Bacillus flavothermus, a newly isolated facultative thermophile

Abstract

A sample from a hot spring on the northern island of New Zealand contained five different thermophilic bacterial strains. One strain with peculiar properties, i.e. the formation of dark yellow colonies at 30 degrees C as well as at 70 degrees C, was further characterized. It was found to be a gram-positive, facultatively aerobic, motile Bacillus species, with terminal endospores. According to the physiologic properties the strain closely resembled B. coagulans. However, two typical characteristics were contradictory to this conclusion, namely the intense yellow pigmentation of the colonies and the range of growth temperature. The latter was found to reach from 40 to 70 degrees C, with an optimum at 60 degrees C under aerobic and at 65 degrees C under anaerobic conditions. Growth at moderate temperatures was slower than at 60 degrees C, but the final cell yields were almost equal. The strain can therefore be considered as facultatively thermophilic. The pigment, which was found to be located in the cytoplasmic membrane, was spectroscopically identified as a carotenoid. Because the characteristics of this strain did not correspond with any of the Bacillus species described thus far, we concluded, that we had isolated a novel strain, for which the name Bacillus flavothermus is proposed.

Anoxybacillus pushchinensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel anaerobic, alkaliphilic, moderately thermophilic bacterium from manure, and description of Anoxybacillus flavitherms comb. nov.

“…However, based on a comparison of physiological and chemotaxonomic data and genetic characterizations, including determination of GjC content of DNA, DNA-DNA hybridization and 16S rDNA analysis (our data ; Heinen et al, 1982 ;Claus & Berkeley, 1986 ;Ash et al, 1991 ;Sharp et al, 1992 ;Rainey et al, 1994) Cells are rod-shaped and straight, 0n4-0n85i2n5-3n0 µm, often arranged in pairs or chains, with rounded ends. Gram-positive.…”

“…nov. is described, a new species of the strictly anaerobic, moderately thermophilic, obligately alkaliphilic bacilli isolated from manure with neutral pH. Since the new species was found to be closely related genetically to ' Bacillus flavothermus ' (Heinen et al, 1982), this hitherto E. Pikuta and others invalidly named species is described as Anoxybacillus flavithermus comb. nov. (name corrected).…”

Aerobic growth of Anoxybacillus pushchinoensis K1T: emended descriptions of A. pushchinoensis and the genus Anoxybacillus

“…T (Heinen et al, 1982), A. pushchinoensis K1 T did not form pigmented (orange) colonies when cultivated on agar either aerobically or anaerobically, suggesting a lack of carotenoids. Furthermore, when strain K1 T was grown in trypticase soy broth (TSB; ATCC medium 18) and used as the inoculum for TSB and ANX media either aerobically or anaerobically, no growth occurred in media of neutral or alkaline pH.…”

Molecular cloning and characterization of a thermostable esterase/lipase produced by a novel Anoxybacillus flavithermus strain

“…Anoxybacillus flavithermus is described (Pikuta et al, 2000;then, De Clerck et al, 2004) as a facultatively aerobic, endospore forming, moderately thermophilic Gram-positive rod, growing in a broad temperature range (30 72 C; Heinen et al, 1982). Growth temperature, colony and cell morphology, spore-formation, carbon source utilization, of strain T1 match to a large extent the description of the species, although its growth temperature limits appear to be somewhat narrower.…”