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Genome annotation and antimicrobial properties of Bacillus toyonensis VU ‐ DES 13, isolated from the Folsomia candida gut
Author(s) -
Agamen Valeria,
Straalen Joeri,
Brouwer Abraham,
Boer Tjalf E.,
Hensbergen Paul J.,
Zaagman Niels,
Braster Martin,
van Straalen Nico M.,
Roelofs Dick,
Janssens Thierry K.S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/eea.12763
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , antimicrobial , secondary metabolite , micrococcus luteus , bacillus (shape) , strain (injury) , siderophore , nonribosomal peptide , gene , escherichia coli , biochemistry , biosynthesis , genetics , anatomy
Antibiotic resistance necessitates the search for new bioactive compounds with novel mechanisms of action. Natural products derived from bacteria and fungi are widely used in the field of medicine and new environments can be explored as sources of antimicrobials. Bacteria associated with springtails have shown high inhibitory activity against pathogens. Here, we characterized a bacterial strain with high potential for antimicrobial activity, isolated from the gut of the springtail Folsomia candida Willem (Collembola: Isotomidae). The strain was characterized using the ‘analytical profile index’ and the ‘minimal inhibitory concentration’ assay to test for antibiotic resistance. Agar overlay and agar disk diffusion assays were used to test the inhibitory activity of the strain and its extract against a variety of pathogens, and reporter assays were used to investigate the mode of action. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze and fractionate the extract of bacterial culture, followed by additional assays on the fractions. The genome of the strain was screened for presence of antibiotic resistance genes and secondary metabolite gene clusters. The isolate was identified as Bacillus toyonensis Jiménez et al., but it displayed differences in metabolic profile when compared to the type species. The isolate was highly resistant to penicillin and inhibited the growth of a variety of pathogenic microorganisms. Genome analysis revealed an enrichment of resistance genes for β‐lactam antibiotics compared to the type isolate. Also, secondary metabolite clusters involved in the production of siderophores, bacteriocins, and nonribosomal peptide synthetases were identified. In conclusion, a unique Bacillus strain was isolated from the gut of F. candida , for which we provide evidence of inhibitory activity against an array of pathogens. This, coupled with high resistance to penicillin as substantiated by the presence of resistance genes, points to the potential of B. toyonensis VU ‐ DES 13 to provide a new source of antimicrobial compounds.