cell that forms the second barrier between the bacterium and the environment, and at the same time maintains the rod shape and withstands the pressure generated by the cell's turgor. The cell wall is made of teichoic and teichuronic acids. B. subtilis is the first bacterium for which the role of an actin-like cytoskeleton in cell shape determination and peptidoglycan synthesis was identified and for which the entire set of peptidoglycan-synthesizing enzymes was localized. The role of the cytoskeleton in shape generation and maintenance is important.{{cite journal | vauthors = Shih YL, Rothfield L | title = The bacterial cytoskeleton | journal = Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews | volume = 70 | issue = 3 | pages = 729–754 | date = September 2006 | pmid = 16959967 | pmc = 1594594 | doi = 10.1128/MMBR.00017-06 }}

Bacillus species are rod-shaped, endospore-forming aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria; in some species cultures may turn Gram-negative with age. The many species of the genus exhibit a wide range of physiologic abilities that allow them to live in every natural environment. Only one endospore is formed per cell. The spores are resistant to heat, cold, radiation, desiccation, and disinfectants.

The genus Bacillus was named in 1835 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg, to contain rod-shaped (bacillus) bacteria. He had seven years earlier named the genus Bacterium. Bacillus was later amended by Ferdinand Cohn to further describe them as spore-forming, Gram-positive, aerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria.{{cite journal | vauthors = Cohn F | title = Untersuchungen über Bakterien. | journal = Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen | trans-title = Studies on Bacteria. | trans-journal = Contributions to the Biology of Plants | language = DE | volume = 2 | date = 1872 | issue = 1 | pages = 127–224 }} Like other genera associated with the early history of microbiology, such as Pseudomonas and Vibrio, the 266 species of Bacillus are ubiquitous.{{lpsn|b/bacillus.html|Bacillus|vanc}} The genus has a very large ribosomal 16S diversity.{{cite journal | vauthors = Pei AY, Oberdorf WE, Nossa CW, Agarwal A, Chokshi P, Gerz EA, Jin Z, Lee P, Yang L, Poles M, Brown SM, Sotero S, Desantis T, Brodie E, Nelson K, Pei Z | title = Diversity of 16S rRNA genes within individual prokaryotic genomes | journal = Applied and Environmental Microbiology | volume = 76 | issue = 12 | pages = 3886–3897 | date = June 2010 | pmid = 20418441 | pmc = 2893482 | doi = 10.1128/AEM.02953-09 | bibcode = 2010ApEnM..76.3886P }}

Established methods for isolating Bacillus species for culture primarily involve suspension of sampled soil in distilled water, heat shock to kill off vegetative cells leaving primarily viable spores in the sample, and culturing on agar plates with further tests to confirm the identity of the cultured colonies.{{cite journal | vauthors = Travers RS, Martin PA, Reichelderfer CF | title = Selective Process for Efficient Isolation of Soil Bacillus spp | journal = Applied and Environmental Microbiology | volume = 53 | issue = 6 | pages = 1263–1266 | date = June 1987 | pmid = 16347359 | pmc = 203852 | doi = 10.1128/aem.53.6.1263-1266.1987 | bibcode = 1987ApEnM..53.1263T }} Additionally, colonies which exhibit characteristics typical of Bacillus bacteria can be selected from a culture of an environmental sample which has been significantly diluted following heat shock or hot air drying to select potential Bacillus bacteria for testing.{{cite journal | vauthors = Foysal MJ, Lisa AK | title = Isolation and characterization of Bacillus sp. strain BC01 from soil displaying potent antagonistic activity against plant and fish pathogenic fungi and bacteria | journal = Journal, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology | volume = 16 | issue = 2 | pages = 387–392 | date = December 2018 | pmid = 30733751 | pmc = 6353715 | doi = 10.1016/j.jgeb.2018.01.005 }}

