Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pathology
Open Access

Abstract

An antifungal protein synthesized by Bacillus cereus has been partially purified by the use of ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephadex-G-200 column chromatography. The protein was produced from Bacillus cereus grown in potato dextrose broth medium (PDB) at 30 º C for 3 days at 100 rpm. The protein showed antagonistic effect against some fungi and yeasts. Crude extract from medium and semi-purified protein were tested in vitro against both fungi and yeasts using the disc diffusion method in order to detect the inhibitory effect of the protein. Zones of inhibition of the following diameter were found (mm) were Alternaria alternate (28), Rhodotorula glutinis (20), Fusarium sp. (16), Rhizopus sp. (15), Penicillium digitatum (13), Mucor sp. (13) and Aspergillus niger (10). The isolated protein was found to have a molecular weight of ~35kDa by sodium deodecyl sulfate-poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The data showed that the protein of Bacillus cereus has antifungal activity, a fact which points to the possibility of using it as a biocontrol agent against some fungi, findings which emphasize the potential role of B. cereus as an important biocontrol agent.

Biography

Sulaiman Ali Alharbi has completed his Ph.D. at the age of 38 years from Sheffield University, England and has trained molecular techniques from Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Sheffield University. Presently he has been working as a Professor in Medical Bacteriology, Department of Botany and Microbiology and also he is a Vice Dean for Development and Quality, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, Riyadh. He has precise energetic and enthusiastic Microbiologist and has 15 years? experience in both teaching and research activity. He has participated in several International, National conference, symposia, workshops and presented his research papers in several countries and recently he presented his novel research in Brazil. He has published more than 40 papers in reputed national, international and ISI journals and serving as an editorial board member of reputed journal and also has lifetime membership of microbiology associations in worldwide.