Genotypic identification of Bacillus sp. isolated from canned white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) during the production/processing chain in northern Peru

Abstract

Bacillus strains isolated from several stages of white asparagus production/processing before/after thermal treatment were characterized molecularly by BOX-PCR amplification and 16S ribosomal gene sequencing. Analysis of these sequences showed that the isolates belong to a variety of phylogenetic groups that are closely related to species of the genus Bacillus, such as B. subtilis subsp. spizizenii NRRL B-23049T, B. tequilensis NRRL B-41771 T, B. safensis FO-036bT, B. licheniformis ATCC 14580T, B. aryabhattai B8W22T, and B. anthracis ATCC 14578T. Some Bacillus sp. strains were related to B. endophyticus, several isolates were associated with B. tequilensis and B. subtilis subsp. inaquosorum, and others were included in the same cluster of species as B. subtilis subsp. subtilis, B. vallismortis, B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum, and B. methylotrophicus. Strains closely related to Paenibacillus peoriae DSM 8320T were also found. © Springer-Verlag and the University of Milan 2011.