The capability of osmoadaptation is a prerequisite of organisms that live in an environment with changing salinities. Halobacillus halophilus is a moderately halophilic bacterium that grows between 0.4 and 3 M NaCl by accumulating both chloride and compatible solutes as osmolytes. Chloride is absolutely essential for growth and, moreover, was shown to modulate gene expression and activity of en...

The moderately halophilic bacterium Halobacillus halophilus carries a homologue of LuxS, a protein involved in the activated methyl cycle and the production of autoinducer-2, which mediates quorum sensing between certain species. luxS of H. halophilus is part of an operon that encodes an S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase, a cysteine synthase, and a beta-cystathionine lyase. Expre...

Isolation and taxonomic and phylogenetic studies performed in this decade have revealed that most Gram-positive, aerobic spore-forming bacteria which have halophilic/halotolerant/alkaliphilic and/or alkalitolerant properties compose a considerably large phylogenetic group within rRNA 1 group of Ash et al. (1991) in the phyletic assemblage of bacteria classically defined as the genus Bacillus (A...

Water and sediments of the Seine estuary are contaminated by chemicals, especially cadmium, which favors survival and growth of cadmium-resistant bacteria. We investigated the diversity of the cadA gene, which encodes a Cd(2+)/ATPase protein transporter, in the microbial community of the Seine estuary. The cadA gene first isolated from S. aureus (pI258) was prevalent, with a conservation better...

The halophilic proteinase showed a maximal activity at 50°C and pH 9~10, in 20% NaCl and was highly stabilized by NaCl. It was able to hydrolyse natural actomyosin (NAM), collagen and anchovy protein. For NAM hydrolysis, the myosin heavy chain was completely digested by halophilic proteinase as evidenced by the lowest band intensity remaining, but partially hydrolysed actin. The SR5-3 proteinas...