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1555032 
Journal Article 
Isolation of Paenibacillus sp and Assessment of its Potential for Enhancing Mineral Weathering 
Liu, D; Lian, Bin; Dong, H 
2012 
Yes 
Geomicrobiology Journal
ISSN: 0149-0451
EISSN: 1521-0529 
29 
5 
413-421 
WOS:000303196700002 
One mineral-solubilizing bacterial strain designated KT was
isolated from a soil in Henan Province, China. The full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 95.2
to 96.7% similarity to the bacteria of the genus Paenibacillus, indicating that the strain KT
belonged to the genus Paenibacillus. The potential of this strain to release potassium from
silicate minerals was investigated using a potassium-bearing rock as the sole source of potassium
to support its growth. After inoculation for 7 days, the concentrations of water-soluble Al, Ca
and Fe released from the potassium-bearing rock in active bacterial culture were higher than
those from the control with autoclaved inoculum, but the concentration of water-soluble K in
active bacterial culture was similar to that in the control. The concentrations of HNO3-
extractable Al, Ca, Fe and K from the bacterial culture were also higher than those in the
control. These results showed strain KT was able to release potassium from potassium-bearing
rock. These results have important implications for extraction of potassium from rocks to support
plant growth. 
bioweathering; potassium-bearing rock; Paenibacillus; potassium-solubilizing bacteria