Spatially Organized Films from Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Prey Lysates
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Gram-negative predator of other Gram-negative bacteria. Interestingly, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J cells grown in coculture with Escherichia coli ML-35 prey develop into a spatially organized two-dimensional film when located on a nutrient-rich surface. From deposition of 10 μl of a routine cleared coculture of B. bacteriovorus and E. coli cells, the cells multiply into a macroscopic community and segregate into an inner, yellow circular region and an outer, off-white region. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and atomic force microscopy measurements confirm that the mature film is spatially organized into two morphologically distinct Bdellovibrio populations, with primarily small, vibroid cells in the center and a complex mixture of pleomorphic cells in the outer radii. The interior region cell population exhibits the hunting phenotype while the outer region cell subpopulation does not. Crowding and high nutrient availability with limited prey appear to favor diversification of the B. bacteriovorus population into two distinct, thriving subpopulations and may be beneficial to the persistence of B. bacteriovorus in biofilms.
DOI: 10.1128/aem.02423-14
Authors: Megan A. Ferguson, Megan E. Núñez, Hyeong-Jin Kim, Shana Goffredi, Elya Shamskhou, Leanna Faudree, Evan Chang, Rebecca M. Landry, Andrew Ma, Da-Eun Choi, Nicholas Thomas, Jaclyn Schmitt, Eileen M. Spain
Institutions: SUNY New Paltz, Wellesley College, Occidental College
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2052535860