Enhanced intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis after addition of oligosaccharide elicitors

Elicitation can lead to overproduction of secondary metabolites in plants and microbes. Potential changes in cytosolic Ca2+ levels in bacteria were studied in response to elicitation. We report, for the first time, the effect of oligosaccharide elicitors on intracellular Ca2+ levels. The apoaequorin gene was cloned into Escherichia coli DH5 alpha and Bacillus subtilis 1604 cultures. Addition of elicitors, oligoguluronate and mannan oligosaccharides, to the cultures caused up to 11-fold increase in cytosolic Ca2+ in E. coli and tenfold increase in B. subtilis. These increases in Ca2+ levels could therefore contribute to the enhancement of secondary metabolite levels.