Table 1. Phenotypic characteristics that differentiate strain ZYKT from related Bacillus species25,26.
| Characteristic | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cell size | 0.2–0.3 × 1.0–2.0 | 1.0 × 2–3 | 0.6–0.7 × 2–3 | 0.5 × 2–3 |
| Gram | + | + | + | + |
| Motility | + | + | + | + |
| Flagellation | + | + | + | + |
| Spore shape | O | O | O | C |
| pH range | 6.0–7.6 | 5.6–8.4 | 4.5–9.9 | 5.5–8.6 |
| Optimum pH | 7.0–7.2 | 6.8 | 8.7–9.2 | 6.8 |
| NaCl (%) range | 0–1.1 | 0–5 | 0–5 | 0–7 |
| Colony | white | white | Cream white | Cream white |
| Temperature (°C) range | 21–45 | 4–46 | 10–47 | 15–55 |
| Temperature (°C) optimum | 30 | 30 | 37 | 28–30 |
| Oxygen requirements | Facultatively anaerobic | Facultatively anaerobic | Strictly aerobic | Strictly aerobic |
| Catalase | − | − | + | + |
| Oxidase | − | + | + | − |
| Nitrate reduction | + | + | + | + |
| Selenite reduction | + | − | + | − |
| Acid production from: | ||||
| D-Mannose | − | + | − | + |
| D-Glucose | + | − | − | + |
| D-Mannitol | − | − | − | + |
| D-xylose | − | − | − | + |
| Maltose | + | − | − | + |
| Hydrolysis of: | ||||
| Aesculin | − | − | − | − |
| Casein | − | + | + | + |
| Starch | − | − | + | + |
| Gelatin Utilization of: | − | − | + | + |
| Citrate | + | + | + | + |
| D-Cellobiose | − | − | − | − |
| L-Arginine | + | − | − | + |
| L-Proline | − | + | + | − |
| L-Serine | − | − | + | − |
| L-Histidine | + | − | − | − |
| Tween-20 | + | + | + | + |
| DNA G+C content (mol %) | 36.1 | 45.0 | 36.9 | 50.3 |
Strains: 1, ZYKT (present study); 2, Bacillus azotoformans ATCC 29788T; 3, Bacillus cohnii DSM 6307T; 4, Bacillus subtilissubsp. subtilis NCIB 3610T. O, Oval; C, Cylindrical; +, Positive; −, Negative.