Application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in rapid typing of fengycin homologues produced by Bacillus subtilis

Co-production of surfactin and fengycin by Bacillus subtilis BBW1542 isolated from marine sediment: a promising biocontrol agent against foodborne pathogens

Pathogenic bacteria contaminations and related diseases in food industries is an urgent issue to solve. The present study aimed to explore natural food biopreservatives from microorganisms. Using dilution-plate method, a strain BBW1542 with antimicrobial activities against various foodborne pathogenic bacteria was isolated from the seabed silt of Beibu Gulf, which was identified as Bacillus subtilis by the morphological observation and 16S rDNA sequences. The antimicrobial substances of B. subtilis BBW1542 exhibited an excellent stability under cool/heat treatment, UV irradiation, acid/alkali treatment, and protease hydrolysis. The genome sequencing analysis and antiSMASH prediction indicated that B. subtilis BBW1542 contained the gene cluster encoding lipopeptides and bacteriocin subtilosin A. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis showed that the lipopeptides from B. subtilis BBW1542 contained C14 and C15 surfactin homologues, together with fengycin homologues of C18 fengycin A/C16 fengycin B and C19 fengycin A/C17 fengycin B. In silico analysis showed that an eight-gene (sboA-albABCDEFG) operon was involved in the biosynthesis of subtilosin A in B. subtilis BBW1542, and the encoded subtilosin A presented an evident closed-loop structure containing 35 amino acids with a molecular weight of 3425.94 Da. Overall, the antagonistic B. subtilis BBW1542 displayed significant resource value and offered a promising alternative in development of food biopreservation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05864-3.

A marine lipopeptides-producing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HY2-1 with a broad-spectrum antifungal and antibacterial activity and its fermentation kinetics study

The antagonistic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HY2-1 was a marine microbiology that was isolated previously from the seabed silt of Beibu Gulf in China by dual culture with Penicillium digitatum. As a continuous study, the present work focused on evaluating the antimicrobial activity, identifying the produced active components, and revealing the fermentation characteristics of B. amyloliquefaciens HY2-1, respectively. It was found that B. amyloliquefaciens HY2-1 exhibited a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against the tested seven phytopathogenic fungi and five pathogenic bacteria by producing Bacillus lipopeptides such as fengycin A (C₁₄ to C₁₉ homologues) and surfactin (C₁₄ and C₁₅ homologues). Morphological observation of P. digitatum under light microscope, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscope inferred that B. amyloliquefaciens exerted the antagonistic activity by damaging the fungal cell membrane, thus inhibiting the mycelium growth and sporification of phytopathogenic fungi. As a marine microbiology, our results showed that B. amyloliquefaciens could survive and metabolize even at the culture condition with 110 g/L of NaCl concentration, and the produced antimicrobial compounds exhibited excellent thermostability and acid-alkali tolerance. The dynamic models were further constructed to theoretically analyze the fermentation process of B. amyloliquefaciens HY2-1, suggesting that the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds was coupled with both cell growth and cell biomass. In conclusion, the marine lipopeptides-producing B. amyloliquefaciens HY2-1 showed a promising prospect to be explored as a biocontrol agent for plant disease control of crops and postharvest preservation of fruits and vegetables, especially due to its outstanding stress resistance and the broad-spectrum and effective antagonist on various phytopathogenic fungi.

Lipopeptide production by Bacillus atrophaeus strain B44 and its biocontrol efficacy against cotton rhizoctoniosis

OBJECTIVES

An assay was conducted to show the comparisons the effects of nine metal ions on antagonistic metabolites (lipopeptides, siderophores and gibberellins) by Bacillus atrophaeus strain B44 using well-diffusion assays, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis, chrome azurol S plus mannitol salt agar (CAS-MSA) tests, and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis. This assay is also designed to demonstrate the biocontrol efficacy of B44 against cotton rhizoctoniosis using pot culture tests.

RESULTS

Both the lipopeptide yield and the antimicrobial activity of B44 increase with the MnSO₄, MgSO₄, CaCO₃, and CuSO₄ treatments and either have no effect or decreased lipopeptide yield and antimicrobial activity with the FeSO₄, K₂HPO₄, KCl, KH₂PO₄ and ZnSO₄ treatments. The medium containing MgSO₄ has no significant effect on either the lipopeptide yield or antimicrobial activity. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis shows a broad range of m/z peaks, indicating that strain B44 produces a complex mixture of iturin, surfactin, and fengycin lipopeptides. Gibberellin production by strain B44 varies greatly depending on the culture medium, and the siderophore production is not significantly affected by the culture medium. Pot tests show that lipopeptide production affects the disease control efficacy of strain B44.

CONCLUSION

The biocontrol efficacy of B. atrophaeus strain B44 is related to the lipopeptide yield. Moreover, B. atrophaeus strain B44 significantly increases the size of cotton seedlings, which is related to the GA₃ concentration.

Isolation and Characterization of Fengycins Produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JFL21 and Its Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Potential Against Multidrug-Resistant Foodborne Pathogens

The continuing emergence and development of pathogenic microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics constitute an increasing global concern, and the effort in new antimicrobials discovery will remain relevant until a lasting solution is found. A new bacterial strain, designated JFL21, was isolated from seafood and identified as B. amyloliquefaciens. The antimicrobial substance produced by B. amyloliquefaciens JFL21 showed low toxicity to most probiotics but exhibited strong antimicrobial activities against multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens. The partially purified antimicrobial substance, Anti-JFL21, was characterized to be a multiple lipopeptides mixture comprising the families of surfactin, fengycin, and iturin. Compared with commercially available polymyxin B and Nisin, Anti-JFL21 not only could exhibit a wider and stronger antibacterial activity toward Gram-positive pathogens but also inhibit the growth of a majority of fungal pathogens. After further separation through gel filtration chromatography (GFC), the family of surfactin, fengycin, and iturin were obtained, respectively. The results of the antimicrobial test pointed out that only fengycin family presented marked antimicrobial properties against the indicators of L. monocytogenes, A. hydrophila, and C. gloeosporioides, which demonstrated that fengycins might play a major role in the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Anti-JFL21. Additionally, the current study also showed that the fengycins produced by B. amyloliquefaciens JFL21 not only maintained stable anti-Listeria activity over a broad pH and temperature range, but also remained active after treatment with ultraviolet sterilization, chemical reagents, and proteolytic enzymes. Therefore, the results of this study suggest the new strain and its antimicrobials are potentially useful in food preservation for the biological control of the multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens.

