Caja Dinesen

Abstract Although not essential for their growth, the production of secondary metabolites increases the fitness of the producing microorganisms in their natural habitat by enhancing establishment, competition and nutrient acquisition. The Gram-positive soil-dwelling bacterium, Bacillus subtilis produces a variety of secondary metabolites. Here, we investigated the regulatory relationship between the non-ribosomal peptide surfactin and the sactipeptide bacteriocin subtilosin A. We discovered that B.

Abstract Soil bacteria are prolific producers of a myriad of biologically active secondary metabolites. These natural products play key roles in modern society, finding use as anti-cancer agents, as food additives, and as alternatives to chemical pesticides.