Abstract
Recent studies suggest that surfaces are a more conducive habitat than the water column for the proliferation of bdellovibrios in the aquatic environment. The effect of temperature and salinity on the colonization of bdellovibrios on oyster shell, glass, and polystyrene surfaces in situ was investigated over an annual cycle. Sterile surfaces were suspended in various bodies of water for intervals ranging from 24 to 120 h. The results revealed that bdellovibrios associated with different types of surfaces over a broad temperature and salinity range. After 24 h of submersion in waters with temperatures from 9.0 to 26.7(deg)C, the ranges in log(inf10) values per square centimeter for the three surfaces were as follows: oyster shell, 2.2 to 2.5; glass, 0.3 to 2.2; and polystyrene, 0.7 to 1.6. Bdellovibrios were not recovered from surfaces submerged in water at temperatures below 8(deg)C during the 120-h experimental cycle. The number of bdellovibrios and culturable bacteria on oyster shells was significantly higher than the numbers on glass and polystyrene at all time intervals. The number of bdellovibrios was positively correlated with temperature and salinity on all surfaces. A positive correlation between the number of recoverable bacteria and temperature was observed, but the results with respect to salinity were diverse. The numbers of bdellovibrios recovered from oyster shells (up to 48 h) and water samples were significantly increased at salinities greater than 11(permil) compared to those in lower-salinity environments. The results of this study reveal that like many other bacteria in the aquatic environment, bdellovibrios prefer to associate with surfaces. This association provides the predators a rich source of prey bacteria in surface biofilms and perhaps protection in the gel-like matrix of the biofilm.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (203.5 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Fletcher M., Loeb G. I. Influence of substratum characteristics on the attachment of a marine pseudomonad to solid surfaces. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jan;37(1):67–72. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.1.67-72.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Montgomery M. T., Kirchman D. L. Role of Chitin-Binding Proteins in the Specific Attachment of the Marine Bacterium Vibrio harveyi to Chitin. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 Feb;59(2):373–379. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.2.373-379.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rittenberg S. C. Nonidentity of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus strains 109D and 109J. J Bacteriol. 1972 Jan;109(1):432–433. doi: 10.1128/jb.109.1.432-433.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- STOLP H., STARR M. P. BDELLOVIBRIO BACTERIOVORUS GEN. ET SP. N., A PREDATORY, ECTOPARASITIC, AND BACTERIOLYTIC MICROORGANISM. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1963;29:217–248. doi: 10.1007/BF02046064. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schoeffield A. J., Williams H. N. Efficiencies of recovery of bdellovibrios from brackish- water environments by using various bacterial species as prey. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1990 Jan;56(1):230–236. doi: 10.1128/aem.56.1.230-236.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shilo M., Bruff B. Lysis of Gram-negative bacteria by host-independent ectoparasitic Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus isolates. J Gen Microbiol. 1965 Sep;40(3):317–328. doi: 10.1099/00221287-40-3-317. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shilo M. Morphological and physiological aspects of the interaction of Bdellovibrio with host bacteria. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1969;50:174–204. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-46169-9_6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Starr M. P. Bdellovibrio as symbiont; the associations of Bdellovibrios with other bacteria interpreted in terms of a generalized scheme for classifying organismic associations. Symp Soc Exp Biol. 1975;(29):93–124. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Taylor V. I., Baumann P., Reichelt J. L., Allen R. D. Isolation, enumeration, and host range of marine Bdellovibrios. Arch Microbiol. 1974 Jul 4;98(2):101–114. doi: 10.1007/BF00425273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Varon M., Shil M. Interacton of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and host bacteria. I. Kinetic studies of attachment and invasion of Escherichia coli B by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. J Bacteriol. 1968 Mar;95(3):744–753. doi: 10.1128/jb.95.3.744-753.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Weiner R. M., Hussong D., Colwell R. R. An estuarine agar medium for enumeration of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria associated with water, sediment, and shellfish. Can J Microbiol. 1980 Nov;26(11):1366–1369. doi: 10.1139/m80-226. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams H. N., Falkler W. A., Jr Distribution of bdellovibrios in the water column of an estuary. Can J Microbiol. 1984 Jul;30(7):971–974. doi: 10.1139/m84-152. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams H. N., Falkler W. A., Jr, Shay D. E. Seasonal distribution of bdellovibrios at the mouth of the Patuxent River in the Chesapeake Bay. Can J Microbiol. 1982 Jan;28(1):111–116. doi: 10.1139/m82-011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Williams H. N., Johnson A., Kelley J. I., Baer M. L., King T. S., Mitchell B., Hasler J. F. Bacterial contamination of the water supply in newly installed dental units. Quintessence Int. 1995 May;26(5):331–337. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]