Phylogenomic analysis shows that Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus methylotrophicus

The lanthipeptides of Bacillus methylotrophicus and their association with genomic islands

Bacillus methylotrophicus strains are known for their potential as plant-growth promoters and as microbial pesticides that effectively control plant diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. Over the past few years, a wide diversity of their secondary metabolites has been extensively characterized. Among these are the RiPPs lanthipeptides, which are an important and growing group of notable compounds. The increasing interest in B. methylotrophicus species, accompanied by the development of high throughput sequencing techniques, has resulted in a substantial number of full genomes being available. Here, an in silico analysis was performed on these genomes in order to survey the presence of lanthipeptide biosynthetic clusters. It was found that the pan genome of B. methylotrophicus only encoded the biosynthesis of mersacidin and amylolysin, which are lanthipeptides with antibacterial activity. However, the amylolysin gene cluster identified was comprised of more genetic elements than those previously described, and it had certain features of two-peptide lantibiotics. Additionally, it was also established that the association of lanthipeptides with genomic islands (GIs) was not confined to mersacidin. This was also found for the amylolysin cluster as well as other class I and class II lanthipeptides, supporting the idea that their production is probably related to functional adaptation.

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Lipopeptide-Producing Strains of Bacillus methylotrophicus

Bacillus methylotrophicus is implicated in phytostimulation and disease suppression of agricultural and bioenergy crops. Here, we present the genome sequences of B. methylotrophicus strains B26 and OB9. Their assembly resulted in 26 and 24 contigs, respectively. These strains are well suited for comparative genomics studies and the evaluation of commercially valuable biomolecular compounds.