Occurrence of phenotypic variation in Paenibacillus polymyxa E681 associated with sporulation and carbohydrate metabolism

•We report phenotypic variation in P. polymyxa E681 occurred when grown on media.•F-type exhibited faster cell growth than B-type after utilization of carbon sources.•2-DE identified proteins involved in various metabolic activities.•The motility is mediated via the downregulation of sporulation and flagella production. We report the phenotypic variation in Paenibacillus polymyxa E681 (E681), a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) isolated from a winter barley root in Korea. Phenotypic variation (F-type) occurred when E681 (B-type) was grown in the media, and F-type was generated from B-type. B- and F-types were characterized by their morphological, Biolog, and GC-MIDI analyses. F-type cells altered the original biological capacity of B-type cells on endospore and flagella formation, changes in pH in culture, and carbon utilization. In growth curve analysis, B-type variants recovered bacterial growth as the variation occurred after the decline phase, but F-type variants did not. To determine this cause, we conducted comparative proteome analysis between B- and F-types using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). Of the identified proteins, 47% were involved in glycolysis and other metabolic pathways associated with carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, our findings provide new knowledge on the mechanism of phenotypic variation and insights into agricultural biotechnology. [Display omitted]