Diversity of cyclic antimicrobial lipopeptides from Bacillus P34 revealed by functional annotation and comparative genome analysis

Cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) from Bacillus strains have demonstrated a wide range of bioactivities making them interesting candidates for different applications in the pharmaceutical, food and biotechnological industries. Genome sequencing, together with phylogenetic analysis of the Bacillus sp. P34, isolated from a freshwater fish gut, showed that the bacterial strain belongs to the Bacillus velezensis group. In silico investigation of metabolic gene clusters of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) revealed the genetic elements associated with the synthesis of surfactin, fengycin and iturin family component bacillomycin. Further, an assay was conducted to investigate the production of CLPs in the presence of heat inactivated bacterial cultures or fungal spores. Maximum fengycin concentration was observed at 24 h (2300-2700 mg/mL), while maximum iturin amounts were detected at 48 h (250 mg/mL) in the presence of heat-inactivated spores of Aspergillus niger. Heat-inactivated cells of Listeria monocytogenes caused a reduction of both fengycin and iturin amounts. The production of fengycins A and B and the iturin family component bacillomycin L was confirmed by mass spectrometry analyses. This study reinforces the potential of B. velezensis P34 as a valuable strain for biotechnological production of CLPs recognized as important antimicrobial substances.

Fengycins From Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MEP218 Exhibit Antibacterial Activity by Producing Alterations on the Cell Surface of the Pathogens Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MEP₂18 is an autochthonous bacterial isolate with antibacterial and antifungal activities against a wide range of phytopathogenic microorganisms. Cyclic lipopeptides (CLP), particularly fengycins, produced by this bacterium; are the main antimicrobial compounds responsible for the growth inhibition of phytopathogens. In this work, the CLP fraction containing fengycins with antibacterial activity was characterized by LC-ESI-MS/MS. In addition, the antibacterial activity of these fengycins was evaluated on the pathogens Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria (Xav), a plant pathogen causing the bacterial spot disease, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01, an opportunistic human pathogen. In vitro inhibition assays showed bactericidal effects on Xav and PA01. Atomic force microscopy images revealed dramatic alterations in the bacterial surface topography in response to fengycins exposure. Cell damage was evidenced by a decrease in bacterial cell heights and the loss of intracellular content measured by potassium efflux assays. Furthermore, the viability of MRC-5 human normal lung fibroblasts was not affected by the treatment with fengycins. This study shows in vivo evidence on the less-known properties of fengycins as antibacterial molecules and leaves open the possibility of using this CLP as a novel antibiotic.

Characterization of New Fengycin Cyclic Lipopeptide Variants Produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (ET) Originating from a Salt Lake of Eastern Algeria

Fengycin antibiotic displays a strong antifungal activity and inhibits the growth of a wide range of plant pathogens especially filamentous fungi. The main objective of the present study is to characterize fengycin variants produced by B. amyloliquefaciens strain (ET). LC-MS analysis of fengycin extracts has shown several molecular ion peaks corresponding to conventional fengycin homologues (MH + : m/z 1463.9; 1491.9; 1506) and some new ones (MH + : m/z 1433; 1447; 1461; and 1477). Further characterization of these precursor ions was carried out by LC-MS.MS analysis. Reporter fragment ions were observed (named A and B), they correspond to the cleavage of Orn2-Tyr3 (A), Glu1-Orn2 (B), and used for identifying fengycin variants. The reporter fragment couple ions [A/B] at [m/z 966.5/1080.5] and [m/z 994.4 /1108.5] represent fengycin A and B, respectively. The diagnostic ions at ([m/z 980/1094]) may correspond to fengycin C3, D, S or B2. Interestingly, unknown diagnostic product ions at [m/z 951/1065] and [m/z 979/1093] were detected for the first time in this study which prove that they correspond to new fengycin variants, named fengycin X and fengycin Y, respectively. The fengycin X results from a substitution of the glutamine amino acid (Q), at position 8 of the fengycin A peptide part, by an isoleucine (I) or a leucine (L) residue. This mutation should be the same in fengycin Y but compared to fengycin B.

Biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani via Induction of the Defense Mechanism and Antimicrobial Compounds Produced by Bacillus subtilis SL-44 on Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Pepper seedling wilt disease is the main cause of crop yield reduction. Biocontrol agents are widely used to control plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi and activate plant defense systems. Our preliminary work showed that Bacillus subtilis SL-44 played a significant role in the reduction of wilt disease severity on pepper plants. To evaluate biological control mechanism of B. subtilis SL-44 on wilt disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani, the activities of the related enzymes were detected in the pepper seedling with different treatment in this study. Fluorescence microscopy combined with different dyes showed that B. subtilis SL-44 induced a large amount of active oxygen and callose accumulation in pepper leaves. The defense-related enzyme activities in pepper were improved significantly when treated with B. subtilis SL-44, including peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase. The activity of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase in B. subtilis SL-44-treated pepper was also enhanced. Furthermore, the expression level of pepper-resistance gene CaPIN II was significantly increased in B. subtilis SL-44 treatment. Besides, B. subtilis SL-44 filtrate led to the death of the pathogenic fungus by fracturing the mycelia and leaking of the cell contents. Surfactin, iturin, and fengycin were found in B. subtilis SL-44 crude extracts, which could be effective antifungal compounds against R. solani. The results suggest that B. subtilis SL-44 could not only activate induced systemic resistance of pepper seedling against wilt disease caused by R. solani by jasmonic acid-dependent signaling pathway but also produce antifungal compounds to inhibit or even damage the mycelium growth of R. solani. The findings of this study provide novel guidance in plant protection development.

