Properties of a Strand of Bacilli Isolated from a Microbiotic Crust in the Gurbantonggut Desert, Xinjiang

Thermophilic bacilli have a peculiar adaptability to high-temperature habitats, they inhabit mainly in high-temperature environment, such as areas around hot springs. It is extremely arid and hot in the Gurbantonggut Desert, Xinjiang in summer, which provide the fine conditions for thermophilic bacilli to inhabit there. In this paper, a strand of thermophilic bacilli, 1.0×1.5～2.0×2.5 μm in size, was iso1ated from a microbiotic crust in the Gurbantonggut desert, Xinjiang. Among 34 bacillus genera 6 genera are thermophilic bacilli, i.e., the Bacillus acidocaldarius, B. brevis, B. coagulans, B. licheniformis, Bschlegllih, and B. stearothermophilus. It is identified that the thermophilic bacilli iso1ated from a microbiotic crust in the Gurbantonggut desert are Bacillus sp. The morpha and the physiological and biochemical properties of the bacilli are researched. The tests of the thermophilic bacilli were carried out under the temperatures of 20 ℃, 30 ℃, 40 ℃, 50 ℃, 60 ℃ and 70 ℃ respectively, and the pH values for the growing tests of thermophilic bacilli were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively. The results show that the bacilli can grow under a temperature range of 25 ℃～58 ℃, a pH value range of 6.0～10.0 and NaCl of 15%, and the optimal temperature for the growth of bacilli is 47 ℃. The bacilli can decompose starch and gelatin, and can fluidify glutin. If it is further testified that these enzymes could also grow under high temperature and have high activation, they will be extensively used in industrial production, food processing, pharmaceutical industry, etc.