Secondary metabolites of bacillus: Potentials in biotechnology

Abstract

The huge diversity characterizing the Bacillus species at the taxonomic level, is also noticeable for their metabolic features. These bacteria are able to produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with very different natures and structures and displaying broad spectra of activities. These metabolites; including antibiotics, pigments, toxins, growth promoters (animals and plants), effectors of ecological competition, pheromones, enzyme inhibitors and others bioactive compounds; are originally designed to enable the bacterium to survive in its natural environment (Stein 2005). In general, these metabolites serve as; (i) competitive weapons used against other bacteria, fungi, amoebae, plants, insects and large animals; (ii) metal transporting agents; (iii) symbiosis effectors between microbes and plants, nematodes, insects and higher animals; (iv) sexual hormones; and (v) as differentiation factors (Demain and Fang 2000). This wide variability of the structure and activity of the secondary compounds expands the potential industrial importance of the genus Bacillus and its related genera (Sansinenea and Ortiz 2011). Besides, Bacillus species form spores that can be easily formulated and have high viability compared with vegetative cells. Finally they are commonly diffused in the environment including soil (Sansinenea and Ortiz 2011).