A Mutant of Bacillus Subtilis with High-Producing Surfactin by Ion Beam Implantation

Abstract

In order to generate a mutant of Bacillus subtilis with enhanced surface activity through low energy nitrogen ion beam implantation, the effects of energy and dose of ions implanted were studied. The morphological changes in the bacteria were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The optimum condition of ions implantation, 20 keV of energy and 2.6×1015N+/cm2 in dose, was determined. A mutant, B.s-E-8 was obtained, whose surface activity of 50-fold and 100-fold diluted cell-free Landy medium was as 5.6-fold and 17.4-fold as the wild strain. The microbial growth and biosurfactant production of both the mutant and the wild strain were compared. After purified by ultrafiltration and SOURCE 15PHE, the biosurfactant was determined to be a complex of surfactin family through analysis of electrospray ionization mass spectrum (ESI/MS) and there was an interesting finding that after the ion beam implantation the intensities of the components were different from the wild type strain.