Kingdom Bacteria Rank Species | Higher classification Paenibacillus | |
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Genus Paenibacillus(Prazmowski 1880)Ash et al. 1994 Similar Bacteria, Paenibacillus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus licheniformis | ||
Paenibacillus polymyxa, also known as Bacillus polymyxa, is a Gram-positive bacterium capable of fixing nitrogen. 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.
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Growth conditions
P. polymyxa can be grown in the laboratory on TSAg-medium.
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.
Cell extraction
P. polymyxa is the source of dispase, an enzyme used to isolate cells from animal tissues.
