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Review
. 2008 Jun;16(6):269-75.
doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.03.004. Epub 2008 May 28.

Ecology and genomics of Bacillus subtilis

Ashlee M Earl  1 , Richard Losick, Roberto Kolter
Affiliations
Review

Ecology and genomics of Bacillus subtilis

Ashlee M Earl et al. Trends Microbiol. 2008 Jun.

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis is a remarkably diverse bacterial species that is capable of growth within many environments. Recent microarray-based comparative genomic analyses have revealed that members of this species also exhibit considerable genomic diversity. The identification of strain-specific genes might explain how B. subtilis has become so broadly adapted. The goal of identifying ecologically adaptive genes could soon be realized with the imminent release of several new B. subtilis genome sequences. As we embark upon this exciting new era of B. subtilis comparative genomics we review what is currently known about the ecology and evolution of this species.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
B. subtilis colony morphologies. B. subtilis NCIB3610 (left) and B. subtilis 168 (right) spotted onto MSgg agar, a biofilm-inducing medium commonly used in the laboratory to study biofilm development . Note the difference in contoured texture of each strain’s surface; B. subtilis NCIB3610 exhibits much more complex colony architecture than does the sequenced and domesticated strain, B. subtilis 168. Scale bar = 1 cm.
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