Cultured colonies are usually large, spreading, and irregularly shaped. Under the microscope, the Bacillus cells appear as rods, and a substantial portion of the cells usually contain oval endospores at one end, making them bulge.{{Cite book | vauthors = Caldwell FE |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MpBpAwAAQBAJ&dq=Bacillus+cells+appear+as+rods%2C+and+a+substantial+portion+of+the+cells+usually+contain+oval+endospores+at+one+end%2C&pg=PA35 |title=The Students Reference Guide to Bacteria |date=2011-04-06 |publisher= Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-257-42416-0 |language=en}}

S.I. Paul et al. (2021){{cite journal | vauthors = Paul SI, Rahman MM, Salam MA, Khan MA, Islam MT |date=2021-12-15|title=Identification of marine sponge-associated bacteria of the Saint Martin's island of the Bay of Bengal emphasizing on the prevention of motile Aeromonas septicemia in Labeo rohita |journal= Aquaculture |volume=545 |pages=737156 |doi=10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.737156 |bibcode=2021Aquac.54537156P }} isolated and identified multiple strains of Bacillus subtilis (strains WS1A,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MK910097.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain WS1A | journal = GenBank | date = 19 May 2019 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} YBS29,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT605348.1/| title = Bacillus subtilis strain YBS29 | journal = GenBank | date = 19 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} KSP163A,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MK910103.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain KSP163A | journal = GenBank | date = 19 May 2019 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} OA122,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT611945.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain OA122 | journal = GenBank | date = 20 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} ISP161A,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT611943.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain ISP161A | journal = GenBank | date = 20 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} OI6,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT605347.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain OI6 | journal = GenBank | date = 19 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} WS11,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MK910101.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain WS11 | journal = GenBank | date = 19 May 2019 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} KSP151E,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT605346.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain KSP151E | journal = GenBank | date = 19 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }} and S8,{{cite journal | url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MT611946.1/ | title = Bacillus subtilis strain S8 | journal = GenBank | date = 20 June 2020 | publisher = U.S. National Library of Medicine }}) from marine sponges of the Saint Martin's Island Area of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Based on their study, colony, morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of Bacillus spp. are shown in the Table below.

Note: + = Positive, – =Negative, O= Oxidative, F= Fermentative

It's been long known that the (pre-2020) definition of Bacillus is overly vague.

