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

蛭弧菌是原核生物中唯一的专性致病菌， 某些其他细菌的寄生和捕食。 以来 蛭弧菌的捕食破坏了猎物细菌， 据推测，捕食者可能是生物学家， 控制剂。 这一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。 小尺寸 水生环境中蛭弧菌数量较少 以前的研究已经加剧了生态研究， 捕食者 威廉姆斯博士的研究表明， 蛭弧菌从表面生物膜中大量回收。 掠食者与地表的联系 这是这项研究的基础。 目标是：（一）确定 蛭弧菌与表面结合的性质， 这些环境因素会影响关联。 II）至 表征蛭弧菌对形成的影响， 表面生物膜的完整性和III）以证明 表面微生物生物膜作为研究模型的有用性 蛭弧菌 蛭弧菌与其他生物的相互作用 生物膜细菌可能揭示了捕食者的潜力， 控制敏感的细菌种群。

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.