Bacillus Subtilis
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This article was downloaded by: 10.3.98.104 On: 24 Sep 2021 Access details: subscription number Publisher: CRC Press Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG, UK The Biological Resources of Model Organisms Robert L. Jarret, Kevin McCluskey The Bacillus Genetic Stock Center/ Bacillus subtilis Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.1201/9781315100999-3 Daniel R. Zeigler Published online on: 02 Aug 2019 How to cite :- Daniel R. Zeigler. 02 Aug 2019, The Bacillus Genetic Stock Center/ Bacillus subtilis from: The Biological Resources of Model Organisms CRC Press Accessed on: 24 Sep 2021 https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.1201/9781315100999-3 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR DOCUMENT Full terms and conditions of use: https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/legal-notices/terms This Document PDF may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproductions, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The publisher shall not be liable for an loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. The Bacillus Genetic 3 Stock Center/Bacillus subtilis Daniel R. Zeigler CONTENTS Introduction ..............................................................................................................36 The Genus Bacillus and the Bacillus Lifestyle ........................................................36 A Taxonomic Explosion ......................................................................................38 A Taxon with Many Dimensions ........................................................................38 The Bacillus subtilis Group .................................................................................39 The Bacillus cereus Group ..................................................................................39 Geobacillus ..........................................................................................................39 Bacillus subtilis, a Model Organism ........................................................................40 The Eras of Bacillus Biology ...................................................................................40 The “Classical Era” ............................................................................................40 The “Genetics Era” ............................................................................................40 The “Recombinant DNA Era” ............................................................................ 41 The “Post-Genome Era” ..................................................................................... 41 Advantages of Bacillus subtilis as a Model Organism.............................................42 The Bacillus Genetic Stock Center .......................................................................... 43 Establishment ...................................................................................................... 43 Mission Statement ............................................................................................... 43 Scope ...................................................................................................................44 Maintenance and Distribution .............................................................................45 Use of the Collection ...........................................................................................46 Databases.............................................................................................................48 Conclusions ..............................................................................................................49 References ................................................................................................................49 Abstract: Bacillus, a large and phylogenetically diverse group of rod-shaped bacteria, have been isolated from virtually every conceivable environment on this planet. Their unique life cycle and other characteristics have made them valuable in industrial, agricultural, and medical research. In response to their widespread use, the Bacillus Genetic Stock Center was initiated in the 1970s. Its main collection now contains more than 11,000 accessions that includes 35 Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 04:17 24 Sep 2021; For: 9781315100999, chapter3, 10.1201/9781315100999-3 36 The Biological Resources of Model Organisms 67 species in 12 genera of Bacillus. Isolates can usually be easily propagated and stored under conditions that maintain their long-term viability. Strains of Bacillus, sets of phages and plasmid tools, and associated resources are avail- able from the collection, on request. INTRODUCTION Bacillus sensu lato comprises an enormous and phylogenetically diverse group of organisms that have adopted a common lifestyle. When conditions are favorable for growth, cells propagate rapidly. When nutrient sources are depleted, Bacillus popula- tions differentiate into subpopulations of different cell types, many of them showing a high degree of multicellularity. One specialized type, the endospore, is a metabolically inert resting cell that is highly resistant to most environmental insults. When condi- tions are once again favorable for growth, spores germinate and grow out to establish new populations. This developmental suite has been termed the Bacillus Lifestyle (Zeigler and Nicholson 2017) and is not only a highly successful adaptation but also has practical consequences, many of them potentially beneficial, for human beings. Modern sequence-based taxonomic methods have revealed that Bacillus sensu lato comprises at least three bacterial families and dozens of genera. One species (Bacillus subtilis) and one particular laboratory strain (B. subtilis 168) have emerged as an important model organism. Thousands of useful genetic mutants and strain libraries have been developed over the past 70 years of B. subtilis research, especially during the 20 years since the genome sequence of strain 168 was determined. The Bacillus Genetic Stock Center (BGSC) exists as a steward of this legacy. It collects, maintains, distributes, and assembles data regarding these mutants and genetic tools, so that they will remain available in perpetuity for members of the research community. THE GENUS BACILLUS AND THE BACILLUS LIFESTYLE “The genus Bacillus,” wrote Ruth Gordon and colleagues in their authoritative hand- book, “encompasses the rod-shaped bacteria capable of aerobically forming refractile endospores that are more resistant than vegetative cells to heat, drying, and other destructive agencies” (Gordon et al. 1973). More than four decades later, despite the revolution ushered in by recent technological and theoretical advances in biology, the definition remains essentially the same: Bacillus bacteria have cells that are “rod‐shaped, straight or slightly curved, occurring singly and in pairs, some in chains, and occasionally as long filaments. Endospores are formed, no more than one to a cell; these spores are very resistant to many adverse conditions” (Logan and De Vos 2015). This definition, while accurate for the purposes of taxonomy, needs to be placed in a much larger framework. Endospores are far more than a morphological feature or taxonomic trait. They are the centerpiece of a diverse range of developmental options, many of them requiring a remarkable degree of multicellular cooperation, which have allowed these bacteria to survive and thrive on a global scale (Figure 3.1). Most isolates of the genus Bacillus and its closest phylogenetic relatives have sim- ple nutritional requirements. Under ideal conditions, they proliferate rapidly, divid- ing by binary fission. Generation times for many species may be as short as a half Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 04:17 24 Sep 2021; For: 9781315100999, chapter3, 10.1201/9781315100999-3 The Bacillus Genetic Stock Center/Bacillus subtilis 37 FIGURE 3.1 The Bacillus Lifestyle. Bacillus may proliferate rapidly when environmental conditions permit. Under unfavorable conditions, subpopulations differentiate into a variety of cell types. hour or less in the laboratory (Zeigler, unpublished observations). In nature, however, conditions approximating the ideal occur only sporadically. When a population of Bacillus experiences nutrient depletion and enters stationary phase, several subpopu- lations emerge, each pursuing a different developmental path (Figure 3.1). This suite of options has been seen as a bet-hedging strategy, increasing the likelihood that at least part of the population survives the environmental challenge (Norman et al. 2015, Veening et al. 2008b). In B. subtilis cultures, for example, subpopulations of motile single cells and sessile chains quickly appear (Mukherjee and Kearns 2014). The motile cells may be able to locate microenvironments that are more favorable for growth. The sessile chains differentiate further, with one subpopulation secreting massive quantities of degradative enzymes and antimicrobials, perhaps converting potential nutritional sources in the environment into sugars, nucleotides, and amino acids for the benefit