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Review
. 2020 May;166(5):425-427.
doi: 10.1099/mic.0.000922. Epub 2020 May 4.

Microbe Profile: Bacillus subtilis: model organism for cellular development, and industrial workhorse

Jeffery Errington  1 , Lizah T van der Aart  1
Affiliations
Review

Microbe Profile: Bacillus subtilis: model organism for cellular development, and industrial workhorse

Jeffery Errington et al. Microbiology (Reading). 2020 May.

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis is the best studied model organism of the Gram-positive lineage. It is naturally transformable and has an extremely powerful genetic toolbox. It is fast growing and easy to cultivate. It is an important industrial organism, being proficient at secreting proteins and making small fine chemicals, as well as acting as a plant growth promoter. It has been an important model system for studying biofilms. Finally, it makes endospores, which have provided an exceptionally fruitful system for studying various central problems of cellular development, including the generation of asymmetry, cell fate determination and morphogenesis.

Keywords: Bacillus subtilis; biofilm; endospore; plant protection; protein secretion; transformation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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