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

水生环境中蛭弧菌与地表的关联特征及意义

• 批准号: 9116237
• 负责人: Henry Williams
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland at Baltimore
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-11-01 至 1995-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9116237&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Characteristics; Significance; Association; Bdellovibrios; Surfaces

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.

蛭弧菌在原核生物中是独一无二的，它专性寄生并捕食某些其他细菌。 由于蛭弧菌的捕食会破坏猎物细菌，因此推测捕食者可能起到生物控制剂的作用。 这种观点并未得到普遍接受，蛭弧菌在自然界中的作用仍然是个谜。 先前研究的水生环境中蛭弧菌体型小且数量少，加剧了对捕食者的生态调查。 WIlliams 博士的研究表明，从表面生物膜中可以大量回收蛭弧菌。 捕食者与表面的关联性质是本研究的基础。 目标是： I) 确定蛭弧菌与表面关联的性质以及影响该关联的环境因素。 II) 表征蛭弧菌对表面生物膜形成和完整性的影响，III) 证明表面微生物生物膜作为研究蛭弧菌的模型的有用性。 蛭弧菌与其他生物膜细菌的相互作用可能揭示了捕食者在控制易感细菌种群方面的潜力。