Lysinibacillus sphaericus is a heterogeneous species that includes strains that produce mosquitocidal toxin proteins. Herein, we report the 4.56-Mb draft genome sequence of the nonpathogenic L. sphaericus strain KCTC 3346(T), which provides clues for the phylogenetic reassessment of L. sphaericus species and an understanding of its physiological properties.

D-Amino acid aminotransferase was found in several thermophilic Bacillus species and purified to homogeneity from the best producer, Bacillus sp. YM-1, which was newly isolated from a sauna dust. The enzyme has a molecular weight of about 62,000 and consists of two subunits identical in molecular weight (30,000). It catalyzes transamination between various D-amino acids and alpha-keto acids, al...

Using larvae of the mosquito Culex pipiens var. quinquefasciatus as a bioassay system, we have verified an earlier proposal that pathogenicity of Bacillus sphaericus SSII-1 is a toxin-mediated rather than an infectious process. Chloroform or ultraviolet-light treatments that decreased the viable count of SSII-1 cells by 4 or 5 logs did not significantly alter the ability of the bacterial cells ...

Clusters of genes encoding enzymes for tetrapyrrole biosynthesis were cloned from Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Brevibacillus brevis and Paenibacillus macerans. The sequences of all hemX genes found, and of a 6.3 kbp hem gene cluster from P. macerans, were determined. The structure of the hem gene clusters was compared to that of other Gram-positive bacteria. The Bacillus an...

Bacillus species constitute a diverse group of bacteria widely distributed in soil and the aquatic environment. In this study, Bacillus strains isolated from the coastal environment of Cochin, India were identified by detailed conventional biochemical methods, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis and partial 16S rDNA sequencing. Analysis of the data revealed that Bacillus pumilus was the mos...

Two microbial mosquito larvicides, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis (Bti) and Bacillus sphaericus (Bsph), have been shown to be highly effective in controlling mosquito larvae and have been used in larvicidal programs for many years. In exploring other modes of action of these agents, we studied the ovipositional response of Bsph susceptible and resistant Culex quinquefasciatus to aqueou...

Cell-free wall, membrane, and cytoplasmic fractions were prepared from Bacillus sphaericus 1593, which exhibited toxic activity against larvae of the mosquito Culex pipiens var. quinquefasciatus. Breakage of 12- to 14-h cells by sonication or French pressure cell yielded toxic material which could be assayed in a standard mosquito larva bioassay. When sporulating cells of strain 1593 were fract...