title: Bacillus subtilis HJ18-4 from traditional fermented soybean food inhibits Bacillus cereus growth and toxin-related genes.
abstract: Bacillus subtilis HJ18-4 isolated from buckwheat sokseongjang, a traditional Korean fermented soybean food, exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, including Bacillus cereus. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial efficacy and regulation of toxin gene expression in B. cereus by B. subtilis HJ18-4. Expression of B. cereus toxin-related genes (groEL, nheA, nheC, and entFM) was downregulated by B. subtilis HJ18-4, which also exhibited strong antibacterial activity against B. cereus. We also found that water extracts of soy product fermented with B. subtilis HJ18-4 significantly inhibited the growth of B. cereus and toxin expression. These results indicate that B. subtilis HJ18-4 could be used as an antimicrobial agent to control B. cereus in the fermented soybean food industry. Our findings also provide an opportunity to develop an efficient biological control agent against B. cereus.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Agro-food Resources, Natl. Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 441-853, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005285:Fermentation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013025:Glycine max / Q000382:microbiology*; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D061046:Biological Control Agents; C000589183:NheA protein, Bacillus cereus; D014118:Toxins, Biological
keywords: Bacillus cereus; Bacillus subtilis HJ18-4; fermented soybean food