• Xu and Côté (2003) uses 16S and ITS rRNA regions to divide the genus Bacillus into 10 groups, including the nested genera Paenibacillus, Brevibacillus, Geobacillus, Marinibacillus and Virgibacillus.{{cite journal | vauthors = Xu D, Côté JC | title = Phylogenetic relationships between Bacillus species and related genera inferred from comparison of 3' end 16S rDNA and 5' end 16S-23S ITS nucleotide sequences | journal = International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology | volume = 53 | issue = Pt 3 | pages = 695–704 | date = May 2003 | pmid = 12807189 | doi = 10.1099/Ijs.0.02346-0 | doi-access = free }}
• Ash and Carol (2008) also uses 16S rRNA and found extensive "phylogenetic heterogenity".{{Cite journal|last1=Ash|first1=Carol|last2=Farrow|first2=J.A.E.|last3=Wallbanks|first3=Sally|last4=Collins|first4=M.D.|date=28 June 2008|title=Phylogenetic heterogeneity of the genus Bacillus revealed by comparative analysis of small-subunit-ribosomal RNA sequences|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765x.1991.tb00608.x|journal=Letters in Applied Microbiology|volume=13|issue=4|pages=202–206|doi=10.1111/j.1472-765x.1991.tb00608.x|s2cid=82988953|issn=0266-8254|url-access=subscription}}
• 'The All-Species Living Tree' Project, which has been in operation since 2008, also maintains a 16S (and 23S if available) tree of all validated species.{{cite journal | vauthors = Yarza P, Richter M, Peplies J, Euzeby J, Amann R, Schleifer KH, Ludwig W, Glöckner FO, Rosselló-Móra R | title = The All-Species Living Tree project: a 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic tree of all sequenced type strains | journal = Systematic and Applied Microbiology | volume = 31 | issue = 4 | pages = 241–250 | date = September 2008 | pmid = 18692976 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2008.07.001 | hdl-access = free | hdl = 10261/103580 | url = https://tede.ufrrj.br/jspui/handle/jspui/5297 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Yarza P, Ludwig W, Euzéby J, Amann R, Schleifer KH, Glöckner FO, Rosselló-Móra R | title = Update of the All-Species Living Tree Project based on 16S and 23S rRNA sequence analyses | journal = Systematic and Applied Microbiology | volume = 33 | issue = 6 | pages = 291–299 | date = October 2010 | pmid = 20817437 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2010.08.001 | hdl = 10261/54801 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Munoz R, Yarza P, Ludwig W, Euzéby J, Amann R, Schleifer KH, Glöckner FO, Rosselló-Móra R | title = Release LTPs104 of the all-species living tree | journal = Systematic and Applied Microbiology | date = May 2011 | volume = 34 | issue = 3 | pages = 169–70 | doi = 10.1016/j.syapm.2011.03.001 | pmid = 21497273 | url = http://www.arb-silva.de/fileadmin/silva_databases/living_tree/LTP_release_104/LTPs104_SSU_tree.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923172916/http://www.arb-silva.de/fileadmin/silva_databases/living_tree/LTP_release_104/LTPs104_SSU_tree.pdf | archive-date = 23 September 2015 }} In this tree, the genus Bacillus contains a very large number of nested taxa and majorly in both 16S and 23S. It is paraphyletic to the Lactobacillales (Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Listeria, etc.), due to Bacillus coahuilensis and others.{{cite journal | vauthors = Salvetti E, Harris HM, Felis GE, O'Toole PW | title = Comparative Genomics of the Genus Lactobacillus Reveals Robust Phylogroups That Provide the Basis for Reclassification | journal = Applied and Environmental Microbiology | volume = 84 | issue = 17 | date = September 2018 | pmid = 29915113 | pmc = 6102987 | doi = 10.1128/AEM.00993-18 | bibcode = 2018ApEnM..84E.993S | veditors = Björkroth J }}
• Alcaraz et al. 2010 presents a gene concatenation study, which found results similar to the All-Species Living Tree, but with a much more limited number of species in terms of groups.{{cite journal | vauthors = Alcaraz LD, Moreno-Hagelsieb G, Eguiarte LE, Souza V, Herrera-Estrella L, Olmedo G | title = Understanding the evolutionary relationships and major traits of Bacillus through comparative genomics | journal = BMC Genomics | volume = 11 | pages = 332 | date = May 2010 | pmid = 20504335 | pmc = 2890564 | doi = 10.1186/1471-2164-11-332 | id = 1471216411332 | doi-access = free }} (This scheme used Listeria as an outgroup, so in light of the ARB tree, it may be "inside-out").
• Gupta et al. 2020{{Cite journal|last1=Gupta|first1=Radhey S.|last2=Patel|first2=Sudip|last3=Saini|first3=Navneet|last4=Chen|first4=Shu|date=1 November 2020|title=Robust demarcation of 17 distinct Bacillus species clades, proposed as novel Bacillaceae genera, by phylogenomics and comparative genomic analyses: description of Robertmurraya kyonggiensis sp. nov. and proposal for an emended genus Bacillus limiting it only to the members of the subtilis and cereus clades of species|journal=International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology|language=en|volume=70|issue=11|pages=5753–5798|doi=10.1099/ijsem.0.004475|pmid=33112222|issn=1466-5026|doi-access=free}} and Patel et al. 2020{{Cite journal|last1=Patel|first1=Sudip|last2=Gupta|first2=Radhey S.|date=1 January 2020|title=A phylogenomic and comparative genomic framework for resolving the polyphyly of the genus Bacillus: Proposal for six new genera of Bacillus species, Peribacillus gen. nov., Cytobacillus gen. nov., Mesobacillus gen. nov., Neobacillus gen. nov., Metabacillus gen. nov. and Alkalihalobacillus gen. nov.|journal=International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology|language=en|volume=70|issue=1|pages=406–438|doi=10.1099/ijsem.0.003775|pmid=31617837|issn=1466-5026|doi-access=free}} use phylogenomics and comparative genomics to resolve the structure in Bacillus sensu lato. They propose (and validly publish) a number of new genus names, thereby restricting Bacillus has been restricted to only include species closely related to Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. (This does not make the genus monophyletic, however: a number of nested genera persists between the two groups.) The newly created genera are: Peribacillus, Cytobacillus, Mesobacillus, Neobacillus, Metabacillus, Alkalihalobacillus, Alteribacter, Ectobacillus, Evansella, Ferdinandcohnia, Gottfriedia, Heyndrickxia, Lederbergia, Litchfieldia, Margalitia, Niallia, Priestia, Robertmurraya, Rossellomorea, Schinkia, Siminovitchia, Sutcliffiella and Weizmannia.
• Nikolaidis et al. 2022 studied 1104 Bacillus proteomes using a gene concatenation based on 114 core proteins and delineated the relationships among the various species, defined as Bacillus from the NCBI taxonomy.{{cite journal | vauthors = Nikolaidis M, Hesketh A, Mossialos D, Iliopoulos I, Oliver SG, Amoutzias GD | title = A Comparative Analysis of the Core Proteomes within and among the Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus Evolutionary Groups Reveals the Patterns of Lineage- and Species-Specific Adaptations | journal = Microorganisms | volume = 10 | issue = 9 | pages = 1720 | date = August 2022 | pmid = 36144322 | pmc = 9505155 | doi = 10.3390/microorganisms10091720 | doi-access = free }} The various strains were clustered into species, based on Average Nucleotide identity (ANI) values, with a species cutoff of 95%.

