Interest in
Paenibacillus spp. has been rapidly growing since many were shown to be important for agriculture and horticulture (e.g.
P. polymyxa), industrial (e.g.
P. amylolyticus), and medical applications (e.g.
P. peoriate). These bacteria produce various extracellular enzymes such as polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and proteases, which can catalyze a wide variety of synthetic reactions in fields ranging from cosmetics to
biofuel production. Various
Paenibacillus spp. also produce antimicrobial substances that affect a wide spectrum of micro-organisms such as fungi, soil bacteria, plant pathogenic bacteria, and even important anaerobic pathogens such as
Clostridium botulinum. More specifically, several
Paenibacillus species serve as efficient
plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), which competitively colonize plant roots and can simultaneously act as
biofertilizers and as antagonists (
biopesticides) of recognized root pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. They enhance plant growth by several direct and indirect mechanisms. Direct mechanisms include phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, degradation of environmental pollutants, and hormone production. Indirect mechanisms include controlling phytopathogens by competing for resources such as iron, amino acids and sugars, as well as by producing antibiotics or lytic enzymes. Competition for iron also serves as a strong selective force determining the microbial population in the rhizosphere. Several studies show that PGPR exert their plant growth-promoting activity by depriving native microflora of iron. Although iron is abundant in nature, the extremely low solubility of Fe at pH 7 means that most organisms face the problem of obtaining enough iron from their environments. To fulfill their requirements for iron, bacteria have developed several strategies, including the reduction of ferric to ferrous ions, the secretion of high-affinity iron-chelating compounds, called
siderophores, and the uptake of heterologous siderophores. ''P. vortex's'' genome, for example, harbors many genes which are employed in these strategies, and has in particular the potential to produce siderophores under iron-limiting conditions. Despite the increasing interest in
Paenibacillus spp., genomic information of these bacteria is lacking. More extensive genome sequencing could provide fundamental insights into pathways involved in the complex social behavior of bacteria, and could allow scientists to discover a source of genes with biotechnological potential.
Candidatus Paenibacillus glabratella causes white nodules and high mortality of
Biomphalaria glabrata freshwater snails. A major challenge in the dairy industry is reducing premature spoilage of fluid milk caused by microbes.
Paenibacillus is often isolated from both raw and
pasteurized fluid milk. The most predominant
Paenibacillus species isolated is
Paenibacillus odorifer. Species in the
Paenibacillus genus can sporulate to survive the pasteurization of milk and are subsequently able to germinate in refrigerated milk, despite the low temperatures. Many bacterial genera have a
cold shock response, which involves the production of cold shock proteins that help the cell facilitate global translation recovery.
Paenibacillus odorifer was demonstrated to carry multiple copies of these cold shock associated genetics elements. ==Pattern formation, self-organization, and social behaviors==