The Bacillus velezensis strain PG12, belonging to the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens group, is an endophytic bacterium known for its antimicrobial activities against crop pathogens. However, our knowledge of the molecular basis underlying its biocontrol activity and the relatedness of different strains in the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens group is limited. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of PG12 to test its taxonomic affiliation and identified genes involved in the biocontrol activity. The phylogenomic analysis results indicate that PG12 belongs to B. velezensis, a subgroup of the B. amyloliquefaciens group. By comparing the genomes of 22 strains in this group, we confirmed that it comprises three different phylogenetic lineages: B. amyloliquefaciens , B. velezensis and B. siamensis . Three secondary metabolism gene clusters related to the production of lipopeptides, namely fengycin, iturin and surfactin, were identified in the genomes of the B. amyloliquefaciens group. The core genome of B. velezensis is enriched in secondary metabolism genes compared with B. siamensis and B. amyloliquefaciens . Three of the five genes pertaining to the gene cluster responsible for fengycin biosynthesis ( fenBCD ) were found in B. velezensis and B. siamensis , but not in B. amyloliquefaciens . Phenotypic analysis showed that the ∆ fenA mutant of PG12 displayed significantly decreased biofilm formation and swarming motility, which indicates that fengycin contributes to the colonization and pathogen control abilities of PG12. Our results also suggest that B. siamensis and B. velezensis have acquired the fenBCD genes from Paenibacillus spp. by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Taken together, the results provide insights into the evolutionary pattern of the B. amyloliquefaciens group strains and will promote further researches on their taxonomy and functional genomics.

Bacillus subtilis , a plant-beneficial bacterial species exhibiting good biocontrol capabilities, has been widely used in agricultural production. The endophytic strain 9407 can efficiently control bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) caused by the gram-negative bacterium Acidovorax citrulli . However, the mechanism underlying its biocontrol ability remains poorly understood. Given the genomic diversity of B. subtilis , strain 9407 was sequenced and assembled in this study to determine the genome information associated with its biocontrol traits. A combination of core genome phylogenetic analysis and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis demonstrated that the 9407 strain belonged to B. subtilis . Various functional genes related to biocontrol traits, i.e., biofilm formation, motility, pathogen inhibition, plant growth promotion, and induction of systemic resistance, were identified in B. subtilis 9407. Four secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters with antibacterial ability were also found in the B. subtilis 9407 genome, including newly identified subtilosin A, bacilysin, and bacillaene, and the previously reported surfactin. Mutants lacking sboA or bacG , which are defective in synthesizing subtilosin A or bacilysin, showed decreased inhibitory activity against A. citrulli MH21, and the triple mutant with deleted sboA , bacG, and srfAB almost completely lost its inhibitory activity. The biofilm formation and swarming motility of the sboA and bacG mutants also decreased, in turn leading to decreased colonization on melon roots and leaves. Under greenhouse conditions, the biocontrol efficacy of the sboA and bacG mutants against BFB on melon leaves decreased by 21.4 and 32.3%, respectively. Here, we report a new biocontrol pathway of B. subtilis 9407 against BFB, in which subtilosin A and bacilysin contributed to the biocontrol efficacy by improving antibacterial activity and colonization ability of the strain. The comprehensive genomic analysis of B. subtilis 9407 improves our understanding of the biocontrol mechanisms of B. subtilis , providing support for further research of its biocontrol mechanisms and field applications.

Bacillus subtilis strain 9407 is an endophyte which was isolated from healthy apples from an infested orchard that exhibits strong inhibitory activity against Botryosphaeria dothidea. Whole-genome sequencing of B. subtilis 9407 was performed using the Illumina Hiseq platforms. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. subtilis strain 9407 containing 16 scaffolds (4,062,615 bp), 4033 coding sequences, and an average 43.66% G + C content. The genome contains genes responsible for the production of several bioactive secondary metabolites, including the lipopeptides fengycin and surfactin. The genome information will provide fundamental knowledge of the organism. This whole-genome shotgun data has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession numbers PISO00000000.

The biosynthetic pathway of diisonitrile chalkophore SF2768 was identified in Streptomyces thioluteus through heterologous expression recently. Isolation and structure elucidation of the N-substituted formamides that coexisted with the diisonitriles implied that a hydration event was involved. In vitro enzymatic assays of an endogenous isonitrile hydratase suggested a rare sequential-hydration of the diisonitriles. Additionally, the results of Cu-CAS assays indicate that both partial and complete hydration led to the loss of the copper-chelating ability of SF2768.