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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2004, p. 475-482, Vol. 70, No. 1
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.1.475-482.2004

Species Differentiation of a Diverse Suite of Bacillus Spores by Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Profiling

Danielle N. Dickinson,^1* Myron T. La Duc,² William E. Haskins,³ Igor Gornushkin,¹ James D. Winefordner,¹ David H. Powell,¹ and Kasthuri Venkateswaran²

Department of Chemistry,¹ McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611,³ NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109²

Received 17 July 2003/ Accepted 7 October 2003

In this study, we demonstrate the versatility of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) protein profiling for the species differentiation of a diverse suite of Bacillus spores. MALDI-TOFMS protein profiles of 11 different strains of Bacillus spores, encompassing nine different species, were evaluated. Bacillus species selected for MALDI-TOFMS analysis represented the spore-forming bacterial diversity of typical class 100K clean room spacecraft assembly facilities. A one-step sample treatment and MALDI-TOFMS preparation were used to minimize the sample preparation time. A library of MALDI-TOFMS spectra was created from these nine Bacillus species, the most diverse protein profiling study of the genus reported to date. Linear correlation analysis was used to successfully differentiate the MALDI-TOFMS protein profiles from all strains evaluated in this study. The MALDI-TOFMS protein profiles were compared with 16S rDNA sequences for their bacterial systematics and molecular phylogenetic affiliations. The MALDI-TOFMS profiles were found to be complementary to the 16S rDNA analysis. Proteomic studies of Bacillus subtilis 168 were pursued to identify proteins represented by the biomarker peaks in the MALDI-TOFMS spectrum. Four small, acid-soluble proteins (A, B, C, and D), one DNA binding protein, hypothetical protein ymf J, and four proteins associated with the spore coat and spore coat formation (coat JB, coat F, coat T, and spoIVA) were identified. The ability to visualize higher-molecular-mass coat proteins (10 to 25 kDa) as well as smaller proteins (<10 kDa) with MALDI-TOFMS profiling is critical for the complete and effective species differentiation of the Bacillus genus.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Florida, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL 32611-7200. Phone: (352) 392-2607. Fax: (352) 392-4651. E-mail: danielled{at}chem.ufl.edu.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2004, p. 475-482, Vol. 70, No. 1
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.1.475-482.2004

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