Although RBBR-decolorizing activity varied, several RBBRdecolorizing
bacteria were isolated from soil throughout Japan
(from Hokkaido to Okinawa), clarifying the wide distribution of
RBBR-decolorizing bacteria in Japanese forest soil (Table. 1). The
RBBR-decolorizing rate of each isolate was determined. Identification
of isolates was conducted using commercially available API
identification systems (Table 1). As a results, several strains were
isolated from Mt. Asahi and Mt. Yonahadake. When soil samples
from Mt. Fuji was used in the isolation process, only a few genera
of strains could be isolated. Among the isolates, two strains of
Bacillus sp. from Mt. Asahi and Mt. Yonahadake showed the highest
RBBR-decolorizing rates (Table 1). Until a few years ago, strains of
Bacillus have not been well known as lignin-degrading bacteria. Latelyseveral lignin-degrading strains of Bacillus sp. have been isolated
from around the world and their lignin-degrading and/or
decolorizing abilities have been investigated (Bandounas et al.,
2011). In current study, Bacillus sp. strains were found in all
RBBR-decolorizing soil samples. These results indicate that Bacillus
sp. may be an important microorganism and play a key role in degradation
of lignin.