One clade, formed by Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, Bacillus pseudomycoides, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus weihenstephanensis under the 2011 classification standards, should be a single species (within 97% 16S identity), but for medical reasons, they are considered separate species{{cite book | vauthors = Økstad OA, Kolstø AB | chapter = Chapter 2: Genomics of Bacillus species | veditors = Wiedmann M, Zhang W | title = Genomics of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens | date = December 2010 | pages = 29–53 (34–35) | location = New York, NY | publisher = Springer | doi = 10.1007/978-1-4419-7686-4_2 | isbn = 978-1-4419-7686-4 | volume = 29 | series = Food Microbiology and Food Safety }} (an issue also present for four species of Shigella and Escherichia coli).{{cite book | vauthors = Brenner DJ | chapter = Family I. Enterobacteriaceae Rahn 1937, Nom. fam. cons. Opin. 15, Jud. Com. 1958, 73; Ewing, Farmer, and Brenner 1980, 674; Judicial Commission 1981, 104. | veditors = Krieg NR, Holt JG | title = Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology | edition = first | volume = 1 | publisher = The Williams & Wilkins Co | location = Baltimore| date = 1984 | pages = 408–420 }}

Species orphaned and assigned to other genera:

{{div col|colwidth=16em}}

• B. Symun
• B. acidicola
• B. acidiproducens
• B. acidocaldarius
• B. acidoterrestris
• B. aeolius
• B. agaradhaerens
• B. agri
• B. aidingensis
• B. akibai
• B. albus
• B. alcalophlus
• B. algicola
• B. alginolyticus
• B. alkalidiazotrophicus
• B. alkalinitrilicus
• B. alkalisediminis
• B. alkalitelluris
• B. alveayuensis
• B. alvei
• B. aminovorans{{cite journal | vauthors = Loshon CA, Beary KE, Gouveia K, Grey EZ, Santiago-Lara LM, Setlow P | title = Nucleotide sequence of the sspE genes coding for gamma-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins from the round-spore-forming bacteria Bacillus aminovorans, Sporosarcina halophila and S. ureae | journal = Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Structure and Expression | volume = 1396 | issue = 2 | pages = 148–152 | date = March 1998 | pmid = 9540829 | doi = 10.1016/S0167-4781(97)00204-2 }}
• B. amylolyticus
• B. andreesenii
• B. aneurinilyticus
• B. anthracis
• B. aquimaris
• B. arenosi
• B. arseniciselenatis
• B. arsenicus
• B. aurantiacus
• B. arvi
• B. aryabhattai
• B. asahii
• B. axarquiensis
• B. azotofixans
• B. azotoformans
• B. badius
• B. barbaricus
• B. bataviensis
• B. beijingensis
• B. benzoevorans
• B. beringensis
• B. berkeleyi
• B. beveridgei
• B. bogoriensis
• B. boroniphilus
• B. borstelensis
• B. brevis
• B. butanolivorans
• B. canaveralius
• B. carboniphilus
• B. cecembensis
• B. cellulosilyticus
• B. centrosporus
• B. cereus
• B. chagannorensis
• B. chitinolyticus
• B. chondroitinus
• B. choshinensis
• B. chungangensis
• B. cibi
• B. circulans
• B. clarkii
• B. clausii
• B. coagulans
• B. coahuilensis
• B. cohnii
• B. composti
• B. curdlanolyticus
• B. cycloheptanicus
• B. cytotoxicus
• B. daliensis
• B. decisifrondis
• B. decolorationis
• B. deserti
• B. dipsosauri
• B. drentensis
• B. edaphicus
• B. ehimensis
• B. eiseniae
• B. enclensis
• B. endophyticus
• B. endoradicis
• B. farraginis
• B. fastidiosus
• B. fengqiuensis
