Genomic Characterization of Bacillus subtilis PY79 and NCIB 3610 as Potential Producers of Surfactin

Surfactin is a powerful surfactant of biological origin with a wide range of potential applications in industry and medicine. The main factor limiting its active utilization is the high cost of production. Due to the complexity of the structure, the chemical synthesis of surfactin is unprofitable, so the main approach to its production is microbiological synthesis. This work demonstrated for the first time the ability of B. subtilis NCIB 3610 to synthesize surfactin. This strain possesses properties lost by most B. subtilis model laboratory strains. The nucleotide sequences of genomes of B. subtilis NCIB 3610 and B. subtilis PY79 strains have been obtained by nanopore sequencing. А comparative analysis of the obtained genomes with genome of B. subtilis 168, genetically modified derivatives of which are patented surfactin producers, has been performed. No mutations affecting surfactin biosynthesis were found in the NCIB 3610 strain, while in the PY79 strain mutations were identified in genes involved in cellular processes competing with biosynthesis of the surfactin. Thus, the results obtained in this work make it possible to consider B. subtilis NCIB 3610 and PY79 as alternative base strains for the genetic engineering design of surfactin superproducers.