Obligately thermophilic, aerobic, proteolytic, endospore-forming strain N-3^Twas isolated from a high-temperature oilfield in Lithuania. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis placed this strain in genetic group 5 of the endospore formers.Geobacillus thermoleovoransappeared to be the closest phylogenetic neighbour (99·4 % sequence similarity). The G+C content of strain N-3^Twas 52·5 mol% and matched the range established for the genusGeobacillus. Studies of DNA–DNA relatedness and morphological and physiological analyses enabled strain N-3^Tto be described as a member of the genusGeobacillus, but could not assign this strain to any other known species of this genus. Results of this polyphasic study allowed characterization of strain N-3^Tas a novel species in the genusGeobacillus – Geobacillus lituanicussp. nov. This species can be distinguished fromG. thermoleovoransandGeobacillus stearothermophiluson the basis of 16S rRNA gene PCR-RFLP assays with the restriction endonucleasesAluI,HaeIII andTaqI. The type strain of the novel species is N-3^T(=DSM 15325^T=VKM B-2294^T).

The genome sequencing and mining of microorganisms from unexplored and extreme environments has become important in the process of identifying novel biosynthetic pathways. In the present study, the biosynthetic potential of Paenibacillus sp. strains 23TSA30-6 and 28ISP30-2 was investigated. Both strains were isolated from the deep oligotrophic Krubera-Voronja Cave and were found to be highly active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Genome mining revealed a high number of biosynthetic gene clusters in the cave strains: 21 for strain 23TSA30-6 and 19 for strain 28ISP30-2. Single clusters encoding the biosynthesis of phosphonate, terpene, and siderophore, as well as a single trans-AT polyketide synthase/non-ribosomal peptide synthetase, were identified in both genomes. The most numerous clusters were assigned to the biosynthetic pathways of non-ribosomal peptides and ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides. Although four non-ribosomal peptide synthetase gene clusters were predicted to be involved in the biosynthesis of known compounds (fusaricidin, polymyxin B, colistin A, and tridecaptin) of the genus Paenibacillus, discrepancies in the structural organization of the clusters, as well as in the substrate specificity of some adenylation domains, were detected between the reference pathways and the clusters in our study. Among the clusters involved in the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized peptides, only one was predicted to be involved in the biosynthesis of a known compound: paenicidin B. Most biosynthetic gene clusters in the genomes of the cave strains showed a low similarity with the reference pathways and were predicted to represent novel biosynthetic pathways. In addition, the cave strains differed in their potential to encode the biosynthesis of a few unique, previously unknown compounds (class II lanthipeptides and three non-ribosomal peptides). The phenotypic characterization of proteinaceous and volatile compounds produced by strains 23TSA30-6 and 28ISP30-2 was also performed, and the results were compared with those of genome mining.

Four bacterial strains, designated K9T, K105, K1012A and K101, were isolated from soil in Lithuania. All these strains could use n-butanol as a sole carbon source. The strains grew in a medium containing 12–120 mM n-butanol. The strains were strictly aerobic, Gram-positive endospore-formers. The best growth was achieved at 25 °C and pH 7.0 in medium containing 1 % (w/v) NaCl. The strains showed identical profiles of 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer PCR and nearly identical 16S rRNA gene PCR-RFLP electrophoretic patterns and physiological characteristics, demonstrating their relationship at the species level. The cellular fatty acid profile of K9T consisted of significant amounts of the C15 branched-chain fatty acids iso-C15 : 0 (16.78 %) and anteiso-C15 : 0 (45.80 %). The diagnostic cell-wall diamino acid was meso-diaminopimelic acid. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of K9T showed the highest similarity to the sequences of Bacillus simplex DSM 1321T and Bacillus muralis LMG 20238T (98.3 and 97.7 %, respectively). The DNA G+C content was 37.4 mol%. Studies of DNA–DNA relatedness, morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses and phylogenetic data based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing allowed strains K9T, K105, K1012A and K101 to be described as members of a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus butanolivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is K9T (=DSM 18926T =LMG 23974T).

Thermophilic strain JK1 was isolated from compost using xylan as a single carbon source. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis and spo0Agene sequence similarity analysis, strain JK1...

The aim of this study was to develop an easy and accurate technique for the identification of the genus Geobacillus. For this purpose, Geobacillus gen