• B. filobacterium rodentuim
• B. firmus
• B. flexus
• B. foraminis
• B. fordii
• B. formosus
• B. fortis
• B. fumarioli
• B. funiculus
• B. fusiformis
• B. gaemokensis
• B. galactophilus
• B. galactosidilyticus
• B. galliciensis
• B. gelatini
• B. gibsonii
• B. ginsengi
• B. ginsengihumi
• B. ginsengisoli
• B. glucanolyticus
• B. gordonae
• B. gottheilii
• B. graminis
• B. halmapalus
• B. haloalkaliphilus
• B. halochares
• B. halodenitrificans
• B. halodurans
• B. halophilus
• B. halosaccharovorans
• B. hemicellulosilyticus
• B. hemicentroti
• B. herbersteinensis
• B. horikoshii
• B. horneckiae
• B. horti
• B. huizhouensis
• B. humi
• B. hwajinpoensis
• B. idriensis
• B. indicus
• B. infantis
• B. infernus
• B. insolitus
• B. invictae
• B. iranensis
• B. isabeliae
• B. isronensis
• B. jeotgali
• B. kaustophilus
• B. kobensis
• B. kochii
• B. kokeshiiformis
• B. koreensis
• B. korlensis
• B. kribbensis
• B. krulwichiae
• B. laevolacticus
• B. larvae
• B. laterosporus
• B. lautus
• B. lehensis
• B. lentus
• B. ligniniphilus
• B. litoralis
• B. locisalis
• B. luciferensis
• B. luteolus
• B. luteus
• B. macauensis
• B. macerans
• B. macquariensis
• B. macyae
• B. malacitensis
• B. mannanilyticus
• B. marisflavi
• B. marismortui
• B. marmarensis
• B. massiliensis
• B. megaterium
• "B. mesentericus"
• B. mesonae
• B. methanolicus
• B. methylotrophicus
• B. migulanus
• B. mucilaginosus
• B. muralis
• B. murimartini
• B. mycoides
• B. naganoensis
• B. nanhaiensis
• B. nanhaiisediminis
• B. nealsonii
• B. neidei
• B. neizhouensis
• B. niabensis
• B. niacini
• B. novalis
• B. oceanisediminis
• B. odysseyi
• B. okhensis
• B. okuhidensis
• B. oleronius
• B. oryzaecorticis
• B. oshimensis
• B. pabuli
• B. pakistanensis
• B. pallidus
• B. pallidus
• B. panacisoli
• B. panaciterrae
• B. pantothenticus
• B. parabrevis
• B. paraflexus
• B. pasteurii
• B. patagoniensis
• B. peoriae
• B. persepolensis
• B. persicus
• B. pervagus
• B. plakortidis
• B. pocheonensis
• B. polygoni
• B. polymyxa
• B. popilliae
• B. pseudalcalophilus
• B. pseudofirmus
• B. pseudomycoides
• B. psychrodurans
• B. psychrophilus
• B. psychrosaccharolyticus
• B. psychrotolerans
• B. pulvifaciens
• B. purgationiresistens
• B. pycnus
• B. qingdaonensis
• B. qingshengii
• B. reuszeri
• B. rhizosphaerae
• B. rigui
• B. ruris
• B. salarius
• B. salexigens
• B. saliphilus
• B. schlegelii
• B. sediminis
• B. selenatarsenatis
• B. selenitireducens
• B. seohaeanensis
• B. shacheensis
• B. shackletonii
• B. silvestris
• B. simplex
• B. siralis
• B. smithii
• B. soli
• B. solimangrovi
• B. solisalsi
• B. songklensis
• B. sphaericus
• B. sporothermodurans
• B. stearothermophilus
• B. stratosphericus
• B. subterraneus
• B. taeanensis
• B. thermantarcticus
• B. thermoaerophilus
• B. thermoamylovorans
• B. thermocatenulatus
• B. thermocloacae
• B. thermocopriae
• B. thermodenitrificans
• B. thermoglucosidasius
• B. thermolactis
• B. thermoleovorans
• B. thermophilus
• B. thermoproteolyticus
• B. thermoruber
• B. thermosphaericus
• B. thiaminolyticus
• B. thioparans
• B. thuringiensis
• B. tianshenii
• B. toyonensis
• B. trypoxylicola
• B. tusciae
• B. validus
• B. vedderi
• B. vietnamensis
• B. vireti
• B. vulcani
• B. wakoensis
• B. xiaoxiensis
• B. zanthoxyli
• ''B. zhanjiangensis{{div col end}}

