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This case emphasizes the significance of recognizing and managing Brevibacterium species. Here, we present a unique case of Brevibacterium species isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a 60-year-old female with recently diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and small cell carcinoma of the lung. Management involved a two-week course of intravenous vancomycin. Brevibacterium species are infrequently encountered in clinical practice. Sharing this case report aims to enhance the limited understanding of Brevibacterium species infections and encourages discussion among healthcare professionals regarding its diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Nguyen et al.)

Exploring Brevibacterium strains from various ecosystems may lead to the discovery of new antibiotic-producing strains. Brevibacterium sp. H-BE7, a strain isolated from marine sediments from Northern Patagonia, Chile, had its genome sequenced to study the biosynthetic potential to produce novel natural products within the Brevibacterium genus. The genome sequences of 98 Brevibacterium strains, including strain H-BE7, were selected for a genomic analysis. A phylogenomic cladogram was generated, which divided the Brevibacterium strains into four major clades. A total of 25 strains are potentially unique new species according to Average Nucleotide Identity (ANIb) values. These strains were isolated from various environments, emphasizing the importance of exploring diverse ecosystems to discover the full diversity of Brevibacterium. Pangenome analysis of Brevibacterium strains revealed that only 2.5% of gene clusters are included within the core genome, and most gene clusters occur either as singletons or as cloud genes present in less than ten strains. Brevibacterium strains from various phylogenomic clades exhibit diverse BGCs. Specific groups of BGCs show clade-specific distribution patterns, such as siderophore BGCs and carotenoid-related BGCs. A group of clade IV-A Brevibacterium strains possess a clade-specific Polyketide synthase (PKS) BGCs that connects with phenazine-related BGCs. Within the PKS BGC, five genes, including the biosynthetic PKS gene, participate in the mevalonate pathway and exhibit similarities with the phenazine A BGC. However, additional core biosynthetic phenazine genes were exclusively discovered in nine Brevibacterium strains, primarily isolated from cheese. Evaluating the antibacterial activity of strain H-BE7, it exhibited antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. Chemical dereplication identified bioactive compounds, such as 1-methoxyphenazine in the crude extracts of strain H-BE7, which could be responsible of the observed antibacterial activity. While strain H-BE7 lacks the core phenazine biosynthetic genes, it produces 1-methoxyphenazine, indicating the presence of an unknown biosynthetic pathway for this compound. This suggests the existence of alternative biosynthetic pathways or promiscuous enzymes within H-BE7's genome., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Phages are ubiquitous and are particularly abundant in environments where their bacterial hosts thrive, such as those in the cheese industry. Although it is well documented that phages infect lactic acid bacteria, their impact has been notably overlooked on cheese ripening strains, such as Brevibacterium aurantiacum. Here, we aimed to study the impact of B. aurantiacum phages on the production of smear-ripened cheeses. We used model cheeses in industrial settings to monitor the development of the color of the cheese rind as well as of its microbial composition in presence or absence of virulent B. aurantiacum phages. Our results showed that the presence of B. aurantiacum phages significantly slowed down the development of the orange rind color in the model cheeses. In the final days of cheese ripening, phages were also detected in the control curds. By analyzing a hypervariable region of B. aurantiacum phage genomes, we detected phages with tandem repeat patterns that were different from those used in the phage-inoculated cheeses. Our results highlight the risks of using a phage-sensitive strain in smear-ripened cheese production. This is the first study to report on the impact of B. aurantiacum phages on smear-ripened cheeses., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel bacterial strain, designated as WHS-Z9 T , was isolated from marine sponge Hymeniacidon sp. collected from Weihai (37° 25' N, 121° 58' E), Shandong Province, PR China. Cells of strain WHS-Z9 T were Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile, short-rod-shaped and light yellow-pigmented. The strain could grow at 10-40 °C (optimum, 20 °C), pH 4.5-9.5 (optimum, pH 8.5) and 2-14 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 4 %). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain WHS-Z9 T showed 98.7  % similarity to that of Brevibacterium epidermidis NBRC 14811 T , 98.5  % to Brevibacterium sediminis FXJ8.269 T and 98.4 % to Brevibacterium oceani BBH7 T . The phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain WHS-Z9 T was clustered with Brevibacterium limosum o2 T . The whole genome of WHS-Z9 T was approximately 4 217 721 bp in size with a G+C content of 65.2  %. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values among WHS-Z9 T and other Brevibacterium type strains were 83.3-85.5 % (ANI based on blast), 86.4-87.9  % (ANI based on MUMmer) and 41.9-57.5 % (dDDH). Percentage of conserved protein values between the genomes of strain WHS-Z9 T and members of genera Brevibacterium were 76.8-82.9 %, while the average amino acid identity (AAI) values were 83.7-87.0  %. The dDDH, ANI, AAI and POCP values were below the standard cut-off criteria for the delineation of bacterial species. The sole respiratory quinone in strain WHS-Z9 T was MK-8(H 2 ), and the predominant fatty acids were anteiso-C 15 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 . The major polar lipids of WHS-Z9 T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol and glycolipid. The diagnostic cell-wall diamino acid of strain WHS-Z9 T was meso -diaminopimelic acid. Based on the data obtained in this study, strain WHS-Z9 T (=MCCC 1K07845 T =KCTC 49848 T ) should be classified as the type strain of a novel species of the genus Brevibacterium , for which the name Brevibacterium spongiae sp. nov. is proposed.

epsilon -Caprolactam (Caprolactam, CAP), a monomer of the synthetic non-degradable polymer nylon-6, is the major wastewater component in the production of caprolactam and nylon-6. Biological treatment of CAP, using microbes could be a potent alternative to the current waste utilization techniques. This work focuses on the characterization and potential use of caprolactam-degrading bacterial strain BS3 isolated from soils polluted by CAP production wastes. The strain was identified as Brevibacterium epidermidis based on the studies of its morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. This study is the first to report the ability of Brevibacterium to utilize CAP. Strain BS3 is an alcalo- and halotolerant organism, that grows within a broad range of CAP concentrations, from 0.5 up to 22.0 g/L, optimally at 1.0-2.0 g/L. A caprolactam biodegradation experiment using gas chromatography showed BS3 to degrade 1.0 g/L CAP over 160 h. In contrast to earlier characterized narrow-specific CAP-degrading bacteria, strain BS3 is also capable of utilizing linear nylon oligomers (oligomers of 6-aminohexanoic acid), CAP polymerization by-products, as sole sources of carbon and energy. The broad range of utilized toxic pollutants, the tolerance for high CAP concentrations, as well as the physiological properties of B. epidermidis BS3, determine the prospects of its use for the biological cleanup of CAP and nylon-6 production wastes that contain CAP, 6-aminohexanoic acid, and low molecular weight oligomer fractions.

