The bacterial isolates Lysinibacillus sphaericus JG-A12 and JG-B53 were isolated from a uranium mining waste pile that is contaminated with multiple heavy metal ions.
Genome analyses of Bacillus sp. JG-B53 were used to identify bacterial strategies to handle heavy metal polluted environments. The occurrence of genes that might mediate this tolerance like surface layer protein genes and heavy metal efflux protein genes was investigated
The heterologous expression of the silent S-layer like protein gene sllB of L. sphaericus JG-A12 in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) induced distinct morphological modifications from rod-shaped to filamentous cells and recombinant protein secretion. Investigations identified SllB, which was strongly expressed at room temperature, to inhibit bacterial cell division. The filamentous structures were used for the design of polyelectrolyte capsules.