Bacillus species are ubiquitous in nature, e.g. in soil. They can occur in extreme environments such as high pH (B. alcalophilus), high temperature (B. thermophilus), and high salt concentrations (B. halodurans). They also are very commonly found as endophytes in plants where they can play a critical role in their immune system, nutrient absorption and nitrogen fixing capabilities.{{cite journal | vauthors = Ding Y, Wang J, Liu Y, Chen S | date = 2005 | title = Isolation and identification of nitrogen-fixing bacilli from plant rhizospheres in Beijing region | journal = Journal of Applied Microbiology | volume = 99 | issue = 5 | pages = 1271–1281 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02738.x| pmid = 16238759 | s2cid = 19917931 }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Xie G, Su B, Cui Z | title = Isolation and identification of N2-fixing strains of Bacillus in rice rhizosphere of the Yangtze River Valley | journal = Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao = Acta Microbiologica Sinica | publisher = Chinese Academy of Sciences | volume = 38 | issue = 6 | pages = 480–483 | language = Chinese | date = Dec 1998 | url = https://europepmc.org/article/MED/12548929 | pmid = 12548929}}{{cite journal | vauthors = War Nongkhla F, Joshi S | date = 2014 | title = Epiphytic and endophytic bacteria that promote growth of ethnomedicinal plants in the subtropical forests of Meghalaya, India | journal = Revista de Biología Tropical | volume = 62 | issue = 4 | pages = 1295–1308 | doi = 10.15517/rbt.v62i4.12138| pmid = 25720168 | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Jooste M, Roets F, Midgley GF et al | title = Nitrogen-fixing bacteria and Oxalis – evidence for a vertically inherited bacterial symbiosis | journal = BMC Plant Biology | volume = 19 | page = 441 | date = 2019 | issue = 1 | doi = 10.1186/s12870-019-2049-7| pmid = 31646970 | pmc = 6806586 | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Ramesh A, Sharma SK, Sharma MP, Yadav N, Joshi OP | title = Inoculation of zinc solubilizing Bacillus aryabhattai strains for improved growth, mobilization and biofortification of zinc in soybean and wheat cultivated in Vertisols of central India | journal = Applied Soil Ecology | volume = 73 | date = 2014 | pages = 87–96 | issn = 0929-1393 | doi = 10.1016/j.apsoil.2013.08.009| bibcode = 2014AppSE..73...87R }} B. thuringiensis produces a toxin that can kill insects and thus has been used as insecticide.{{cite book | vauthors = Slonczewski JL, Foster JW | date = 2011 | title = Microbiology: An Evolving Science | edition = 2nd | publisher = Norton }} B. siamensis has antimicrobial compounds that inhibit plant pathogens, such as the fungi Rhizoctonia solani and Botrytis cinerea, and they promote plant growth by volatile emissions.{{cite journal | vauthors = Jeong H, Jeong DE, Kim SH, Song GC, Park SY, Ryu CM, Park SH, Choi SK | title = Draft genome sequence of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Bacillus siamensis KCTC 13613T | journal = Journal of Bacteriology | volume = 194 | issue = 15 | pages = 4148–4149 | date = August 2012 | pmid = 22815459 | pmc = 3416560 | doi = 10.1128/JB.00805-12 }} Some species of Bacillus are naturally competent for DNA uptake by transformation.{{cite journal | vauthors = Keen EC, Bliskovsky VV, Adhya SL, Dantas G | title = Draft Genome Sequence of the Naturally Competent Bacillus simplex Strain WY10 | journal = Genome Announcements | volume = 5 | issue = 46 | pages = e01295–17 | date = November 2017 | pmid = 29146837 | pmc = 5690344 | doi = 10.1128/genomeA.01295-17 }}