Fengycins, Cyclic Lipopeptides from Marine Bacillus subtilis Strains, Kill the Plant-Pathogenic Fungus Magnaporthe grisea by Inducing Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Chromatin Condensation

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important crop and a primary food source for more than half of the world's population. Notably, scientists in China have developed several types of rice that can be grown in seawater, avoiding the use of precious freshwater resources and potentially creating enough food for 200 million people. The plant-affecting fungus Magnaporthe grisea is the causal agent of rice blast disease, and biological rather than chemical control of this threatening disease is highly desirable. In this work, we discovered fengycin BS155, a cyclic lipopeptide material produced by the marine bacterium Bacillus subtilis BS155, which showed strong activity against M. grisea. Our results elucidate the mechanism of fengycin BS155-mediated M. grisea growth inhibition and highlight the potential of B. subtilis BS155 as a biocontrol agent against M. grisea in rice cultivation under both fresh- and saltwater conditions.

Rice blast caused by the phytopathogen Magnaporthe grisea poses a serious threat to global food security and is difficult to control. Bacillus species have been extensively explored for the biological control of many fungal diseases. In the present study, the marine bacterium Bacillus subtilis BS155 showed a strong antifungal activity against M. grisea. The active metabolites were isolated and identified as cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) of the fengycin family, named fengycin BS155, by the combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Analyses using scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that fengycin BS155 caused morphological changes in the plasma membrane and cell wall of M. grisea hyphae. Using comparative proteomic and biochemical assays, fengycin BS155 was demonstrated to reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), induce bursts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and downregulate the expression level of ROS-scavenging enzymes. Simultaneously, fengycin BS155 caused chromatin condensation in fungal hyphal cells, which led to the upregulation of DNA repair-related protein expression and the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Altogether, our results indicate that fengycin BS155 acts by inducing membrane damage and dysfunction of organelles, disrupting MMP, oxidative stress, and chromatin condensation, resulting in M. grisea hyphal cell death. Therefore, fengycin BS155 and its parent bacterium are very promising candidates for the biological control of M. grisea and the associated rice blast and should be further investigated as such.

IMPORTANCE Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important crop and a primary food source for more than half of the world's population. Notably, scientists in China have developed several types of rice that can be grown in seawater, avoiding the use of precious freshwater resources and potentially creating enough food for 200 million people. The plant-affecting fungus Magnaporthe grisea is the causal agent of rice blast disease, and biological rather than chemical control of this threatening disease is highly desirable. In this work, we discovered fengycin BS155, a cyclic lipopeptide material produced by the marine bacterium Bacillus subtilis BS155, which showed strong activity against M. grisea. Our results elucidate the mechanism of fengycin BS155-mediated M. grisea growth inhibition and highlight the potential of B. subtilis BS155 as a biocontrol agent against M. grisea in rice cultivation under both fresh- and saltwater conditions.

Mass spectrometry for characterization of homologous piperidine alkaloids and their activity as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

RATIONALE

Piperidine alkaloids from Senna spectabilis constitute a rare class of natural products with several biological activities. However, the absence of chromophores makes their structural elucidation by conventional methods a great challenge. In this context, mass spectrometry emerges as a powerful tool for metabolomics studies.

METHODS

The piperidine alkaloids (-)-cassine and (-)-spectaline and the semisynthetic derivatives (-)-3-O-acetylcassine and (-)-3-O-acetylspectaline were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) in the positive mode and electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS). ESI fragmentation studies were performed with a quadrupole time-of-flight instrument; N₂ was used as collision gas. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of the investigated compounds was evaluated by bioautography and microplate screening assays.

RESULTS

ESI-MS/MS and EI-MS provided valuable and complementary information about the structure of the piperidine compounds. Collision-induced dissociation experiments (MS/MS) revealed that neutral elimination of water or acetic acid is the major fragmentation pathway, which agrees with the stereochemistry proposed for (-)-cassine and (-)-spectaline and the semisynthetic derivatives (-)-3-O-acetylcassine and (-)-3-O-acetylspectaline.

CONCLUSIONS

The ESI-MS/MS and EI-MS studies allowed us to propose fragmentation mechanisms for piperidine alkaloids and derivatives. Therefore, mass spectrometry is an important tool for characterizing the structure of these compounds and for supporting further metabolomics studies.

