Polymyxin E production by P. amylolyticus.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate antibiotic production by bacteria isolated from the hindgut of Tipula abdominalis, the aquatic crane fly.


RESULTS
A group of five isolates with 99.1% 16S rRNA sequence similarity to Paenibacillus amylolyticus were identified as antibacterial producers using the cross-streak method against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. For one isolate, P. amylolyticus C27, biochemical tests were performed to confirm 16S rRNA identification and the antibacterials were purified using chromatographic methods. Postsource decay (PSD) mass spectroscopy (MS) was used to identify the antimicrobials, which were found to be polymyxins E(1) and E(2). Investigation of the remaining four isolates using PSD MS revealed they all produce polymyxins E(1) and E(2) as well.


CONCLUSIONS
Although variants of the polymyxin antibiotics are known to be produced by several species within the Paenibacillus genus, this first investigation of antibacterial production by bacteria isolated from the hindgut of T. abdominalis describes a novel source for polymyxin E production as well as the first report of antibiotic production by P. amylolyticus.
DeCrescenzo Henriksen
E
E
Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Phillips
D R
DR
Peterson
J B Doran
JB
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003091:Colistin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004175:Diptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D003091:Colistin