Organization, Conservation, and Diversity of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Bacillus sp. BH32 and Its Closest Relatives in the Bacillus cereus Group.

This study explores the organization, conservation, and diversity of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) among Bacillus sp. strain BH32, a plant-beneficial bacterial endophyte, and its closest non-type Bacillus cereus group strains. BGC profiles were predicted for each of the 17 selected strains using antiSMASH, resulting in the detection of a total of 198 BGCs. We quantitatively compared the BGCs and analyzed their conservation, distribution, and evolutionary relationships. The study identified both conserved and singleton BGCs across the studied Bacillus strains, with minimal variation, and discovered two major BGC synteny blocks composed of homologous BGCs conserved within the B. cereus group. The identified BGC synteny blocks provide insight into the evolutionary relationships and diversity of BGCs within this complex group.