Simultaneous quantification of lipopeptide isoforms by UPLC-MS in the fermentation broth from Bacillus subtilis CNPMS22

The rapid and accurate quantification of lipopeptide families in biological samples are challenging. We present the development and validation of a method for simultaneous quantification of three families of lipopeptides (iturins, fengycins, and surfactins) and their isoforms, as well as the homologous series. The method was optimized in UPLC-MS for a column temperature at 65 °C, injection volume of 5 μL, and sample temperature of 10 °C. The SIM mode was used for detection and quantification of lipopeptides exhibiting ions [M + H]⁺ and [M + 2H]²⁺. Since the maximum mass detection threshold of the equipment is 1250 Da and the fengycins have ions between 1435 and 1505 Da, the ions [M + 2H]²⁺ were chosen for fengycin identification. The monitored ions were as follows: m/z 1043.5, 1057.5, 1071.5, 718.3, 725.4, 739.4, 732.4, 746.4, 753.4, 1008.6, 1022.6, and 1036.6. The compounds were separated by reverse-phase chromatography using a C18 analytical column in a total time of 19 min. Standard curves were linear with r_w 0.99 for all analytes. Intra- and inter-day precision for samples (50, 250, and 750 μg L^-1) were within recommended limits. The proposed analytical method was capable of simultaneously quantifying 12 isoforms and homologous series of lipopeptide families in biological samples, thus making it an important industrial tool in the evaluation of lipopeptide production processes. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Purification and characterization of two new cell-bound bioactive compounds produced by wild Lactococcus lactis strain

Novel compounds and innovative methods are required considering that antibiotic resistance has reached a crisis point. In the study, two cell-bound antimicrobial compounds produced by Lactococcus lactis ID1.5 were isolated and partially characterized. Following purification by cationic exchange and a solid-phase C18 column, antimicrobial activity was recovered after three runs of RPC using 60% (v/v) and 100% (v/v) of 2-propanol for elution, suggesting that more than one antimicrobial compound were produced by L. lactis ID1.5, which were in this study called compounds AI and AII. The mass spectrum of AI and AII showed major intensity ions at m/z 1070.05 and 955.9 Da, respectively. The compound AI showed a spectrum of antimicrobial activity mainly against L. lactis species, while the organisms most sensitive to compound AII were Bacillus subtilis, Listeria innocua, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antimicrobial activity of both compounds was suppressed by treatment with Tween 80. Nevertheless, both compounds showed high stability to heat and proteases treatments. The isolated compounds, AI and AII, showed distinct properties from other antimicrobial substances already reported as produced by L. lactis, and have a significant inhibitory effect against two clinically important respiratory pathogens.

Fengycin produced by Bacillus subtilis 9407 plays a major role in the biocontrol of apple ring rot disease

Apple ring rot, caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea, is a serious apple disease in China. Bacillus subtilis 9407 was isolated from healthy apples and showed strong antifungal activity against B. dothidea. To identify the primary antifungal compound of B. subtilis 9407 and determine its role in controlling apple ring rot, a transposon mutant library was constructed using TnYLB-1, and a mutant completely defective in antifungal activity was obtained. The gene inactivated in the antifungal activity mutant had 98.5% similarity to ppsB in B. subtilis subsp. subtilis str. 168, which encodes one of the five synthetases responsible for synthesizing fengycin. A markerless ppsB deletion mutant was constructed. Compared with the wild-type strain, lipopeptide crude extracts from ΔppsB showed almost no inhibition of B. dothidea mycelial growth. Furthermore, fengycin-like lipopeptides (retention factor 0.1-0.2) that exhibited antifungal activity against B. dothidea were observed in the wild-type strain by thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-bioautography analysis, but not in ΔppsB. Semipreparative reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) detection revealed that ΔppsB lost the ability to synthesize fengycin. These results suggest that ppsB is responsible for synthesizing fengycin and that fengycin is the major antifungal compound produced by B. subtilis 9407 against B. dothidea. Moreover, a biocontrol assay showed that the control efficacy of ΔppsB was reduced by half compared with the wild-type strain, indicating that fengycin plays a major role in controlling apple ring rot disease. This is the first report on the use of a B. subtilis strain as a potential biological control agent to control apple ring rot disease by the production of fengycin.

Bacillus spp. Isolated from Puba as a Source of Biosurfactants and Antimicrobial Lipopeptides

Several products of industrial interest are produced by Bacillus, including enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids, insecticides, biosurfactants and bacteriocins. This study aimed to investigate the potential of two bacterial isolates (P5 and C3) from puba, a regional fermentation product from cassava, to produce multiple substances with antimicrobial and surface active properties. Phylogenetic analyses showed close relation of isolates P5 and C3 with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus thuringiensis, respectively. Notably, Bacillus sp. P5 showed antimicrobial activity against pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus, in addition to antifungal activity. The presence of genes encoding pre-subtilosin (sboA), malonyl CoA transacylase (ituD), and the putative transcriptional terminator of surfactin (sfp) were detected in Bacillus sp. P5, suggesting the production of the bacteriocin subtilosin A and the lipopeptides iturin A and surfactin by this strain. For Bacillus sp. C3 the presence of sboA and spas (subtilin) genes was observed by the first time in members of B. cereus cluster. Bacillus sp. P5 showed emulsifying capability on mineral oil, soybean biodiesel and toluene, while Bacillus sp. C3 showed emulsifying capability only on mineral oil. The reduction of the surface tension in culture medium was also observed for strain P5, confirming the production of surface-active compounds by this bacterium. Monoprotonated molecular species and adducts of sodium and potassium ions of surfactin, iturin, and fengycin were detected in the P5 culture medium. Comparative MS/MS spectra of the peak m/z 1030 (C14 surfactin A or C15 surfactin B [M+Na]⁺) and peak m/z 1079 (C15 iturin [M+Na]⁺) showed the same fragmentation profile of standards, confirming the molecular identification. In conclusion, Bacillus sp. P5 showed the best potential for the production of antifungal, antibacterial, and biosurfactant substances.