Cholesterol was first found in gallstones as an animal sterol; hence it is called cholesterol. Cholesterol oxidase is the chief enzyme in the process of cholesterol degradation. Its role is obtained by the coenzyme FAD, which catalyzes the isomerization and oxidation of cholesterol to produce cholesteric 4-ene-3-ketone and hydrogen peroxide at the same time. Recently, a great advance has been made in the discovery of the structure and function of cholesterol oxidase, and it has proven added value in clinical discovery, medical care, food and biopesticides development and other conditions. By recombinant DNA technology, we can insert the gene in the heterologous host. Heterologous expression (HE) is a successful methodology to produce enzymes for function studies and manufacturing applications, where Escherichia coli has been extensively used as a heterologous host because of its economical cultivation, rapid growth, and efficiency in offering exogenous genes. Heterologous expression of cholesterol oxidase has been considered for several microbial sources, such as Rhodococcus equi, Brevibacterium sp., Rhodococcus sp., Streptomyces coelicolor, Burkholderia cepacia ST-200, Chromobacterium , and Streptomyces spp . All related publications of numerous researchers and scholars were searched in ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. In this article, the present situation and promotion of heterologous expression of cholesterol oxidase, the role of protease, and the perspective of its possible applications were reviewed., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Two strictly aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, non-spore-forming, regular rod-shaped (approximately 0.7 × 1.9 mm) bacteria (HY170 T and HY001) were isolated from bat feces collected from Chongzuo city, Guangxi province (22°20'54″N, 106°49'20″E, July 2011) and Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan province (25°09'10″N, 102°04'39″E, October 2013) of South China, respectively. Optimal growth is obtained at 25-28°C (range, 4-32°C) on BHI-5% sheep blood plate with pH 7.5 (range, 5.0-10.0) in the presence of 0.5-1.0% NaCl (w/v) (range, 0-15% NaCl [w/v]). The phylogenetic and phylogenomic trees based respectively on the 16S rRNA gene and 845 core gene sequences revealed that the two strains formed a distinct lineage within the genus Brevibacterium, most closely related to B. aurantiacum NCDO 739 T (16S rRNA similarity, both 98.5%; dDDH, 46.7-46.8%; ANI, 91.9-92.1%). Strain HY170 T contained MK-8(H 2 ), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), galactose and ribose as the predominant menaquinone, major polar lipids, and main sugars in the cell wall teichoic acids, respectively. The meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-DAP) was the diagnostic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan found in strain HY170 T . Anteiso-C 15:0 and anteiso-C 17:0 were the major fatty acids (> 10%) of strains HY170 T and HY001, with anteiso-C 17:1 A predominant in strain HY170 T but absent in strain HY001. Mining the genomes revealed the presence of secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters encoding for non-alpha poly-amino acids (NAPAA), ectoine, siderophore, and terpene. Based on results from the phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses, the two strains could be classified as a novel species of the genus Brevibacterium, for which the name Brevibacterium zhoupengii sp. nov. is proposed (type strain HY170 T = CGMCC 1.18600 T = JCM 34230 T )., (© 2022. Author(s).)

The taxonomic assignment of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans together with the in-house environmental isolate EB93 was reassessed in this study using phylogenetic and phylogenomic approaches, and the detection of multiple molecular synapomorphies. Results from the reconstructed phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences, the concatenated protein sequences of GyrA-GyrB-RpoB-RpoC , and the whole-genome sequences revealed the consistent exclusion of B. frigoritolerans and the environmental isolate EB93 from the cluster formed by the type strains of the genus Brevibacterium . In addition, B. frigoritolerans and the environmental isolate EB93 were both observed to form a clade together with the type strains of the genus Peribacillus . The results from the analysis of the digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and the difference in the G+C content also corroborated with the phylogenetic inference, and that B. frigoritolerans and the environmental isolate EB93 were of the same species. Furthermore, the presence of the molecular synapomorphies in the protein sequences noted in the description of the genus Peribacillus were also observed in B. frigoritolerans , further strengthening its taxonomic affiliation in the genus. Based on the evidence from the multiple lines of analyses, we propose the reclassification of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans as a member of the genus Peribacillus and assume the name Peribacillus frigoritolerans comb. nov. (type strain DSM 8801 T =ATCC 25097 T =CCUG 43489 T =CIP 67.20 T =JCM 11681 T ).

