Paenibacillus polymyxa

Paenibacillus polymyxa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria
Division:	Firmicutes
Class:	Bacilli
Order:	Bacillales
Family:	Paenibacillaceae
Genus:	Paenibacillus (Prazmowski 1880) Ash et al. 1994
Binomial name
Paenibacillus polymyxa
Type strain
ATCC 842 CCUG 1086 CFBP 4258 CIP 66.22 DSM 36 HAMBI 635 and 1897 JCM 2507 LMG 13294 NBRC 15309 NCCB 24016 NCTC 10343 NRRL B-4317 VKM B-514
Synonyms
Bacillus polymyxa (Prazmowski 1880) Macé 1889 Clostridium polymyxa Prazmowski 1880 Granulobacter polymyxa (Prazmowski 1880) Beijerinck 1893 Aerobacillus polymyxa (Prazmowski 1880) Donker 1926 Pseudomonas azotogensis Voets and Debacker

Paenibacillus polymyxa is a Gram-positive bacterium capable of fixing nitrogen. The species may also be known as Bacillus polymyxa. It is found in soil, plant roots, and marine sediments. Strains of this species were also isolated from cod intestines by students at the University of Tromsø in February 2009.

Growth conditions

P. polymyxa can be grown in the laboratory on TSAg-medium.

Applications

Agricultural use

P. polymyxa is used as a soil inoculant in agriculture and horticulture. Biofilms of P. polymyxa growing on plant roots have been shown to produce exopolysaccharides which protect the plants from pathogens. The interactions between this bacterial species and plant roots also cause the root hairs to undergo physical changes.

Antibiotics

Some strains of P. polymyxa produce polymyxin antibiotic compounds. Surfactant complexes isolated from P. polymyxa have been shown to be effective in disrupting biofilms of Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus bovis.

External links

• UniProt Taxonomy
• PATRIC: Paenibacillus polymyxa