• Two Bacillus species are medically significant: B. anthracis, which causes anthrax; and B. cereus, which causes food poisoning, with symptoms similar to that caused by Staphylococcus.{{cite book | veditors = Ryan KJ, Ray CG | title = Sherris Medical Microbiology | edition = 4th | publisher = McGraw Hill | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-8385-8529-0 }}
• B. cereus produces toxins which cause two different set of symptoms:
• emetic toxin which can cause vomiting and nausea
• diarrhea
• B. thuringiensis is an important insect pathogen, and is sometimes used to control insect pests.
• B. subtilis is an important model organism. It is also a notable food spoiler, causing ropiness in bread and related food.
• B. subtilis can also produce and secrete antibiotics.
• Some environmental and commercial strains of B. coagulans may play a role in food spoilage of highly acidic, tomato-based products.

Many Bacillus species are able to secrete large quantities of enzymes. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is the source of a natural antibiotic protein barnase (a ribonuclease), alpha amylase used in starch hydrolysis, the protease subtilisin used with detergents, and the BamH1 restriction enzyme used in DNA research.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

A portion of the Bacillus thuringiensis genome was incorporated into corn{{cite web |url=http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/bt_history.html |title=History of Bt |publisher=University of California San Diego |access-date=28 June 2024}} and cotton{{cite web|last=James|first=Clive|title=Global Review of the Field Testing and Commercialization of Transgenic Plants: 1986 to 1995|url=https://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/01/download/isaaa-brief-01-1996.pdf|publisher=The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications|access-date=17 July 2010|year=1996}} crops. The resulting plants are resistant to some insect pests.{{cite web| vauthors = Peairs FB |publisher=Colorado State University Extension Office|year= 2013|url=http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/crops/00707.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/crops/00707.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Bt Corn: Health and the Environment – 0.707}}

Bacillus subtilis (natto) is the key microbial participant in the ongoing production of the soya-based traditional natto fermentation, and some Bacillus species are on the Food and Drug Administration's GRAS (generally regarded as safe) list.{{Cite journal |last=Schallmey |first=Marcus |last2=Singh |first2=Ajay |last3=Ward |first3=Owen P |date=2004-01-01 |title=Developments in the use of Bacillus species for industrial production |url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/w03-076 |journal=Canadian Journal of Microbiology |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=1–17 |doi=10.1139/w03-076 |issn=0008-4166|url-access=subscription }}