Struvite biomineralization is a promising method for phosphorus recovery from wastewater treatment plant streams, and the growth of responsible microorganisms in mixed cultures is one of the most critical points for applying this process in pilot and full-scale. This study aimed to investigate the growth and bio-struvite production of Brevibacterium antiquum in mixed sludge culture. Alkaline fermentation was applied at different pH conditions to enhance the phosphorus content of sludge for an efficient recovery, and pH 8 was determined as the most feasible considering the phosphorus release and sludge characteristics. Growth optimization studies showed that NaCl's presence decreases the growth rate of Brevibacterium antiquum and bio-struvite production. At the same time, pH in the range of 6.8-8.2 did not alter the growth significantly. In addition, studies showed the ability of Brevibacterium antiquum in unsterilized fermented sludge centrate to grow and recover the phosphorus as struvite. Thus, our results indicated the potential of struvite biomineralization in full-scale wastewater treatment plants., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Aims: To isolate polystyrene-degrading bacteria from the gut of superworms and investigate their ability to degrade polystyrene (PS)., Methods and Results: Three PS-degrading bacteria identified as Pseudomonas sp. EDB1, Bacillus sp. EDA4 and Brevibacterium sp. EDX were successfully isolated from the gut of superworms (Zophobas atratus Larvae) that ingest PS. Incubating PS with each strain for 30-day led to the formation of biofilm on the PS film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed considerable damage (in terms of pits formation) on the surface of the PS films. FTIR analysis suggested the incorporation of carbonyl group into the carbon backbone of PS. Decreasing of WCA of microbial-treated PS film confirmed a chemical change from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity on the PS surface. Based on these results, we conclude that all isolates had the ability to degrade PS., Conclusions: Brevibacterium sp. EDX (GenBank MZ32399) was isolated as the most efficient PS-degrading strain based on the most changing in both PS surface morphology (SEM and WCA analyses) and chemical modification (FTIR analysis) in its PS degradation process., Significance and Impact of the Study: This was the first study to describe the PS degradation by Brevibacterium sp. EDX, and thus provided for its development in the plastic remediation process., (© 2022 Society for Applied Microbiology.)

The rapid rise in global temperature has adverse effects on rice productivity. The lack of eminent resources for heat stress alleviation is threatening the agricultural sector. Heat stress alleviation by endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can be a sustainable and eco-friendly approach. The present study was conducted to check the colonization of Brevibacterium linens RS16 producing ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate) deaminase in the rice endosphere and to characterize its efficiency in enhancing stress tolerance. The ethylene emission pathway, reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, proline accumulation, expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST), and small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) were monitored at two different levels of heat stress (40°C and 45°C). Bacterial inoculation decreased ethylene emission levels by 26.9% and 24.4% in rice plants exposed to 40°C and 45°C, respectively, compared with the non-inoculated plants. B. linens RS16 also enhanced the expression profiles of glutathione S-transferase. The collective effect of GST expression profiles and decrease in ethylene emission due to bacterial ACC deaminase activity subsequently resulted in a decrease in ROS concentrations. Additionally, HSP16 and HSP26 increased expression in heat-stressed plants inoculated with B. linens RS16 resulted in enhanced stress tolerance (i.e., lesser proline accumulation) than non-inoculated plants. Hence, this study demonstrates the bacteria-mediated tolerance against heat stress by regulating the ethylene emission pathway and upregulating antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins., (© 2021 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

