ABSTRACT
In a search for potential ethanologens, waste compost was screened for ethanol-tolerant thermophilic microorganisms. Two thermophilic bacterial strains, M5EXG and M10EXG, with tolerance of 5 and 10% (v/v) ethanol, respectively, were isolated. Both isolates are facultative anaerobic, non-spore forming, non-motile, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, Gram-negative rods that are capable of utilizing a range of carbon sources including arabinose, galactose, mannose, glucose and xylose and produce low amounts of ethanol, acetate and lactate. Growth of both isolates was observed in fully defined minimal media within the temperature range 50-80 degrees C and pH 6.0-8.0. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences revealed that both isolates clustered with members of subgroup 5 of the genus Bacillus. G+C contents and DNA-DNA relatedness of M5EXG and M10EXG revealed that they are strains belonging to Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius. However, physiological and biochemical differences were evident when isolates M5EXG and M10EXG were compared with G. thermoglucosidasius type strain (DSM 2542(T)). The new thermophilic, ethanol-tolerant strains of G. thermoglucosidasius may be candidates for ethanol production at elevated temperatures.
Subject(s)
Bacillaceae/isolation & purification , Bacillaceae/metabolism , Bacteria, Anaerobic/isolation & purification , Bacteria, Anaerobic/metabolism , Ethanol/metabolism , Soil Microbiology , Bacillaceae/classification , Bacillaceae/genetics , Bacteria, Anaerobic/classification , Bacteria, Anaerobic/genetics , Base Composition , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Hot Temperature , Microscopy, Electron , PhylogenyABSTRACT
Brevibacterium linens has commercial significance in the dairy industry and potential application in the production of bacteriocins and carotenoids. Strain development of these industrially significant organisms would be facilitated by the use of vectors, yet few are available. In this study we report the isolation of four novel plasmids from the Gram-positive coryneform B. linens, and determine the first complete nucleotide sequence of a native plasmid of B. linens. The cryptic plasmid pLIM is 7610 bp in length, and belongs to a subfamily of theta replicating ColE2-related plasmids. Initial investigation suggests that replication in pLIM requires two replicases, a primase (RepA) and a DNA binding protein (RepB), encoded by a single operon repAB. The origin of replication is located upstream of repAB transcription.