The capacity of selected Bacillus strains to produce and secrete large quantities (20–25 g/L) of extracellular enzymes has placed them among the most important industrial enzyme producers.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} The ability of different species to ferment in the acid, neutral, and alkaline pH ranges, combined with the presence of thermophiles in the genus, has led to the development of a variety of new commercial enzyme products with the desired temperature, pH activity, and stability properties to address a variety of specific applications. Classical mutation and (or) selection techniques, together with advanced cloning and protein engineering strategies, have been exploited to develop these products.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Efforts to produce and secrete high yields of foreign recombinant proteins in Bacillus hosts initially appeared to be hampered by the degradation of the products by the host proteases.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} Recent studies have revealed that the slow folding of heterologous proteins at the membrane-cell wall interface of Gram-positive bacteria renders them vulnerable to attack by wall-associated proteases.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} In addition, the presence of thiol-disulphide oxidoreductases in B. subtilis may be beneficial in the secretion of disulphide-bond-containing proteins. Such developments from our understanding of the complex protein translocation machinery of Gram-positive bacteria should allow the resolution of current secretion challenges and make Bacillus species preeminent hosts for heterologous protein production.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Bacillus strains have also been developed and engineered as industrial producers of nucleotides, the vitamin riboflavin, the flavor agent ribose, and the supplement poly-gamma-glutamic acid. With the recent characterization of the genome of B. subtilis 168 and of some related strains, Bacillus species are poised to become the preferred hosts for the production of many new and improved products as we move through the genomic and proteomic era.{{cite journal | vauthors = Schallmey M, Singh A, Ward OP | title = Developments in the use of Bacillus species for industrial production | journal = Canadian Journal of Microbiology | volume = 50 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–17 | date = January 2004 | pmid = 15052317 | doi = 10.1139/w03-076 }}

File:Bacillus subtilis colonies.jpg on an agar plate]]

Bacillus subtilis is one of the best understood prokaryotes, in terms of molecular and cellular biology. Its superb genetic amenability and relatively large size have provided the powerful tools required to investigate a bacterium from all possible aspects. Recent improvements in fluorescent microscopy techniques have provided novel insight into the dynamic structure of a single cell organism. Research on B. subtilis has been at the forefront of bacterial molecular biology and cytology, and the organism is a model for differentiation, gene/protein regulation, and cell cycle events in bacteria.{{cite book | veditors = Graumann P | title = Bacillus: Cellular and Molecular Biology | edition = 2nd | publisher = Caister Academic Press | year = 2012 | url=http://www.horizonpress.com/bacillus | id = [http://www.horizonpress.com/bacillus ] | isbn = 978-1-904455-97-4}}

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• List of Bacteria genera
• List of bacterial orders
• Paenibacillus and Virgibacillus, genera of bacteria formerly included in Bacillus.{{cite journal | vauthors = Ash C, Priest FG, Collins MD | title = Molecular identification of rRNA group 3 bacilli (Ash, Farrow, Wallbanks and Collins) using a PCR probe test. Proposal for the creation of a new genus Paenibacillus | journal = Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | volume = 64 | issue = 3–4 | pages = 253–260 | date = 1994 | pmid = 8085788 | doi = 10.1007/BF00873085 | s2cid = 7391845 }}{{cite journal| vauthors = Heyndrickx M, Lebbe L, Kersters K, De Vos P, Forsyth G, Logan NA |title=Virgibacillus: a new genus to accommodate Bacillus pantothenticus (Proom and Knight 1950). Emended description of Virgibacillus pantothenticus |journal=International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology |date= January 1998 |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=99–106 |doi=10.1099/00207713-48-1-99 |doi-access=free}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Bacillus}}

• [https://patricbrc.org/view/Taxonomy/1386#view_tab=overview Bacillus] genomes and related information at [http://patricbrc.org/ PATRIC], a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded by [https://www.niaid.nih.gov/ NIAID]

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Category:Bacteria genera

Category:Gram-positive bacteria