Ecology and biotechnological potential of Paenibacillus polymyxa: a minireview

• Published in: Indian journal of microbiology Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 2 - 10
• Main Authors: Lal, Sadhana, Tabacchioni, Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Springer-Verlag 01-03-2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Carbohydrates; Flocculation; Life Sciences; Marine sediments; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Nitrogen fixation; Plant growth; Porosity; Review; Review Article; Rhizosphere; Soil porosity; Flotation; Plant growth promotion; Flocculation; Biocontrol; Paenibacillus polymyxa
• ISSN: 0046-8991; 0973-7715
• DOI: 10.1007/s12088-009-0008-y

Microbial diversity is a major resource for biotechnological products and processes. Bacteria are the most dominant group of this diversity which produce a wide range of products of industrial significance.
Paenibacillus polymyxa
(formerly
Bacillus polymyxa
), a non pathogenic and endospore-forming
Bacillus
, is one of the most industrially significant facultative anaerobic bacterium. It occurs naturally in soil, rhizosphere and roots of crop plants and in marine sediments. During the last two decades, there has been a growing interest for their ecological and biotechnological importance, despite their limited genomic information.
P. polymyxa
has a wide range of properties, including nitrogen fixation, plant growth promotion, soil phosphorus solubilisation and production of exopolysaccharides, hydrolytic enzymes, antibiotics, cytokinin. It also helps in bioflocculation and in the enhancement of soil porosity. In addition, it is known to produce optically active 2,3-butanediol (BDL), a potentially valuable chemical compound from a variety of carbohydrates. The present review article aims to provide an overview of the various roles that these microorganisms play in the environment and their biotechnological potential.