Evidence for the involvement of intracellular Ca(2+) ions in the elicitation mechanism of Bacillus licheniformis.
Treatment of Bacillus licheniformis cultures with biotic oligosaccharide elicitors is known to increase the production of the antibiotic bacitracin A. The mechanism of the elicitation is currently under investigation and in this paper we provide evidence on the modulatory role of Ca(2+) ions during this process. Addition of elicitors, mannan oligosaccharides, oligoguluronate and oligomannuronate to the liquid cultures resulted in 9.0, 5.2 and 5.0% increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) levels in B. licheniformis, while the presence of verapamil (Ca(2+) channel blocker) resulted in 74% decrease in bacitracin A levels, as compared to the control culture. We propose that Ca(2+) ions may acts as a secondary messenger in the regulation of the bacitracin A synthesis in the elicited B. licheniformis cultures.
Applied Biotechnology Research Group, Department of Molecular and Applied Biosciences, University of Westminster, London, UK.
Patricia Fernanda
PF
Reffatti
Ipsita
I
Roy
Mark
M
Odell
Tajalli
T
Keshavarz
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D001407:Bacillus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001414:Bacitracin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D003470:Culture Media; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D001414:Bacitracin; C026461:bacitracin A; D002118:Calcium