Extracts containing CLPs of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JN68 isolated from chicken intestines exert antimicrobial effects, particularly on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JN68, which has been discussed with regards to its antimicrobial activities, was successfully isolated from healthy chicken intestines in the present study. Using the spot-on-the-lawn antagonism method, the preliminary study indicated that a suspension culture of the B. amyloliquefaciens JN68 strain can inhibit the growth of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium pinophilum. Furthermore, the cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) produced by the B. amyloliquefaciens JN68 strain were further purified through acid precipitation and Bond Elut®C18 chromatography, and their structures were identified using the liquid chromatography‑electrospray ionization‑mass spectrometry (MS)/MS method. Purified CLPs exerted broad spectrum antimicrobial activities on various pathogenic and foodborne bacteria and fungi, as determined using the agar well diffusion method. Listeria monocytogenes can induce listeriosis, which is associated with a high mortality rate. Methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major pathogenic bacteria that causes nosocomial infections. Therefore, L. monocytogenes and MRSA are currently of great concern. The present study aimed to determine whether B. amyloliquefaciens JN68 extracts could inhibit L. monocytogenes and MRSA. The results indicated that extracts of B. amyloliquefaciens JN68 have CLP components, and can successfully inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes and MRSA.

Ex Vivo Application of Secreted Metabolites Produced by Soil-Inhabiting Bacillus spp. Efficiently Controls Foliar Diseases Caused by Alternaria spp

Bacterial biological control agents (BCAs) are largely used as live products to control plant pathogens. However, due to variable environmental and ecological factors, live BCAs usually fail to produce desirable results against foliar pathogens. In this study, we investigated the potential of cell-free culture filtrates of 12 different bacterial BCAs isolated from flower beds for controlling foliar diseases caused by Alternaria spp. In vitro studies showed that culture filtrates from two isolates belonging to Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens displayed strong efficacy and potencies against Alternaria spp. The antimicrobial activity of the culture filtrate of these two biological control agents was effective over a wider range of pH (3.0 to 9.0) and was not affected by autoclaving or proteolysis. Comparative liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses showed that a complex mixture of cyclic lipopeptides, primarily of the fengycin A and fengycin B families, was significantly higher in these two BCAs than inactive Bacillus spp. Interaction studies with mixtures of culture filtrates of these two species revealed additive activity, suggesting that they produce similar products, which was confirmed by LC-tandem MS analyses. In in planta pre- and postinoculation trials, foliar application of culture filtrates of B. subtilis reduced lesion sizes and lesion frequencies caused by Alternaria alternata by 68 to 81%. Taken together, our studies suggest that instead of live bacteria, culture filtrates of B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens can be applied either individually or in combination for controlling foliar diseases caused by Alternaria species.

Rapid profiling of antimicrobial compounds characterising B. subtilis TR50 cell-free filtrate by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap™ mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Several Bacillus strains, typically isolated from different food sources, represent renowned producers of a multitude of low and high molecular weight compounds, including lipopeptides and macrolactones, with an importance for their antimicrobial activity. The high homology shared by many of these compounds also occurring as closely related isoforms poses a challenge in their prompt detection.

METHODS

Identification and structural elucidation is generally achieved by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) or liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) after a pre-fractionation and/or purification step of the extract. In this paper we report the application of a method based on LC separation and high-resolution Orbitrap™-based MS for the rapid screening of raw filtrate of the strain Bacillus subtilis TR50 endowed with antimicrobial activity, without requiring any sample pre-treatment.

RESULTS

Upon direct analysis of the cell-free filtrate of Bacillus subtilis TR50 by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), different compounds families, that proved to exert a remarked antimicrobial activity against several foodborne pathogens, can be readily displayed along the chromatographic run. Among them, three different classes were identified and characterized belonging to the iturin, fengycin and surfactin groups. The high resolving power and accurate mass accuracy provided by the HRMS system in use ensured an enhanced selectivity compared to other mass spectrometers. In addition, after activation of the HCD cell, the HR-MS/MS spectra can provide insights in the structural elucidation of several compounds.

CONCLUSIONS

The acquisition of HRMS spectra of raw filtrates of subtilis strains allows untargeted analysis of the major classes of compounds produced to be performed, thus facilitating identification of other unknown bioactive molecules after retrospective analysis. These features make this approach a fast tool applicable to the rapid screening and further identification of antimicrobial compounds released by Bacillus strains in raw filtrates.

Isolation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JK6 and identification of its lipopeptides surfactin for suppressing tomato bacterial wilt

A rhizobacteria strain, B. amyloliquefaciens JK6, isolated from the rhizosphere soil of healthy tomato plants, significantly inhibited Ralstonia solanacearum (RS).

Biosurfactant produced by novel Pseudomonas sp. WJ6 with biodegradation of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have threatened the environment due to toxicity and poor bioavailability. Interest in degradation of these hazardous materials by biosurfactant-producing bacteria has been steadily increasing in recent years. In this work, a novel biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas sp. WJ6 was isolated to degrade a wide range of n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Production of lipopeptide biosurfactant was observed in all biodegradable studies. These lipopeptides were purified and identified by C18 RP-HPLC system and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. Results of structural analysis showed that these lipopeptides generated from different hydrocarbons were classified to be surfactin, fengycin and lichenysin. Heavy-oil sludge washing experiments demonstrated that lipopeptides produced by Pseudomonas sp. WJ6 have 92.46% of heavy-oil washing efficiency. The obtained results indicate that this novel bacterial strain and its lipopeptides have great potentials in the environmental remediation and petroleum recovery.

Control efficacy of an endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain BZ6-1 against peanut bacterial Wilt, Ralstonia solanacearum

We aimed to isolate and identify endophytic bacteria that might have efficacy against peanut bacterial wilt (BW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Thirty-seven endophytic strains were isolated from healthy peanut plants in R. solanacearum-infested fields and eight showed antagonistic effects against R. solanacearum. Strain BZ6-1 with the highest antimicrobial activity was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on morphology, biochemistry, and 16S rRNA analysis. Culture conditions of BZ6-1 were optimized using orthogonal test method and inhibitory zone diameter in dual culture plate assay reached 34.2 mm. Furthermore, main antimicrobial substances of surfactin and fengycin A homologues produced by BZ6-1 were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Finally, pot experiments were adopted to test the control efficiency of BZ6-1 against peanut BW. Disease incidence decreased significantly from 84.5% in the control to 12.1% with addition of 15 mL (10(8) cfu mL(-1)) culture broth for each seedling, suggesting the feasibility of strain BZ6-1 in the biological control of peanut plants BW.