The mechanisms of struvite production by biomineralization were investigated for five microorganisms (Bacillus pumilus, Brevibacterium antiquum, Myxococcus xanthus, Halobacterium salinarum and Idiomarina loihiensis) in municipal wastewater. The microbial exponential phase of growth occurred within the first 48 h of incubation, with growth rates varying from 0.02-0.08 1/h. These five microorganisms removed 23-27 mg/L (66-79%) of ortho-phosphate from wastewater, which was recovered as biological struvite (i.e., bio-struvite) identified by morphological, X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis. Bio-struvite crystals occurred in a low extracellular supersaturation index (0.6-0.8 units). Bio-struvite formation in B. pumilus M. xanthus, H. salinarum cultures was linked to biologically induced mineralization. Whereas B. antiquum and I. loihiensis produced bio-struvite through biologically controlled mineralization mechanism because the crystals presented homogeneity in morphology and size, and intracellular vesicle-like cell structures were observed enclosing electron-dense granules/materials. Nutrient recovery through biomineralization has potential application in wastewater streams promoting circularity within the wastewater industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Halophilic/halotolerant bacteria are generally assumed to live in natural environments, although they may also be found in foods such as cheese and seafood. These salt-loving bacteria have been occasionally characterized in cheese, and studies on their ecological and technological functions are still scarce. We therefore selected 13 traditional cheeses to systematically characterize these microorganisms in their rinds via cultural, genomic and metagenomic methods. Using different salt-based media, we identified 35 strains with unique 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequences, whose whole genome was sequenced. Twenty are Gram-positive species including notably Brevibacterium aurantiacum (6) and Staphylococcus equorum (3), which are also frequently added as starters. ANI and pan-genomic analyses confirm the high genetic diversity of B. aurantiacum and reveal the presence of two subspecies in S. equorum, as well as the genetic proximity of several cheese strains to bovine isolates. Additionally, we isolated 15 Gram-negative strains, potentially defining ten new species of halophilic/halotolerant cheese bacteria, in particular for the genera Halomonas and Psychrobacter. The use of all the genomes sequenced in this study as a reference to complement those existing in the databases allowed us to study the representativeness of 66 species of halophilic/halotolerant bacteria in 74 cheese rind metagenomes. While Gram-positive strains may flourish in the different types of technologies, Gram-negative species are particularly abundant in cheeses with high moisture, such as washed-rind cheeses. Finally, analyses of co-occurrences reveal assemblies, including the frequent coexistence of several species of the same genus, forming moderately complex ecosystems with functional redundancies that probably ensure stable cheese development., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The mechanisms of struvite production through biomineralisation were investigated for five microorganisms (Bacillus pumilus, Brevibacterium antiquum, Myxococcus xanthus, Halobacterium salinarum and Idiomarina loihiensis). After 72-96 h of incubation, the microbial strains tested increased the solution pH from 7.5 to 7.7 to 8.4-8.7, and removed ortho-phosphate (63-71%) and magnesium (94-99%) by biomineralisation. The minerals formed were identified as struvite (i.e. bio-struvite). Within the initial 24 h of incubation, microbial growth rates of 0.16-0.28 1/h were measured, and bio-struvite production was observed when the solution supersaturation index with respect to struvite achieved 0.6-0.8 units. The crystals produced by B. pumilus, H. salinarum and M. xanthus were thin trapezoidal-platy shaped and presented a gap size about 200 μm for intervals between cumulative volume undersize distribution at 50% and 90%. While B. antiquum and I. loihiensis produced crystals of coffin-lid/long-bar shape and a narrow size gap around 100 μm for intervals between cumulative volume percentage of 50% and 90%, indicating homogeneous crystal size distribution. Intracellular supersaturation of struvite phase was achieved within B. antiquum and I. loihiensis cells, corresponding to observation of intracellular vesicle-like structures occupied with electron-dense granules/materials. This study suggests that B. antiquum and I. loihiensis produced bio-struvite through biologically controlled mineralisation. This mechanism is the preferred for recovering nutrients from streams such as wastewater because it allows a link between manipulation of microbial growth conditions and bio-struvite production, even in highly complex streams like wastewater., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nickel bioaccumulation capacity of a marine Brevibacterium sp., designated as X6, was evaluated to explore its potential application in the bioremediation of Ni 2+ pollutants in marine environments. The minimum Ni 2+ inhibitory concentration and maximum Ni 2+ bioaccumulation of X6 were 1000 mg/L and 100.95 mg/g, respectively, higher than most reported strains. Among the co-existing metal ions in seawater, K + caused a slight adverse impact on Ni 2+ uptake, followed by Na + and Ca 2+ , whereas Mg 2+ drastically inhibited Ni 2+ bioaccumulation. Other heavy metals such as Co 2+ , Zn 2+ and Cd 2+ moderately affected Ni 2+ binding, but the adverse effect of Cu 2+ was severe. The investigation of the mechanism of Ni 2+ bioaccumulation revealed that 66.34% of the accumulated Ni 2+ was bound to the cell surface. Carboxylic, hydroxyl, amino and thiol groups participated in Ni 2+ binding, while carboxylic group contributed the most, while thiol group may be more involved in Ni 2+ binding at low Ni 2+ concentrations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the last few decades, there has essentially been an explosion in the use of lasers in medicine, especially in the area of cosmetic dermatology. Potentially harmful substances are liberated when tissues are vaporized with laser. This creates numerous risks, including the spread of infectious disease. Smoke evacuators are devices that capture and filter laser plume, thereby maintaining a safe environment for the surgical team and patient. Our aim was to characterize the microbial community structure within the suction tube and funnel of the smoke evacuator system, identify their origin, and evaluate pathogenicity. Dust particles were collected from the instruments with a cotton swab. DNA was extracted from the swabs and the transport media, and sequencing was performed using the Illumina HiSeq Xplatform. Metagenomic analysis was conducted using the Empowering the Development of Genomics Expertise (EDGE) Bioinformatics pipeline and custom Python scripts. The most abundant bacterial species were Micrococcus luteus and Brevibacterium casei in the suction tube, and Dermacoccus sp. Ellin 185 and Janibacter hoylei in the suction funnel. A total of 15 medium- to high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were constructed where we found 104 antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) and 741 virulence factors. Findings indicate that the suction tube and funnel are likely a reservoir of virulence factor genes and ARGs, which can possibly be passed on to other bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. We would like to emphasize the health risk these microorganisms pose and the need to reevaluate the current hygiene standards with regard to the smoke evacuator system., (© 2020. Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Époisses is a protected designation of origin smear-ripened cheese from the Burgundy region in France. It has an orange color and a strong flavor, both of which are generated by surface microorganisms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the microbial dynamics at the surface of Époisses cheese during ripening and postmanufacturing storage at low temperatures. Rind samples were analyzed by enumeration on agar plates and by 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequencing. During most of the ripening process, the counts of yeasts, which corresponded to the species Debaryomyces hansenii and Geotrichum candidum, were higher than those of the aerobic acid-sensitive bacteria. Debaryomyces hansenii reached a level of about 3 × 10 8 cfu/cm 2 , and its viability strongly decreased in the late stage of ripening and during storage at 4°C. Two of the inoculated bacterial species, Brevibacterium aurantiacum and Staphylococcus xylosus, did not establish themselves at the cheese surface. At the end of ripening, among the 18 most abundant bacterial species detected by amplicon sequencing, 14 were gram-negative, mainly from genera Psychrobacter, Vibrio, Halomonas, and Mesonia. It was hypothesized that the high moisture level of the Époisses rinds, due the humid atmosphere of the ripening rooms and to the frequent washings of the curds, favored growth of these gram-negative species. These species may be of interest for the development of efficient ripening cultures. In addition, because the orange color of Époisses cheeses could not be attributed to the growth of Brevibacterium, it would be interesting to investigate the type and origin of the pigments that confer color to this cheese., (Copyright © 2021 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The application of biosurfactants for the degradation of various toxic compounds has received much attention among researchers worldwide. A stimulated degrading method was carried out in this research to determine the efficiency of surfactant on the biodegradation of aromatic amine 4-Aminobiphenyl (4-ABP). The biosurfactant mediated process is an alternative strategy for chemical surfactants because chemical surfactants are toxic and nonbiodegradable. The bacterium was isolated through the enrichment process and identified using 16S rRNA sequencing method. The molecular characterization showed that the isolate belongs to Brevibacterium casei-4AB. Biosurfactant produced in this study was examined through screening activities like oil spreading, emulsification activity and surface tension measurement. Instrumental characterization like Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FT-IR) results suggested that there is a presence of NH group, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ester groups, amide and alkenes and further Gas chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) results confirmed the presence of fatty acids such as Hexadecanoic and Octadecadienoic acid which showed that the produced surfactant is lipopeptide. Protein content and lipid content in the biosurfactant was found to be 18 ± 0.8% and 30 ± 0.1%. The degraded metabolites of 4-ABP were analyzed through the GC-MS process which revealed the presence of metabolites such as 5-Amino-2-methoxy phenol., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, bacterial isolates were screened for arsenic resistance efficiency. Environmental isolates were isolated from arsenic-rich soil samples (i.e., from Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh state, India). Amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene revealed that the isolates were of Bacillus firmus RSN1, Brevibacterium senegalense RSN2, Enterobacter cloacae RSN3, Stenotrophomonas pavanii RSN6, Achromobacter mucicolens RSN7, and Ochrobactrum intermedium RSN10. Arsenite efflux gene (arsB) was successfully amplified in E. cloacae RSN3. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis showed an absorption of 32.22% arsenic by the RSN3 strain. Furthermore, results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphological variations revealed an initial increase in the cell size at 1 mM sodium arsenate; however, it was decreased at 10 mM concentration in comparison to control. This change of the cell size in different metal concentrations was due to the uptake and expulsion of the metal from the cell, which also confirmed the arsenite efflux system.

