Complete genome sequence of the industrial bacterium Bacillus licheniformis and comparisons with closely related Bacillus species.

Background: Bacillus licheniformis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming soil bacterium that is used in the biotechnology industry to manufacture enzymes, antibiotics, biochemicals and consumer products. This species is closely related to the well studied model organism Bacillus subtilis, and produces an assortment of extracellular enzymes that may contribute to nutrient cycling in nature.

Results: We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the B.