Data-independent microbial metabolomics with ambient ionization mass spectrometry

Atmospheric ionization methods are ideally suited for prolonged MS/MS analysis. Data-independent MS/MS is a complementary technique for analysis of biological samples as compared to data-dependent analysis. Here, we pair data-independent MS/MS with the ambient ionization method nanospray desorption electrospray ionization (nanoDESI) for untargeted analysis of bacterial metabolites. Proof-of-principle data and analysis are illustrated by sampling Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa directly from Petri dishes. We found that this technique enables facile comparisons between strains via MS and MS/MS plots which can be translated to chemically informative molecular maps through MS/MS networking. The development of novel techniques to characterize microbial metabolites allows rapid and efficient analysis of metabolic exchange factors. This is motivated by our desire to develop novel techniques to explore the role of interspecies interactions in the environment, health, and disease. This is a contribution to honor Professor Catherine C. Fenselau in receiving the prestigious ASMS Award for a Distinguished Contribution in Mass Spectrometry for her pioneering work on microbial mass spectrometry.

Fengycin C produced by Bacillus subtilis EA-CB0015

Bacillus subtilis EA-CB0015 was isolated from the phyllosphere of a banana plant and tested for its potential to produce bioactive compounds against Mycosphaerella fijiensis. Using a dual plate culture technique the cell-free supernatant of B. subtilis EA-CB0015 produced inhibition values of 89 ± 1%. The active compounds were purified by solid-phase extraction and HPLC, and their primary structures determined using mass spectrometry and amino acid analysis. A new fengycin isoform, fengycin C, with the amino acid sequence Glu-Orn-Tyr-Thr-Glu-Val-Pro-Gln-Thr-Ile was isolated. The peptidic moiety differs from fengycin B at position 9 and from fengycin A at positions 6 and 9. The β-hydroxy fatty acyl chain is connected to the N-terminal of the decapeptide and can be saturated or unsaturated, ranging from 14 to 18 carbons. The C-terminal residue of the peptidic moiety is linked to the tyrosine residue at position 3, forming the branching point of the acyl peptide and the eight-membered cyclic lactone.

Characterization of two antimicrobial peptides produced by a halotolerant Bacillus subtilis strain SK.DU.4 isolated from a rhizosphere soil sample

A bacterial strain producing two antimicrobial peptides was isolated from a rhizosphere soil sample and identified as Bacillus subtilis based on both phenotypic and 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis. It grew optimally up to 14% NaCl and produced antimicrobial peptide within 24 h of growth. The peptides were purified using a combination of chemical extraction and chromatographic techniques. The MALDI-TOF analysis of HPLC purified fractions revealed that the strain SK.DU.4 secreted a bacteriocin-like peptide with molecular mass of 5323.9 Da and a surface-active lipopeptide (m/z 1056 Da). The peptide mass fingerprinting of low-molecular-weight bacteriocin exhibited significant similarity with stretches of secreted lipoprotein of Methylomicrobium album BG8 and displayed 70% sequence coverage. MALDI MS/MS analysis elucidated the lipopeptide as a cyclic lipopeptide with a β-hydroxy fatty acid linked to Ser of a peptide with seven α-amino acids (Asp-Tyr-Asn-Gln-Pro-Asn-Ser) and assigned it to iturin-like group of antimicrobial biosurfactants. However, it differed in amino acid composition with other members of the iturin family. Both peptides were active against Gram-positive bacteria, suggesting that they had an additive effect.

Contribution of bacillomycin D in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9 to antifungal activity and biofilm formation

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains are capable of suppressing soilborne pathogens through the secretion of an array of lipopeptides and root colonization, and biofilm formation ability is considered a prerequisite for efficient root colonization. In this study, we report that one of the lipopeptide compounds (bacillomycin D) produced by the rhizosphere strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9 not only plays a vital role in the antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum but also affects the expression of the genes involved in biofilm formation. When the bacillomycin D and fengycin synthesis pathways were individually disrupted, mutant SQR9M1, which was deficient in the production of bacillomycin D, only showed minor antagonistic activity against F. oxysporum, but another mutant, SQR9M2, which was deficient in production of fengycin, showed antagonistic activity equivalent to that of the wild-type strain of B. amyloliquefaciens SQR9. The results from in vitro, root in situ, and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR studies demonstrated that bacillomycin D contributes to the establishment of biofilms. Interestingly, the addition of bacillomycin D could significantly increase the expression levels of kinC gene, but KinC activation is not triggered by leaking of potassium. These findings suggest that bacillomycin D contributes not only to biocontrol activity but also to biofilm formation in strain B. amyloliquefaciens SQR9.

Study of the anti-sapstain fungus activity of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CGMCC 5569 associated with Ginkgo biloba and identification of its active components

An endophytic bacterium, designated strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CGMCC 5569 was isolated from Chinese medicinal Ginkgo biloba collected from Xuzhou, China. Both the filtrate and the ethyl acetate extract of strain CGMCC 5569 showed growth inhibition activity against the sapstain fungi Lasiodiplodia rubropurpurea, L. crassispora, and L. theobromae obviously (>65%) based on the comparison of the length of zones on the petri dish. From the ethyl acetate extract of the filtrate, the antifungal compounds were obtained as a series of lipopeptides, which including series of fengycin, surfactin and bacillomycin. It showed strong growth inhibition activity in vitro against the L. rubropurpurea, L. crassispora and L. theobromae by about 70.22%, 69.53% and 78.76%, respectively. The strong anti-sapstain fungus activity indicated that the endophytic B. amyloliquefaciens CGMCC 5569 and its bioactive components might provide an alternative bio-resource for the bio-control of sapstain.