Brevibacterium linens AE038-8 is an arsenic hyper-tolerant bacterial strain, previously isolated from well water in Tucumán, Argentina. The aim of this study was to characterize this strain regarding its resistance to different stress factors and to evaluate its antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). We found that B. linens AE038-8 was capable of tolerating high concentrations of heavy metals such as Cd(II), Cr(VI) and Cu(II). When grown in the presence of NaCl, it could tolerate up to 3 M in LB 25 medium. When cultivated, B. linens released to the supernatants a bioactive principle with antiviral activity against HSV-1 virus regardless growth conditions.

The alternative antimicrobial strategies that mitigate the threat of antibiotic resistance is the quorum-sensing inhibition (QSI) mechanism, which targets autoinducer dependent virulence gene expression in bacterial pathogens. N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) acts as a key regulator in the production of virulence factors and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and violacein pigment production in Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. In the present study, the marine sponge Haliclona fibulata symbiont Brevibacterium casei strain Alu 1 showed potential QSI activity in a concentration-dependent manner (0.5-2% v/v) against the N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated violacein production in C. violaceum (75-95%), and biofilm formation (53-96%), protease (27-82%), pyocyanin (82-95%) and pyoverdin (29-38%) productions in P. aeruginosa. Further, the microscopic analyses validated the antibiofilm activity of the cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) of B. casei against P. aeruginosa. Subsequently, the biofilm and pyoverdin inhibitory efficacy of the ethyl acetate extract of B. casei CFCS was assessed against P. aeruginosa. Further, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of variety of components in which diethyl phthalate was found to be a major active component. This phthalate ester, known as diethyl ester of phthalic acid, could act as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing bacterial biofilm and virulence associated infectious diseases., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, the antifungal activity of metabolites produced by Bacillus atrophaeus B5 and a new Brevibacterium strain against Alternaria alternata was evaluated. Assays in vitro and in vivo on tomato fruit during postharvest were made. Based on the 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis, the new strain (strain B7) was identified as Brevibacterium frigoritolerans. Metabolites produced by both bacterial strains reduced the spore germination of A. alternata in vitro and decreased the severity of the alternaria rot disease on tomato fruit during postharvest. This is the first report that demonstrates the potential of B. frigoritolerans B7 as a biocontrol agent against this fungal phytopathogen. The use of metabolites produced by B. atrophaeus B5 and B. frigoritolerans B7 represents a new approach to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and control fungal decay during the postharvest stage.

Bioremediation has gained global prominence as an effective method for treating hydrocarbon-contaminated drill mud waste (HCDW). However, the problem of low nutrient content, bioavailability and microbial presence remain largely unresolved. In this study, the synergistic effects of compost, cow bile and bacterial culture on the degradation rate of HCDW was investigated. A homogenized HCDW sample (80 kg) obtained from 25 different drill mud tanks was divided into 20 portions (4 kg each) and each adjusted to 1.4% nitrogen content + 20 ml cow bile (i.e., basic treatment). Pure cultures of Brevibacterium casei (Bc) and Bacillus zhangzhouensi (Bz) and their mixture (BcBz) were subsequently added to 12 of the amended HCDW (basic) to undergo a 6-week incubation. A portion of the unamended HCDW (2 kg) was used as control. Initial pH, electrical conductivity and surface tension values of the HCDW were 8.83, 2.34 mS/cm and 36.5 mN/m, respectively. Corresponding values for total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total nitrogen and total plate count bacteria were 165 g/kg, 0.04% and 4.4 × 10 2  cfu/ml. The treatments led to a substantial reduction in TPH (p < 0.05) while the control had no significant effect (p > 0.05). TPH reduction after the experimental period occurred in the order: basic + BcBz (99.7%) > basic + Bz (99.5%) > basic + Bc (99.2%) > basic (95.2%) > control (0.06%). Multiple regression analysis revealed significant effect of total plate count, pH, CN ratio and electrical conductivity (R 2  = 0.87, p = 0.05) on the degradation of TPH in the HCDW. The study demonstrates strong interactive effects of compost, cow bile and bacteria culture on the remediation of HCDW, which can be applied to boost the efficiency of the bioremediation technique., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Gram stain-positive, non-spore-forming, non-motile and rod-shaped actinomycete, strain 5221 T , was isolated from the sediment of a river collected at Ronggui in the Pearl River Delta, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain formed a distinct lineage within the genus Brevibacterium and had the highest sequence similarity to Brevibacterium pityocampae Tp12 T (96.7 %), followed by Brevibacterium daeguense 2C6-41 T (96.5 %), Brevibacterium samyangense SST-8 T (96.0 %) and Brevibacterium ravenspurgense 20 T (95.9 %). The results of chemotaxonomic analyses, including detecting anteiso-C 15 : 0 , anteiso-C 17 : 0 , and C 16 : 0 as the major cellular fatty acids, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and three phosphoglycolipids as the polar lipids, MK-8(H 2 ) as the major menaquinone, and a DNA G+C content of 72.4 mol%, supported that strain 5221 T is a member of the genus Brevibacterium . Furthermore, low sequence similarities of 16S rRNA gene sequences, differences in fatty acid compositions and differential physiological characteristics such as enzyme activity and carbon sources utilization ability distinguished the isolate from its close relatives. Therefore, strain 5221 T represents a novel species of the genus Brevibacterium , for which the name Brevibacterium rongguiense sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain 5221 T (=GDMCC 1.1766 T =KACC 21700 T ).

