Diversity of myxobacteria isolated from Weizhou Island, Guangxi, and their potential biological activities

Authors

  • Kangting Meng 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2864-1207
  • Wang Jiang 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0897-0073
  • Huimin Cai 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0647-8219
  • Zhaoming Yang 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2269-8835
  • Yiran Yuan 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6318-5702
  • Zhiwei Su 1. Institute of Marine Drugs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530200, Guangxi, China; 2. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Science Education, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2998-8617

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS250324010M

Keywords:

Myxobacteria, Cystobacter fuscus, Myxococcus virescens, antibacterial activity, multidrug resistance, Weizhou Island

Abstract

Paper description:

  • Antibiotic resistance is an increasing concern. Investigating culturable myxobacteria and assessing their potential could aid in the development of novel antibiotics.
  • We explored the diversity of culturable myxobacteria on Weizhou Island in the Beibu Gulf, Guangxi, China, evaluating their antibacterial properties and enzyme activities through plate confrontation and enzyme production tests.
  • The research investigates 28 pure cultures of myxobacteria across 8 genera, identifying two promising candidates for potential biological activity.
  • This research increases the diversity of culturable myxobacteria, providing resources for developing novel antibiotics and biotechnological applications.

Abstract: This study investigated the diversity of cultivable marine myxobacteria from Weizhou Island in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi, with a particular focus on strains exhibiting potential antibacterial activity and associated enzyme production. The Escherichia coli entrapment method and filter paper methods were employed for separation, followed by purification using sequential conversion techniques. Myxobacteria were identified through morphology characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. The antibacterial activity against porcine pathogens was assessed using the plate confrontation method, and enzyme activity was evaluated through the plate assay method. From 13 island samples, 28 myxobacteria cultures were isolated, representing 13 species across 8 genera, predominantly Myxococcus. The antibacterial test showed remarkable activity in 9 myxobacteria strains. Cystobacter fuscus (GXIMD 01665c) and Myxococcus virescens (GXIMD 01661b) produced inhibition zones of 54.4±0.18 mm and 57.33±0.09 mm against E. coli L2 and E. coli 10, respectively. The enzyme activity experiment revealed that all 9 strains of myxobacteria could produce protease and cellulase, with 7 strains specifically producing chitinase, 6 strains producing amylase, and 4 producing lipase. These findings highlight the diverse antibacterial properties and enzymatic potential of myxobacteria from Weizhou Island. Strains GXIMD 01665c and GXIMD 01661b emerged as valuable microbial resources, holding great promise for further research and development.

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Published

2025-06-26

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1.
Meng K, Jiang W, Cai H, Yang Z, Yuan Y, Su Z. Diversity of myxobacteria isolated from Weizhou Island, Guangxi, and their potential biological activities. Arch Biol Sci [Internet]. 2025Jun.26 [cited 2025Jul.26];77(2):185-9. Available from: https://www.serbiosoc.org.rs/arch/index.php/abs/article/view/10869

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Vol. 77 No. 2 (2025)

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Copyright (c) 2025 Kangting Meng, Wang Jiang, Huimin Cai, Zhaoming Yang, Yiran Yuan, Zhiwei Su

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