Termination of the structural confusion between plipastatin A1 and fengycin IX

Plipastatin A1 and fengycin IX were experimentally proven to be identical compounds, while these had been considered as diastereomers due to the permutation of the enantiomeric pair of Tyr in most papers. The (1)H NMR spectrum changed to become quite similar to that of plipastatin A1, when the sample which provided resembled spectrum of fengycin IX was treated with KOAc followed by LH-20 gel filtration. Our structural investigations disclosed that the structures of these molecules should be settled into that of plipastatin A1 by Umezawa (L-Tyr4 and D-Tyr10).

Purification and structural characterization of fengycin homologues produced by Bacillus subtilis LSFM-05 grown on raw glycerol

Raw glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production that currently has low to negative value for biodiesel producers. One option for increasing the value of raw glycerol is to use it as a feedstock for microbial production. Bacillus subtilis LSFM 05 was used for the production of fengycin in a mineral medium containing raw glycerol as the sole carbon source. Fengycin was isolated by acid precipitation at pH 2 and purified by silica gel column chromatography and characterized using electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) with collision-induced dissociation (CID). The mass spectrum revealed the presence of the ions of m/z 1,435.7, 1,449.9, 1,463.8, 1,477.8, 1,491.8 and 1,505.8, which were further fragmented by ESI-MS/MS. The CID profile showed the presence of a series of ions (m/z 1,080 and 966) and (m/z 1,108 and 994) that represented the different fengycin homologues A and B, respectively. Fengycin homologues A and B are variants that differ at position 6 of the peptide moiety, having either Ala or Val residues, respectively. Mass spectrometry analyses identified four fengycin A and three fengycin B variants with fatty acid components containing 14-17 carbons. These results demonstrate that raw glycerol can be used as feedstock to produce fengycin, and additional work should focus on the optimization of process conditions to increase productivity.

LC/ESI-MS/MS characterisation of lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain

Lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by the Bacillus licheniformis V9T14 strain showed an interesting anti-adhesion activity against biofilm formation of human pathogenic bacterial strains. The chemical characterisation of the crude extract of V9T14 strain was first developed through electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and ESI-MS/MS direct infusions: two sets of molecular ion species belonging to the fengycin and surfactin families were revealed and their structures defined, interpreting their product ion spectra. The LC/ESI-MS analysis of the crude extract allowed to separate in different chromatogram ranges the homologues and the isoforms of the two lipopeptide families. The extract was then fractionated by silica gel chromatography in two main fractions, I and II. The purified biosurfactants were analysed through a new, rapid and suitable LC/ESI-MS/MS method, which allowed characterising the composition and the structures of the produced lipopeptides. LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis of fraction I showed the presence of C(13), C(14) and C(15) surfactin homologues, whose structures were confirmed by the product ion spectra of the sodiated molecules [M + Na](+) at m/z 1030, 1044 and 1058. LC/ESI-MS/MS analysis of fraction II confirmed the presence of two main fengycin isoforms, with the protonated molecules [M + H](+) at m/z 1478 and 1506 corresponding to C(17) fengycin A and C(17) fengycin B, respectively. Other homologues (C(14) to C(16)) were revealed and confirmed as belonging to fengycin A or B according to the retention times and the product ions generated, although with the same nominal mass. Finally, a relative percentage content of each homologue for both lipopeptides families in the whole extract was proposed.

Isolation and characterization of lipopeptide antibiotics produced by Bacillus subtilis

AIMS

Antibiotics from Bacillus subtilis JA show strong pathogen inhibition ability, which has potential market application; yet, the composition of these antibiotics has not been elucidated. The aim of this paper is to isolate and identify these antibiotics.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The antagonistic activity of JA was tested in vitro; it exhibited strong inhibition against some important phytopathogens and postharvest pathogens. Crude antibiotic production was extracted with methanol from the precipitate by adding 6 mol l(-1) HCl to the bacillus-free culture broth. The crude extract was run on Diamonsil C18 column (5 microm, 250 x 4.6 mm) in HPLC system to separate the antibiotics. Major antibiotics were classified into three lipopeptide families according to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry analysis. Subsequently, the classification of antibiotics was confirmed with typical collision-induced dissociation fragments.

CONCLUSIONS

Three kinds of antibiotics were isolated from B. subtilis JA and were identified to the lipopeptide families, surfactin, iturin and fengycin. These compounds could function as biocontrol agents against a large spectrum of pathogens.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This study provided a reliable and rapid method for isolation and structural characterization of lipopeptide antibiotics from B. subtilis.

Inhibition of fengycins on the production of fumonisin B1 from Fusarium verticillioides

AIM

To understand the role of fengycins in regulating the fumonisin B1 (FB1)production of Fusarium verticillioides.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The mass ratio of FB1 to mycelia was determined in order to identify the effect of fengycins on FB1 production. It was shown that the amount of FB1 produced by unit mass mycelia decreased to 28% of the control. Results from mycelia resuspension with fengycins also demonstrated that fengycins had a potent impact on FB1 production. Gene expression patterns using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) revealed that the transcriptional levels of both FUM1 and FUM8 (coding enzymes for the generation of FB1) were down-regulated with fengycin treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Fengycins could down-regulate the transcription of some key genes involved in the production of FB1, and impair FB1 synthesis by F. verticillioides.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These results further improved our understanding of fengycins as the potential candidates to control FB1 contamination in crops and food.