Biological struvite (bio-struvite) production through biomineralization has been suggested as an alternative to chemically derived struvite production to recover phosphorus from wastewater streams. In this study, statistical experimental design techniques were used to find the optimal growth rate (μ) of Brevibacterium antiquum in sludge liquors. Acetate, oleic acid, NaCl, NH 4 -N, and Ca 2+ were shown to affect the growth rate of B. antiquum. The growth rate reached 3.44 1/d when the bacteria were supplemented with 3.0% w/v NaCl and 1124 mg chemical oxygen demand/L as acetate. However, NaCl was found to hinder the biomineralization of bio-struvite. A two-stage experiment demonstrated that bio-struvite was produced in the presence of acetate. Bio-struvite production was confirmed with X-ray spectroscopy and crystal morphology (prismatic, tabular, and twinned crystal habit) through electron microscope analysis. The bio-struvite production was estimated by measuring phosphate content of the recovered precipitates, reaching 9.6 mg P/L as bio-struvite. Overall, these results demonstrated the optimal conditions required to achieve high growth rates as well as bio-struvite production with B. antiquum. The results obtained in this study could be used to develop a process to grow B. antiquum in wastewater streams in mixed cultures and recover phosphorus-rich products such as struvite.

A new 14-membered homodimeric macrodiolide, brevidiolide ( 3 ), along with four known aromatic compounds ( 1 , 2 , 4 and 5 ) were obtained by heterologous expression of the recombinant plasmid pWLI823 expressing the G231L variant of VioA in the marine-derived Brevibacterium sp. 7002-073. The structures of 1 ⁻ 5 were elucidated on the basis of LC-MS and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. In the evaluation for the antibacterial activities of the compounds against multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains, 5 showed notable growth inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus CCARM 3090 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 3.12 µg/mL.

The succession of bacterial microbiota in tilapia fillets during cold storage at 4 °C was investigated employing PCR-DGGE method. Results showed that Pseudomonas was the most dominant genus during entire storage period. Shewanella and Psychrobacter were also always present, but became dominant only after 3 days of storage. Acinetobacter, Brevibacterium, Flavobacterium, Dietzia and Janthinobacterium were always the minor genera, among which Acinetobacter and Brevibacterium disappeared 6 days later, and Dietzia and Janthinobacterium only appeared at the end of storage. Further, the potential spoiler(s) of tilapia fillets at 4 °C were investigated in situ. The spoilage ability of a specific group of bacteria was evaluated as follows: Certain preservatives were selectively added to fillets to inhibit a specific group of bacteria, and then the changes in spoilage degree of fillets were determined. In this way the spoilage ability of the inhibited bacteria was evaluated. Our experiments showed that protamine strongly inhibited Pseudomonas but rarely inhibited Psychrobacter, Acinetobacter and Brevibacterium, but garlic juice, on the contrary, strongly inhibited the latter three but rarely inhibited the former. The mixed preservative, which consisted of protamine and garlic juice, didn't play better than protamine alone in preventing the spoilage of fillets. This indicated that Psychrobacter, Acinetobacter and Brevibacterium contribute little to the spoilage of tilapia fillets.

Background: Brevibacterium strains are widely used for the manufacturing of surface-ripened cheeses, contributing to the breakdown of lipids and proteins and producing volatile sulfur compounds and red-orange pigments. The objective of the present study was to perform comparative genomic analyses in order to better understand the mechanisms involved in their ability to grow on the cheese surface and the differences between the strains., Results: The genomes of 23 Brevibacterium strains, including twelve strains isolated from cheeses, were compared for their gene repertoire involved in salt tolerance, iron acquisition, bacteriocin production and the ability to use the energy compounds present in cheeses. All or almost all the genomes encode the enzymes involved in ethanol, acetate, lactate, 4-aminobutyrate and glycerol catabolism, and in the synthesis of the osmoprotectants ectoine, glycine-betaine and trehalose. Most of the genomes contain two contiguous genes encoding extracellular proteases, one of which was previously characterized for its activity on caseins. Genes encoding a secreted triacylglycerol lipase or involved in the catabolism of galactose and D-galactonate or in the synthesis of a hydroxamate-type siderophore are present in part of the genomes. Numerous Fe 3+ /siderophore ABC transport components are present, part of them resulting from horizontal gene transfers. Two cheese-associated strains have also acquired catecholate-type siderophore biosynthesis gene clusters by horizontal gene transfer. Predicted bacteriocin biosynthesis genes are present in most of the strains, and one of the corresponding gene clusters is located in a probable conjugative transposon that was only found in cheese-associated strains., Conclusions: Brevibacterium strains show differences in their gene repertoire potentially involved in the ability to grow on the cheese surface. Part of these differences can be explained by different phylogenetic positions or by horizontal gene transfer events. Some of the distinguishing features concern biotic interactions with other strains such as the secretion of proteases and triacylglycerol lipases, and competition for iron or bacteriocin production. In the future, it would be interesting to take the properties deduced from genomic analyses into account in order to improve the screening and selection of Brevibacterium strains, and their association with other ripening culture components.

Key Message: Carrizo transgenic plants overexpressing methionine-gamma-lyase produced dimethyl sulfide. The transgenic plants displayed more resistance to nematode attacks (Tylenculus semipenetrans) and may represent an innovative strategy for nematode control. Tylenchulus semipenetrans is a nematode pest of many citrus varieties that causes extensive damage to commercial crops worldwide. Carrizo citrange vr. (Citrus sinensis L. Usb × Poncirus trifoliate L. Raf) plants overexpressing Brevibacterium linens methionine-gamma-lyase (BlMGL) produced the sulfur volatile compound dimethyl sulfide (DMS). The aim of this work was to determine if transgenic citrus plants expressing BlMGL showed increased tolerance to T. semipenetrans infestation and to determine the effect on the content of key amino acids. While transgenic lines emitted dimethyl sulfide from leaves and roots, no sulfur-containing volatiles were detectable in wild-type Carrizo in the same tissues. Significant changes detected some key amino acids from leaves of transgenic plants such as aspartate, lysine, glycine, leucine and threonine with no changes in the amounts of methionine and α-ketobutyrate. In roots only glycine showed significant changes across all transgenic lines in comparison to wild-type plants. Transgenic plants expressing BlMGL and emitting DMS had less T. semipenetrans aggregation and more biomass than infected WT control plants, indicating that they may represent an innovative management alternative to pesticide/nematicide-based remedies.

