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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
06:38
Use of the Soft-agar Overlay Technique to Screen for Bacterially Produced Inhibitory Compounds
Published on: January 14, 2017
33.9K
Various Bacillus and Paenibacillus Spp. Isolated From Soil Produce Compounds With Potent Antimicrobial Activity
Michael Moran1, Hogan Turner1, Joseph Yanchar1
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Microbiologyopen
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Soil bacteria Paenibacillus profundus show potent antimicrobial activity against drug-resistant pathogens like MRSA and CRE. This discovery offers a promising avenue for developing new antibiotics to combat the growing antibiotic resistance crisis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Drug Discovery
- Genomics
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat.
- Novel antimicrobial agents are urgently needed to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens.
- Soil bacteria, particularly Bacillus and Paenibacillus species, are known sources of bioactive compounds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antimicrobial potential of soil-derived Bacillus and Paenibacillus isolates.
- To identify specific strains with activity against clinically significant MDR pathogens.
- To explore the genetic basis of antimicrobial production in promising isolates.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 29 Bacillus and Paenibacillus soil isolates for antimicrobial activity.
- Antimicrobial assays (agar and broth) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE).
- Species identification via 16S rRNA sequencing and genome mining with antiSMASH.
Main Results:
- Paenibacillus profundus strains 7.5 and M4.5 demonstrated potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.
- Significant inhibition of numerous CRE strains was observed.
- Genome mining revealed biosynthetic gene clusters (NRPSs, PKSs, RiPPs) similar to known antimicrobials like polymyxin B and colistin.
Conclusions:
- Paenibacillus profundus is a promising source of novel antimicrobial compounds.
- The identified gene clusters offer targets for the development of new antibiotics.
- Soil-derived bacteria continue to be a valuable resource for addressing antibiotic resistance.
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