Thirty-one isolates of aerobic bacteria recovered from PCA
plates were investigated. Except for a single isolate which showed a
Gram positive, coccoid cell morphology, all other isolates were
Gram positive rods, spore forming and catalase positive, and were
presumptively identified as Bacillus spp. Cluster analysis of ITS-PCR
profiles combined with visual observation allowed typing of Bacillus
isolates into three groups representing three different species
(Fig. 1b). Sequencing of 16S rRNA and rpoB genes in addition to API
50 CHB fermentation profiles allowed identification of each ITS
group of bacteria (Table 2). Representatives of the largest group,
Group 1, 83% of the total Bacillus isolates, were identified as Bacillus