Prokaryotes mostly lack membranous compartments that are typical of eukaryotic cells, but instead, they have various protein-based organelles. These include bacterial microcompartments like the carboxysome and the virus-like nanocompartment encapsulin. Encapsulins have an adaptable mechanism for enzyme packaging, which makes it an attractive platform to carry a foreign protein cargo. Here we investigate the assembly pathways and mechanical properties of the cargo-free and cargo-loaded nanocompartments, using a combination of native mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy and multiscale computational molecular modeling. We show that encapsulin dimers assemble into rigid single-enzyme bacterial containers. Moreover, we demonstrate that cargo encapsulation has a mechanical impact on the shell. The structural similarity of encapsulins to virus capsids is reflected in their mechanical properties. With these robust mechanical properties encapsulins provide a suitable platform for the development of nanotechnological applications.

Environmental pollution by heavy metals has become a serious problem in the world. Phytoextraction, which is one of the plant-based technologies, has attracted the most attention for the bioremediation of soils polluted with these contaminants. The aim of this study was to determine whether the multiple-tolerant bacterium, Brevibacterium casei MH8a isolated from the heavy metal-contaminated rhizosphere soil of Sinapis alba L., is able to promote plant growth and enhance Cd, Zn, and Cu uptake by white mustard under laboratory conditions. Additionally, the ability of the rifampicin-resistant spontaneous mutant of MH8a to colonize plant tissues and its mechanisms of plant growth promotion were also examined. In order to assess the ecological consequences of bioaugmentation on autochthonous bacteria, the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was used. The MH8a strain exhibited the ability to produce ammonia, 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, indole 3-acetic acid and HCN but was not able to solubilize inorganic phosphate and produce siderophores. Introduction of MH8a into soil significantly increased S. alba biomass and the accumulation of Cd (208%), Zn (86%), and Cu (39%) in plant shoots in comparison with those grown in non-inoculated soil. Introduced into the soil, MH8a was able to enter the plant and was found in the roots and leaves of inoculated plants thus indicating its endophytic features. PLFA analysis revealed that the MH8a that was introduced into soil had a temporary influence on the structure of the autochthonous bacterial communities. The plant growth-promoting features of the MH8a strain and its ability to enhance the metal uptake by white mustard and its long-term survival in soil as well as its temporary impact on autochthonous microorganisms make the strain a suitable candidate for the promotion of plant growth and the efficiency of phytoextraction.

Two different teichoic acids, along with a teichulosonic and a teichuronic acids, were identified in the cell wall of Brevibacterium aurantiacum VKM Ac-2111(Т). One teichoic acid is 1,3-poly(glycerol phosphate) with 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranose and L-glutamic acid as non-stoichiometric substituents at O-2 of the glycerol residue. The second one is a poly(glycosylglycerol phosphate) with -4)-α-D-Galp-(1 → 2)-sn-Gro-(3-P- and/or -6)-α-D-Galp-(1 → 2)-sn-Gro-(3-P- units in the main chain. The structure of the first has not been reported so far, while the latter one is new for actinobacteria. The teichulosonic acid with α-3-deoxy-β-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid (Kdn) and β-D-glucopyranose residues in the backbone represents a novel polymer: → 8)-α-Kdn-(2 → 6)-β-D-Glcp-(1 →. The teichuronic acid has also hitherto unknown structure: → 3)-β-D-Galf(2OAc)0.3-(1 → 3)-β-D-GlcpА-(1 → and is found in members of the genus Brevibacterium for the first time. The polymer structures were elucidated using 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy: (1)H,(1)H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, (1)H,(13)C HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and (1)H,(13)C and (1)H,(31)P HMBC., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phorate, an organophosphorus insecticide, has been found effective for the control of various insect pests. However, it is an extremely hazardous insecticide and causes a potential threat to ecosystem. Bioremediation is a promising approach to degrade the pesticide from the soil. The screening of soil from sugarcane fields resulted in identification of Brevibacterium frigoritolerans, a microorganism with potential for phorate bioremediation was determined. B. frigoritolerans strain Imbl 2.1 resulted in the active metabolization of phorate by between 89.81% and 92.32% from soils amended with phorate at different levels (100, 200, 300 mg kg(-1) soil). But in case of control soil, 33.76%-40.92% degradation were observed. Among metabolites, sulfone was found as the main metabolite followed by sulfoxide. Total phorate residues were not found to follow the first order kinetics. This demonstrated that B. frigoritolerans has potential for bioremediation of phorate both in liquid cultures and agricultural soils.

Microbial communities living on cheese surfaces are composed of various bacteria, yeasts and molds that interact together, thus generating the typical sensory properties of a cheese. Physiological and genomic investigations have revealed important functions involved in the ability of microorganisms to establish themselves at the cheese surface. These functions include the ability to use the cheese's main energy sources, to acquire iron, to tolerate low pH at the beginning of ripening and to adapt to high salt concentrations and moisture levels. Horizontal gene transfer events involved in the adaptation to the cheese habitat have been described, both for bacteria and fungi. In the future, in situ microbial gene expression profiling and identification of genes that contribute to strain fitness by massive sequencing of transposon libraries will help us to better understand how cheese surface communities function., (© FEMS 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aims: To determine whether poultry litter marker gene LA35 is correlated with pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in run-off from poultry litter-amended plots., Methods and Results: A rainfall simulator with various vegetative filter strip lengths was employed to evaluate the correlation of a microbial source tracking (MST) marker for poultry feces/litter (the 16S rRNA gene of Brevibacterium sp. LA35 [LA35] measured by quantitative PCR) with pathogens and FIB in run-off. LA35 was correlated with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroidales levels. Salmonella was present at low concentration in litter, but became undetectable by qPCR in run-off. Escherichia coli, LA35 and Staph. aureus exhibited mass-based first flush behaviour in the run-off., Conclusions: Correlation of LA35 with FIB and pathogens in run-off from poultry litter-amended fields suggest comparable transport mechanisms and that LA35 is a useful tracer for harmful bacteria in the environment released from poultry litter., Significance and Impact of the Study: To protect human health, an effective marker for poultry fecal contamination should exhibit similar fate and transport characteristics compared to pathogens. This study is among the first to demonstrate such a relationship in run-off for a MST marker., (© 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.)

