WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM/ANIMAL-HEALTH
STRAINS MATTER
There is unlimited diversity among living organisms and bacteria are no different.
90% 96%82% 99.9%
Genetic diversity
Range of similarity among B. subtilis strains
Within a species of bacteria, there can be
thousands of different strains.
A strain is a subtype of a microbial species with:
• Unique genetic identity
• Distinctive morphological, biochemical and
behavioral features
The bacterial species Bacillus subtilis
has more than 1000 strains recorded
in international strain banks, which
contrasts the 250 cattle, 190 dog, or 65
chicken recognized breeds.
Assessing bacterial genetic diversity is critical for
strain discrimination.
Selecting and differentiating strains matters
greatly for the health and food industries as
different strains have unique properties.
Strain variability can be used to tackle
major food and health challenges.
Des
ign
by S
cite
- S
cien
ce C
omm
unic
atio
n
Enhanced digestion | Pathogen mitigation | Improved performance
Different Lactobacillus animalis strains show distinct benefits
Similarity between humans and mice or chimpanzees
WWW.CHR-HANSEN.COM/ANIMAL-HEALTH
EXPONENTIAL VARIABILITY IN ENZYME PRODUCTION
Chr. Hansen Animal Health Innovation (EXP-12-AB4609).
Cellulase and xylanase are two fiber degrading enzymes needed to breakdown cellulose and hemicellulose, respectively, and their activity varies exponentially across different Bacillus strains.
HIGH GENETIC DIVERSITY AMONG BACILLUS SUBTILIS STRAINS
Earl et al. (2017) Journal of Bacteriology 189: 1163-1170.
Number of genes associated with different category role groups and level of total divergence among 17 Bacillus subtilis strains.
CATEGORY ROLE GENES DIVERGENT % DIVERGENT
Cell wall 89 24 27
Germination 26 11 42
Binding proteins and lipoproteins 400 123 31
Metabolism of amino acids 201 32 16
Metabolism of sulfur 8 5 63
Anti-microbial peptide production 35 23 66
Regulation of RNA synthesis 224 82 37
Protein folding 12 6 50
Unknown 540 152 28
Total 3,722 1,003 27
Bacillus subtilis Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000Cellulase
Enzy
me
activ
ity (
mU
/ml r
elat
ive
to O
D)
Bacillus subtilis Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Xylanase
Enzy
me
activ
ity (
mU
/ml r
elat
ive
to O
D)
strain 1Pathogen inhibition
strain 2Pathogen inhibition
strain 3No pathogen inhibition
DIFFERENT PATHOGEN INHIBITION OUTCOMES
Chr. Hansen Animal Health Innovation (EXP-16-AI1205).
Inhibitory activity of different Bacillus subtilis strains against the pathogenic bacteria Clostridium perfringens varies greatly.
Top Related