Influence of increased concentration of sinI and sinR proteins on the level of the baciracin biosynthesis at Bacillus licheniformis

Abstract

Bacteria of the genus Bacillus are Gram positive sporulating rods. They are highly adaptable to different environmental changes concerning substrate depletion, pH changes and strong temperature oscilations. Production of peptide antibiotic bacitracin in B. licheniformis starts in the late logarithmic growth phase and ends during the stationary phase. Its biosynthesis strongly correlates with an alkaline protease production. To define possible positively acting factors in terms of bacitracin production in B. licheniformis we performed an experiment expressing genes involved in the process of sporulation and competence in B. subtilis. B. licheniformis was transformed with plasmids pIS74 (sinIR) and pIS119 (sinR). Recombinant strains BA1 pIS74 and BA1 pIS119 produced less bacitracin and alkaline protease, because both plasmids in bacteria B. subtilis and B. licheniformis cause spo- fenotype.