Potencial biotecnológico do Bacillus velezensis MT7 isolado de solo amazônico

Abstract

Soil is one of the richest environments in terms of microbial biodiversity, and therefore bioprospecting microorganisms from Amazonian soil with biotechnological potential is an interesting strategy, given that most of this microbial diversity is unknown. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify, and characterize a bacterium of biotechnological interest from Amazonian soil samples, analyzing genes associated with plant growth promotion, synthesis of bioactive compounds, secondary metabolism, mobile genetic elements, and resistance genes. Soil samples were collected in an area of native Amazonian forest, and isolate MT7 was purified, characterized morphologically and biochemically, and subjected to complete genome sequencing by Illumina® sequencer. To analyze the genome, bioinformatics tools were used in the following steps: assembly using the SPAdes program, for the annotation step, the Bakta, Prokka, and DFAST programs were used, and finally, for the functional analysis, the MobileOG-db, CARD, CRISPRCasFinder, and antiSMASH programs were used. As a result, the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus velezensis MT7 was identified, with rod morphology, occurring singly, in pairs, and in short chains, in addition to being catalase-positive. In its genome, 3,798 protein-coding genes were identified, showing high similarity to Bacillus velezensis FZB42, with variations in the synteny of orthologous genes. One hundred and seven mobile genetic elements and seven antibiotic resistance genes were detected, in addition to multiple clusters of secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including surfactin and fengicin, associated with the induction of systemic resistance in plants. In addition, genes related to nitrogen fixation and metabolism, phosphorus solubilization, and potassium assimilation were predicted, evidencing potential for biofertilization. Bacteria of the genus Bacillus have high biotechnological potential, being capable of promoting plant growth and synthesizing metabolites under real cultivation conditions, with a view to consolidating their effectiveness and promoting innovations in sustainable agriculture and biotechnology.