Open AccessMicrobe Profile: Bacillus subtilis: model organism for cellular development, and industrial workhorse
Author(s) -
Jeff Errington,
Lizah T. van der Aart
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1465-2080
pISSN - 1350-0872
DOI - 10.1099/mic.0.000922
Subject(s) - organism , bacillus subtilis , model organism , biology , morphogenesis , multicellular organism , computational biology , model system , endospore , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , bacteria , cell , gene
Bacillus subtilis is the best studied model organism of the Gram-positive lineage. It is naturally transformable and has an extremely powerful genetic toolbox. It is fast growing and easy to cultivate. It is an important industrial organism, being proficient at secreting proteins and making small fine chemicals, as well as acting as a plant growth promoter. It has been an important model system for studying biofilms. Finally, it makes endospores, which have provided an exceptionally fruitful system for studying various central problems of cellular development, including the generation of asymmetry, cell fate determination and morphogenesis.