Volume 19
Issue 2
Biotechnology
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume19/issue2/abs-01.html
THE CHITINOLYTIC BACTERIUM BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS M3 AND ITS POTENTIAL APPLICATION IN BIOLOGICAL PLANT PROTECTION
Urszula Jankiewicz1, Monika Koz³owska1, Maria ¦wiontek-Brzeziñska2, Jaros³aw Nowosielski3, Sylwia Stêpniewska-Jarosz4
1 Department of Biochemistry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Poland
2 Faculty Biology and Environment Protection, Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruñ, Poland
3 Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute at Radzików, Poland
4 Bank of Plant Pathogens and Investigation on Their Biodiversity, Institute of Plant Protection – National Research Institute, Poznañ, Poland
ABSTRACT
The bacterium Bacillus licheniformis M3, which is antagonistic towards pathogenic fungi and oomycetes, synthesizes at least two different isoforms of chitinases. The use of a three-stage purification procedure enabled the isolation of two of these isoforms: Chi1 and Chi2. Both of these enzymes have been classified as chitobiosidases of the exochitinase group. Chi1 exhibits a temperature optimum of 60°C and pH 6.0, and has the higher thermal stability. Chi2 exhibits its highest activity at 55°C and pH 7.0. Both of the studied chitinases exhibited highest activity towards colloidal chitin as substrate. Calcium and sodium ions caused a slight stimulation of the activity of both of these enzymes, whereas they were markedly inhibited by Hg2+ and Cd2+. Chi1 and
Chi2 exhibited fungistatic activity towards Fusarium solani.
To summarize, B. licheformis M3 produces chitinases with fungistatic activity which could potentially find use as components of biopreparations for plant protection.
Key words: chitinase, purification, antifungal activity, Bacillus licheniformis, microbial antagonism, biological plant protection.
Urszula Jankiewicz
Department of Biochemistry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Poland
Nowoursynowska 159
02-776 Warsaw
Poland
email: urszula_jankiewicz@sggw.pl
Monika Koz³owska
Department of Biochemistry, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, Poland
Nowoursynowska 159
02-776 Warsaw
Poland
Maria ¦wiontek-Brzeziñska
Faculty Biology and Environment Protection, Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruñ, Poland
Lwowska 1
87-100 Toruñ
Poland
Jaros³aw Nowosielski
Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute at Radzików, Poland
Radzików
Poland
Sylwia Stêpniewska-Jarosz
Bank of Plant Pathogens and Investigation on Their Biodiversity, Institute of Plant Protection – National Research Institute, Poznañ, Poland
Poznañ
Poland
Responses to this article, comments are invited and should be submitted within three months of the publication of the article. If accepted for publication, they will be published in the chapter headed 'Discussions' and hyperlinked to the article.