ABSTRACT

The group bacilli represent the Gram-positive ubiquitous spore-forming bacteria. Their diversity, versatility and the ability of producing diverse secondary metabolites including enzymes created enormous potential for applications in agriculture, biotechnology, environment and medicine. The bacilli are considered as one of the most studied groups of bacteria providing plant growth-promotion and biocontrol of multiple diseases reflecting their vital role in enhancing plants’ tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Some of the Bacillus species are available commercially as phytostimulants, biopesticides, and biofertilizers. Genetically engineered plants such as maize, cotton, brinjal with endotoxins producing genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has revolutionized agriculture. Many of these applications have been widely adopted in various fields as viable and environmentally friendly alternatives of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. A better understanding of the biology, ecology, and mechanisms of action of the beneficial strains of bacilli are needed for the development of products to support green biotechnology in agriculture and industries. This report comprehensively reviewed the applications of bacilli in agriculture and industry and discussed their potentials for the development of new products of biotechnological implications.

摘要

杆菌群代表革兰氏阳性无处不在的孢子形成细菌。它们的多样性，多功能性和产生包括酶在内的多种次生代谢产物的能力为农业，生物技术，环境和医学领域的应用创造了巨大的潜力。细菌被认为是提供最多的植物生长促进和多种疾病生物控制的细菌之一，反映出它们在增强植物对生物和非生物胁迫的耐受性中的重要作用。一些芽孢杆菌属物种可以作为植物刺激剂，生物农药和生物肥料在市场上买到。转基因植物，如玉米，棉花，茄子等，具有产生苏云金芽孢杆菌基因的内毒素（Bt）彻底改变了农业。这些应用中的许多已作为合成化学肥料和杀虫剂的可行且环保的替代品在各个领域中被广泛采用。为了开发支持农业和工业领域的绿色生物技术的产品，需要对细菌有益菌株的生物学，生态学和作用机制有更好的了解。该报告全面审查了细菌在农业和工业中的应用，并讨论了其在开发具有生物技术意义的新产品方面的潜力。