Paenibacillus dendritiformis

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1. Classification

a. Higher order taxa

Domain; Phylum; Class; Order; Family; Genus Include this section if your Wiki page focuses on a specific taxon/group of organisms

2. Description and significance

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

  • Include as many headings as are relevant to your microbe. Consider using the headings below, as they will allow readers to quickly locate specific information of major interest*

3. Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

4. Cell structure

Interesting features of cell structure. Can be combined with “metabolic processes”

5. Metabolic processes

Describe important sources of energy, electrons, and carbon (i.e. trophy) for the organism/organisms you are focusing on, as well as important molecules it/they synthesize(s).

6. Ecology

P. dendritiformis can live in various environments. One study discovered in this bacteria in forest soil samples taken in Brazil (13). Another study discovered this bacteria in marine soil, specifically in the soil located near the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia (14). In addition, P. dendritiformis can thrive in the rhizosphere and insect larvae (2).

7. Pathology

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms. P. dendritiformis can effectively reduce disease caused by soft rot pectobacteria from the genus Dickeya and Pectobacterium, which causes reduced crop yield and quality. (7) These diseases are mainly spread by contaminated tuber seeds. More analysis on P. dendritiformis’ genome indicates that it encodes for multiple genes that all compete for different resources such as amino acids, sugar transporters and iron. Hence, it has the ability to colonize plant roots and compete against its competitors..This makes it an efficient biocontrol agent against diseases such as potato blackleg and soft rot, caused by Dickeya and Pectobacterium. (7) P. dendritiformis is an effective biocontrol agent that has been shown to significantly reduce the maceration area of tuber slices as well as increase crop yield. (7) No evidence has been found that the bacteria strain causes any harm towards humans.

8. Current Research

One study focuses on the biosurfactant produced by Paenibacillus dendritiformis. This biosurfactant has the effect of degrading Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). PAH are concerning due to their carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity. Normally, PAH are easy to degrade as long as they have 2-3 benzene rings. However, PAH with 4 benzene rings have low biodegradability, meaning they are harder to degrade. Pyrene, a molecule with 4 rings, was used as the model for this study. It is an important PAH as it is a byproduct of incomplete combustion of organic compounds, and can be detected in the environment. In the experiment, P. dendritiformis was grown on oil and anthracene, where it produced a lipopeptide biosurfactant that enhanced pyrene degradation. Researchers found that at optimal lipopeptide dosage, the pyrene removal rate was 4 times greater than at sub-optimal dosages.This research is important as it shows that the biosurfactant produced by P. dendritiformis can be used in hydrocarbon contaminated environments to clean up 4 ringed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (4) (15).

In another study, researchers analyzed the secretions of Paenibacillus dendritiformis to identify the lethal factors that mutually inhibits the growth of sibling colonies. Researchers grew two sibling colonies of P. dendritiformis on the same agar plate, then analyzed proteins from the plate. They discovered the lethal factor, named “sibling lethal factor”, Slf for short. They also discovered subtilisin, a protease. At a certain concentration, researchers found that subtilisin could regulate colony growth. They also discovered that once subtilisin exceeded a certain threshold, the “sibling lethal factor” was secreted and targeted colonies for destruction. The bacteria’s response to overcrowding may be a common mechanism for population control in nature. This research is important as it shows that P. dendritiformis can conduct self-regulated colony growth. If this self-regulation is occurring in P. dendritiformis, it could be occurring in other microorganism as well. This study can also serve as background research for further studies concerning self-regulated colony growth (6) (16).

Another study, previously discussed in an earlier section, focused on how P. dendritiformis competes against soft rot pectobacteria. Soft rot pectobacteria are pathogens that infects a variety of plants including potatoes. Soft rot pectobacteria are problematic as they contribute to severe crop and major economic loss. The study determined that P. dendritiformis increases crop yield and reduces disease. In addition, this study shows that P. dendritiformis could make an effective biocontrol agent that can lead to an increase in crop yield (7).

9. References

It is required that you add at least five primary research articles (in same format as the sample reference below) that corresponds to the info that you added to this page. [Sample reference] Faller, A., and Schleifer, K. "Modified Oxidase and Benzidine Tests for Separation of Staphylococci from Micrococci". Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1981. Volume 13. p. 1031-1035.