BACILLUS THERMOAMYLOVORANS SP-NOV, A MODERATELY THERMOPHILIC AND AMYLOLYTIC BACTERIUM

A moderately thermophilic, facultatively anaerobic, amylolytic bacteri um was isolated from palm wine, a tropical alcoholic beverage that was sampled in Senegal. The cells were gram positive, catalase positive, non-spore forming, rod shaped, and slightly motile with peritrichous f lagella. The strain which we examined did not possess cytochrome and p roduced L-(+)-lactate, acetate, ethanol, and formate but not hydrogen during carbohydrate fermentation. Growth occurred at pH values ranging from 5.4 to 8.5, and optimum growth occurred at around pH 7.0. The op timum temperature for growth was around 50 degrees C, and the upper te mperature limit for growth was 58 degrees C. The guanine-plus-cytosine content of the DNA was 38.8 +/- 0.2 mol%. A sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the new organism is closely related phylog enetically to members of genus Bacillus. Despite the lack of spores, w e propose that on the basis of phylogenetic characteristics, the new i solate should be classified as a new Bacillus species, Bacillus themro amylovorans. The type strain is strain DKP (= Collection of Institut P asteur CNCM I-1378).