Lipopeptides produced by a soil Bacillus megaterium strain

A soil microorganism identified as Bacillum megaterium was found to produce several antibiotics substances after growth for 20 h at 37 degrees C in a mineral culture medium. Analysis both by electron spray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) identified these substances as lipopeptides. Predominant peaks at m/z 1,041 and m/z 1,065 revealed ions which are compatible with surfactins and lichenysins, respectively. Two other ions m/z 1,057 and m/z 1,464 were further studied by collision-induced dissociation (CID) unveiling an iturin A at the first and fengycins A and B at the second m/z peaks. The CID spectrum of the m/z 1,464 ion also suggests the existence of fengycins A and B variants in which Ile was changed to Val in the position 10 of the peptide moiety. Raw mixtures of all these compounds were also assayed for antibiotic features. The data enlighten the unusual diversity of the lipopeptide mixture produced by a sole Bacillus species.

Characterization of new biosurfactant produced by Klebsiella sp. Y6-1 isolated from waste soybean oil

To obtain predominant bacteria degrading crude oil, we isolated some bacteria from waste soybean oil. Isolated bacterial strain had a marked tributyrin (C4:0) degrading activity as developed clear zone around the colony after incubation for 24h at 37 degrees C. It was identified as Klebsiella sp. Y6-1 by analysis of 16S rRNA gene. Crude biosurfactant was extracted from the culture supernatant of Klebsiella sp. Y6-1 by organic solvent (methanol:chloroform:1-butanol) after vacuum freeze drying and the extracted biosurfactant was purified by silica gel column chromatography. When the purified biosurfactant dropped, it formed degrading zone on crude oil plate. When a constituent element of the purified biosurfactant was analyzed by TLC and SDS-PAGE, it was composed of peptides and lipid. The emulsification activity and stability of biosurfactant was measured by using hydrocarbons and crude oil. The emulsification activity and stability of the biosurfactant showed better than the chemically synthesized surfactant. It reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 32 mN/m at a concentration of 40 mg/l.

Antagonistic effects of volatiles generated by Bacillus subtilis on spore germination and hyphal growth of the plant pathogen, Botrytis cinerea

Botrytis cinerea is one of the most serious post-harvest pathogens of fruits and vegetables. Volatiles generated by Bacillus subtilis JA significantly inhibited both spore germination and elongation of germ tubes in Botrytis cinerea using a two-compartment agar-plate assay. The volatiles caused protoplasm retraction from the hyphal tips to the spores.

Fengycin antibiotics isolated from B-FS01 culture inhibit the growth of Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon ATCC 38932

Strain B-FS01, isolated from rape (Brassica napus) stem infected by Slerotinia sclerotiorum and identified as Bacillus subtilis, exhibited predominantly antagonistic activities against Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon ATCC 38932. Antifungal active compounds (AAC) were isolated and purified from the cultures of strain B-FS01 against ATCC 38932. The HPLC/electron spray ionization/collision-induced dissociation mass spectrum of AAC revealed a cluster of fengycin homologues containing fengycins A, fengycins B and a new type of fengycin. Further toxic assay of AAC in vitro against F. moniliforme indicated that AAC could strongly inhibit the growth of both mycelia and spores. In addition, treatment with AAC significantly modified the maize seed infection by ATCC 38932.

Characterization of the anti-fungal activity of a Bacillus spp. associated with sclerotia from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum fruiting bodies (sclerotia) were found to harbour bacteria that possess anti-fungal activity. Among 1,140 bacterial isolates collected, 32 were found to inhibit the growth of four common fungal pathogens of canola, S. sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria brassicae and Leptosphaeria maculans. One of these broad-spectrum isolates, LEV-006, was found to be closely related to Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rRNA analysis. The anti-fungal activities were purified and found to be associated with a low molecular weight peptide complex consisting mostly of the cyclic lipopeptide fengycin A and B, as revealed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight and post-source decay analysis, as well as two proteins of 20 and 55 kDa. Peptide mass fingerprinting revealed that the 55-kDa protein was similar to vegetative catalase 1; however, when the enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli, it exhibited catalase but not anti-fungal activity. The sequences of several peptides from the 20-kDa protein were obtained and indicated that it was a unique anti-fungal protein.

Enhancement of the Gibberella zeae growth inhibitory lipopeptides from a Bacillus subtilis mutant by ion beam implantation

Bacillus subtilis JA antagonized the growth of Gibberella zeae. In order to reduce growth of this fungi pathogen to a greater extent, low-energy ion beam implantation was applied in mutant breeding. We studied the effects of different energies and different doses of nitrogen ion implantation. The mutant strain designated as JA026 was obtained showing higher inhibition activity in the screening plate. Its inhibition zone against indicator organism increased by 14.3% compared to the original strain. The electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS) analysis indicated that the antifungal lipopeptides produced by the mutant were identical to those produced by the wild-type strain. The mutant strain exhibited favorable properties including the high yield of antifungal lipopeptides production and faster growth over the parent strain, which suggested that this strain would be a promising biocontrol candidate in agriculture.

Current literature in mass spectrometry

In order to keep subscribers up‐to‐date with the latest developments in their field, John Wiley & Sons are providing a current awareness service in each issue of the journal. The bibliography contains newly published material in the field of mass spectrometry. Each bibliography is divided into 11 sections: 1 Books, Reviews & Symposia; 2 Instrumental Techniques & Methods; 3 Gas Phase Ion Chemistry; 4 Biology/Biochemistry: Amino Acids, Peptides & Proteins; Carbohydrates; Lipids; Nucleic Acids; 5 Pharmacology/Toxicology; 6 Natural Products; 7 Analysis of Organic Compounds; 8 Analysis of Inorganics/Organometallics; 9 Surface Analysis; 10 Environmental Analysis; 11 Elemental Analysis. Within each section, articles are listed in alphabetical order with respect to author (5 Weeks journals ‐ Search completed at 8th. Sept. 2004)