Advances in the identification of Bacillus subtilis and closely related species

Abstract:

Bacillus subtilis and closely related species, as members of the “subtilis-group”, are composed of rod-shaped, endospore-forming bacteria with high degree of phenotypic and biochemical similarity. The “subtilis-group” includes B. subtilis, B. licheniformis, B. pumilus, B. amyloliquefaciens, B. atrophaeus, B. mojavensis, B. vallismortis, B. sonorensis, B. tequilensis, B. siamensis. Strains of the group have been exploited for biotechnological, industrial and agricultural applications; therefore, their rapid and accurate identification is important in practice. Here we reviewed traditional and molecular methods to identify these species. The combination of the physiological and biochemical characteristics, sequencing analysis and species-specific PCR would allow us to rapidly and accurately differentiate the strains of the group.