Bacillus Identity Crisis BY DR.V.T.Sundaramurthy

Bacillus Identity Crisis

The identity of the very popular microorganism that silently drains the health of the system by taking the help of crops Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus cereus, (a common cause of food poisoning) found in all places in the soil, appear to be the same species.The other species B. anthracis, the cause of anthrax (a dreadful disease on animal and also man), also belongs to the same species. (Bouchie A. J Nature Biotechnology Volume 18, No. 8 August, 2000). Bacillus thuringiensis produces exo, endo and delta toxins.Among the three toxins the exo-toxin is very serious one as it goes against the brain (neuro toxicity) and causes immediate death of man Though our knowledge is very much limited on the biogenesis of these toxin there is likely chances for the gene that is responsible for resolution of endotoxin may produce other toxins either in the plant or in animal systems. Since the plant system is entirely different from other living systems there is likely configurational changes during toxin the biogenesis. If such thing is going one can think that he may get the serious toxin from the plants. Will the molecular biologist or biochemists come forward to resolve whether such phenomenon goes in the plant system or not.

More over, since their identity is not well understood. Anne-Brit Kolstø’s group, Biotechnology Centre, University of Oslo who have determined that what were thought to be three separate bacterial species (Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus anthracis) are actually three strains of the same species (Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66, 2627–2630, 2000) have their own suspicion on the use of “BTthuricide” in ‘organic” pest control methods due to possible genetic transfer. When this is in the world of science how the mankind uses this in the genetic engineering processes?

Time only answer this!

Regards

DR.V.T.Sundaramurthy