Bacillus atrophaeus – NBRC 16183

Bacillus atrophaeus

Bacillus atrophaeus

NBRC No.NBRC 16183
Scientific Name of this StrainBacillus atrophaeus Nakamura 1989
Synonymous Name
Type Strain
Accepted Date1998/06/10
Isolated Year
Deposited Year
HistoryIFO 16183 <- ATCC 9372 <- N.R. Smith, 1221A <- Bacon Labs. (Bacillus globigii, red strain) <- Camp Detrick (C.R. Phillips) <- E. MaCoy
Other Culture Collection No.ATCC 9372=CIP 77.18=DSM 675=IFO 13721=NCIB 8058=NCIMB 13498=NBRC 13721=IFO 16183
Other No.1221A
Rehydration Fluid702
Medium802
Cultivation Temp.30 C
Cultivation Oxygen Relationship
Source of Isolation
Locality of Source
Country of Origin
Biosafety Level
ApplicationsHot air and ethyleneoxide gas;sterilization control
JIS K 8008:1992;test
Mating Type
Genetic Marker
Plant Quarantine No.
Animal Quarantine No.
Herbarium No.
Restriction
Comment
References617
Sequences16S rDNA
Shipping asGlass ampoule (L-dried)

Bacillus atrophaeus is a species of black-pigmented bacteria. Its type strain is NRRL NRS-213. B. atrophaeus strains have been used extensively in biomedicine as indicator strains for heat- and chemical-based decontamination regimens. Most of the strains in use are derivatives of a lineage of B. atrophaeus that originated at Camp Detrick in the 1950s, where many modern biocontainment procedures were developed. B. atrophaeus has historically been known by several other names, including B. globigii, (the origin of its military moniker “BG,”) and B. subtilis var. niger.

Modern phylogenetic analyses using multiple genetic methods have placed B. atrophaeus close to B. subtilis. Its original and still most prominent use is as a surrogate organism for pathogenic B. anthracis, beginning in the U.S. bio-weapons program, as its pigmentation readily facilitated discrimination from non-pigmented background organisms in environmental samples. Subsequent genomic and phenotypic analysis of strains derived from the Camp Detrick isolates revealed that they had been deliberately selected for strains that exhibited elevated rates of sporulation.