Abstract / Summary
Abstract Marine-derived Bacillus species are prolific sources of bioactive compounds with agricultural applications. Deep sediments of the Black Sea represent an underexplored ecological niche that may harbor bacterial strains with distinctive antimicrobial potential. This study aimed to evaluate the genomic and metabolomic potential of the Black Sea deep-sediment strain Bacillus subtilis ONU 1125 as a promising biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic microorganisms. The strain was isolated from Black Sea bottom sediments collected at 1,537 m depth. Genome annotation and biosynthetic gene cluster prediction were performed using multiple genome-mining tools, and exometabolites were profiled by HPLC-MS. The draft genome assembly of B. subtilis ONU 1125 comprises 4,259,067 bp, with a G + C content of 43.4% and 4,512 predicted coding sequences, including 717 hypothetical proteins. Sixteen candidate biosynthetic regions were identified, containing BGCs predicted to encode terpenes, type III polyketide synthases (T3PKS), non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), NRP-metallophores, betalactones, glycocins, cyclodipeptide synthases (CDPS), sactipeptides, epipeptides, and ranthipeptides. Metabolomic profiling of the exometabolome revealed 20 putatively annotated metabolites, including lipopeptides, polyketides, cyclic dipeptides, a NRPS-PKS hybrid, and a phenazine-like derivative. B. subtilis ONU 1125 exhibits a robust genomic and metabolic arsenal, highlighting its potential for development as an effective biocontrol agent.