Characteristics and Significance of the Association of Bdellovibrios with Surfaces in Aquatic Environments

蜈蚣弧菌在原核生物中是独一无二的，因为它专有地寄生和捕食某些其他细菌。由于蛭弧菌的捕食破坏了捕食者的细菌，因此人们推测这种捕食者可能是一种生防剂。这一观点并不是普遍接受的，蛭弧菌在自然界中的作用仍然是一个谜。以前研究的水环境中的小体型和低数量的蜈蚣弧菌加剧了对捕食者的生态调查。威廉姆斯博士的研究表明，从表面生物膜中可以大量回收蛭弧菌。捕食者与表面的联系的性质是本研究的基础。目标是：i)确定蛭弧菌与表面的联系的性质以及影响这种联系的环境因素。Ii)表征蜈蚣弧菌对表面生物膜形成和完整性的影响，以及iii)论证表面微生物生物膜作为研究蛭弧菌的模型的有用性。蛭弧菌与其他生物被膜细菌的相互作用可能揭示捕食者在控制敏感细菌种群方面的潜力。

Bdellovibrio is unique among procaryotes in its obligate parasitism and predation of certain other bacteria. Since predation by Bdellovibrio destroys the prey bacterium, it has been postulated that the predator may function as a biological control agent. This view is not universally accepted and the role of Bdellovibrio in nature remains a mystery. The small size and low numbers of Bdellovibrio in the aquatic environments previously studied have exacerbated ecological investigations of the predator. Studies by Dr. WIlliams have revealed that Bdellovibrio are recovered in large numbers from surface biofilm. The nature of the association of the predators with surfaces is the basis for this study. The objectives are: I) to determine the nature of the association of Bdellovibrio with surfaces and those environmental factors which affect the association. II) to characterize the effects of Bdellovibrio on the formation and integrity of surface biofilms and III) to demonstrate the usefulness of surface microbial biofilm as a model for the study of Bdellovibrio. The interaction of Bdellovibrio with other biofilm bacteria may reveal the potential of the predator in the control of susceptible bacterial populations.