Azo dyes constitute the largest and most versatile class of synthetic dyes used in the textile, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries and represent major components in wastewater from these industrial dying processes. Biological decolorization of azo dyes occurs efficiently under low oxygen to anaerobic conditions. However, this process results in the formation of toxic and carcinogenic amines that are resistant to further detoxification under low oxygen conditions. Moreover, the ability to detoxify these amines under aerobic conditions is not a wide spread metabolic activity. In this study we describe the use of Brevibacterium sp. strain VN-15, isolated from an activated sludge process of a textile company, for the sequential decolorization and detoxification of the azo dyes Reactive Yellow 107 (RY107), Reactive Black 5 (RB5), Reactive Red 198 (RR198) and Direct Blue 71 (DB71). Tyrosinase activity was observed during the biotreatment process suggesting the role of this enzyme in the decolorization and degradation process, but no-activity was observed for laccase and peroxidase. Toxicity, measured using Daphnia magna, was completely eliminated.

A 52-year-old man undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis presented with two consecutive episodes of peritonitis caused by unusual organisms, namely, Brevibacterium and Pantoea agglomerans. The patient was successfully treated with a 2-week course of cefazolin and ceftazidime for the Brevibacterium-associated peritonitis, and a 3-week course of gentamicin for the P. agglomerans-associated peritonitis. Although these environmental organisms are rarely responsible for human infection, the number of reported cases of human infection by these unusual organisms has increased. This report emphasizes the potential for infection by environmental organisms in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Although Brevibacterium species used to be considered as nonpathogenic microorganisms until recently, it seems that they can cause a wide variety of clinical diseases by acting mostly as opportunistic pathogens. The present case is the second reported case of infective endocarditis by Brevibacterium species; however, it is the first reported infected native aortic valve in an immunocompetent patient.

Mucosally induced tolerance is an attractive strategy for preventing or reducing autoimmune diseases. Here, we produced a recombinant CTB fusion protein linked with autoantigen T cell epitope of insulin B chain peptide 9-23 (C19S) at levels up to 200 mg/L culture media in Brevibacillus choshinensis secretion-expression system. Receptor-competitive assay showed that the CTB-insulin peptide binds to GM1 receptor almost equivalent degree as the native form of CTB. Non-obese diabetes (NOD) mice that spontaneously develop an insulin-dependent diabetes were nasally immunized with CTB-insulin peptide (5 microg) for three times. The nasal treatment significantly reduced the development of insulin-dependent diabetes and peptide specific DTH responses after systemic immunization with the insulin peptide B 9-23(C19S) in CFA. Nasal administration of as high as 50 microg of the peptide alone demonstrated a similar level of the disease inhibition. In contrast, all mice given 5 microg of the insulin peptide alone or 5 microg of insulin peptide with 25 microg of the free form of CTB did not lead to the suppression of diabetes development and DTH responses. Because molecular weight of the insulin peptide is about one tenth of that of the CTB-insulin peptide, the results demonstrate that the recombinant hybrid of autoantigen and CTB increased its tolerogenic potential for nasal administration by up 100-fold on molar base of autoantigen peptide. Taken together, nasally-induced tolerance by administration of the recombinant B. choshinensis-derived hybrid protein of CTB and autoantigen T cell-epitope peptide could be useful mucosal immunetherapy for the control of T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases., (Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc)

The effect of inoculation with indigenous naturally occurring microorganisms (an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus and rhizosphere bacteria) isolated from a Cd polluted soil was assayed on Trifolium repens growing in soil contaminated with a range of Cd. One of the bacterial isolate showed a marked PGPR effect and was identified as a Brevibacillus sp. Mycorrhizal colonization also enhanced Trifolium growth and N, P, Zn and Ni content and the dually inoculated (AM fungus plus Brevibacillus sp.) plants achieved further growth and nutrition and less Cd concentration, particularly at the highest Cd level. Increasing Cd level in the soil decreased Zn and Pb shoot accumulation. Coinoculation of Brevibacillus sp. and AM fungus increased shoot biomass over single mycorrhizal plants by 18% (at 13.6 mg Cd kg(-1)), 26% (at 33.0 mg Cd kg(-1)) and 35% (at 85.1 mg Cd (kg(1)). In contrast, Cd transfer from soil to plants was substantially reduced and at the highest Cd level Brevibacillus sp. lowered this value by 37.5% in AM plants. Increasing Cd level highly reduced plant mycorrhization and nodulation. Strong positive effect of the bacterium on inocula, are important in plant Cd tolerance and development in Cd polluted soils.

Bacteriophage BFK20 was isolated from a Brevibacterium flavum strain that had become contaminated during industrial fermentation. BFK20 has a polyhedral head 50 nm wide and a non-contractile tail 200 nm long and 10 nm in diameter. The genome of this bacteriophage consists of a linear double stranded DNA molecule of 44-45 kb with cohesive ends. The capsid of phage BFK20 contains nine polypeptides with molecular masses from 22.0-108.0 kDa. BFK20 DNA was used as a donor for fragments carrying promoters and transcription-terminators.

A method is reported for the determination of N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase in serum. Muramic acid, released from the interpeptide bridges of Brevibacterium divaricatum peptidoglycan, is measured by a modified colorimetric method. Using this procedure, it was possible to determine N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase in aliquots of less than 10 microliters human serum with an incubation time of 10 min. Amidase activity was found in all the sera tested (n = 11). The relevance of this simple and fast assay is discussed.