Objective: Based on the antibacterial analysis, we screened Polyketide synthase (PKS I) gene from the epiphytic bacteria of Porphyra spp., in order to obtain the PKS I positive strains and detect the potential connection between the PKS pathway and the antibacterial mechanisms.
Methods: A total of 31 bacteria with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity were screened by agar-screening methods. The 16S rDNA and the Ketosynthase gene were amplified from the genome DNA of these bacteria, which were cloned into pMD19-T vector for sequencing analysis.
Results: Porphyra spp. epiphytic bacteria showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. Three PKS I positive epiphytic bacteria were obtained from Wenzhou rotten Porphyra spp. samples which had high antibacterial activity. The BLAST results indicated that the Ketosynthase fragments of PKS I from the strains of WPhG3, WPySwl and WPySw2 shared highest similarity (98%, 99%, 98%) to the strains of Bacillus subtilis subsp. Subtilis str. 168 (NP_389602), Bacillus subtilis (ABR19776) and Aspergillus carbonarius (AAZ99721), respectively. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that they belonged to the genus of Bacillus.
Conclusion: The flora of Porphyra spp. epiphytic bacteria was complex, which regulated the phycosphere in many ways. The PKS I pathway might be a performance of antibacterial function of Bacillus from Wenzhou rotten samples.