Community and single cell analyses reveal complex predatory interactions between bacteria in high diversity systems

A fundamental question in community ecology is the role of predator-prey interactions in food-web stability and species coexistence. Although microbial microcosms offer powerful systems to investigate it, interrogating the environment is much more arduous. Here, we show in a 1-year survey that the obligate predators Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) can regulate prey populations, possibly in a density-dependent manner, in the naturally complex, species-rich environments of wastewater treatment plants. Abundant as well as rarer prey populations are affected, leading to an oscillating predatory landscape shifting at various temporal scales in which the total population remains stable. Shifts, along with differential prey range, explain co-existence of the numerous predators through niche partitioning. We validate these sequence-based findings using single-cell sorting combined with fluorescent hybridization and community sequencing. Our approach should be applicable for deciphering community interactions in other systems.

Bdellovibrio and Like Organisms Are Predictors of Microbiome Diversity in Distinct Host Groups

Biodiversity is generally believed to be a main determinant of ecosystem functioning. This principle also applies to the microbiome and could consequently contribute to host health. According to ecological theory, communities are shaped by top predators whose direct and indirect interactions with community members cause stability and diversity. Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are a neglected group of predatory bacteria that feed on Gram-negative bacteria and can thereby influence microbiome composition. We asked whether BALOs can predict biodiversity levels in microbiomes from distinct host groups and environments. We demonstrate that genetic signatures of BALOs are commonly found within the 16S rRNA reads from diverse host taxa. In many cases, their presence, abundance, and especially richness are positively correlated with overall microbiome diversity. Our findings suggest that BALOs can act as drivers of microbial alpha-diversity and should therefore be considered candidates for the restoration of microbiomes and the prevention of dysbiosis.

Variation in genome content and predatory phenotypes between Bdellovibrio sp. NC01 isolated from soil and B. bacteriovorus type strain HD100

Defining phenotypic and associated genotypic variation among Bdellovibrio may further our understanding of how this genus attacks and kills different Gram-negative bacteria. We isolated Bdellovibrio sp. NC01 from soil. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and average amino acid identity showed that NC01 belongs to a different species than the type species bacteriovorus. By clustering amino acid sequences from completely sequenced Bdellovibrio and comparing the resulting orthologue groups to a previously published analysis, we defined a 'core genome' of 778 protein-coding genes and identified four protein-coding genes that appeared to be missing only in NC01. To determine how horizontal gene transfer (HGT) may have impacted NC01 genome evolution, we performed genome-wide comparisons of Bdellovibrio nucleotide sequences, which indicated that eight NC01 genomic regions were likely acquired by HGT. To investigate how genome variation may impact predation, we compared protein-coding gene content between NC01 and the B. bacteriovorus type strain HD100, focusing on genes implicated as important in successful killing of prey. Of these, NC01 is missing ten genes that may play roles in lytic activity during predation. Compared to HD100, NC01 kills fewer tested prey strains and kills Escherichia coli ML35 less efficiently. NC01 causes a smaller log reduction in ML35, after which the prey population recovers and the NC01 population decreases. In addition, NC01 forms turbid plaques on lawns of E. coli ML35, in contrast to clear plaques formed by HD100. Linking phenotypic variation in interactions between Bdellovibrio and Gram-negative bacteria with underlying Bdellovibrio genome variation is valuable for understanding the ecological significance of predatory bacteria and evaluating their effectiveness in clinical applications.

Isolation of Bdellovibrio and like organisms and potential to reduce acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease, a severe disease of shrimp, is caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (AHPND Vp), a halophilic bacterium harboring a plasmid that contains toxin genes homologous to Photorhabdus insect-related toxins. We obtained 9 isolates of Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) from water and sediment samples in Thailand. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, all of the organisms were identified as Bacteriovorax spp. and were able to attack all tested AHPND Vp isolates. In addition, their various susceptible hosts, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, were observed. The optimal ratio for interaction between the Bacteriovorax isolate BV-A and AHPND Vp was determined to be 1:10. The suitable conditions applied for co-culture between BV-A and AHPND Vp were 30°C, 2% NaCl, and pH 7.6. The capability of BV-A to reduce numbers of AHPND Vp in vitro was observed in co-culture after incubation for 2 d and continued until the end of the incubation period. In vivo, BV-A was able to reduce mortality of shrimp post-larvae infected with AHPND Vp. In addition, BV-A significantly decreased the formation of biofilm by AHPND Vp. These findings provide evidence for using Bacteriovorax as a biocontrol of AHPND Vp in shrimp aquaculture.

[Diversity of Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms from shrimp mariculture ponds in Zhanjiang]

OBJECTIVE

Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALOs) are small-sized, parasitic bacteria that rely on other Gram-negative bacteria for survival. Our work aimed to characterize the community diversity of BALOs associated with tropical shrimp ponds.

METHODS

We collected water samples from eight shrimp ponds culturing Litopenaeus vannamei, in Zhanjiang, China, and extracted total DNA of the samples. Then the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries were constructed following PCR amplification with BALOs family-specific primers. The community composition and structure of BALOs were further analyzed based on phylogenetic analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 726 and 664 valid clones were obtained from the 16S rRNA gene libraries of families Halobacteriovoracaceae and Peredibacteraceae, respectively. Subsequently, they were respectively grouped into 68 and 44 OTUs (operational taxonomic units) at 99.5% sequence similarity, and assigned into 37 and 28 clusters at 97% similarity. For the Halobacteriovoracaceae libraries, most clusters were so far uncultured with the exception of 5 members, which accounting for 43.5% clones. And the cultivable cluster IX and the uncultured cluster B28 were the first and second dominant ones respectively. For the Peredibacteraceae libraries, the cluster pa12 and the only cultivable cluster A3.12 were the first and second dominant ones respectively. Notably, the values of Shannon diversity indices of Halobacteriovoracaceae and Peredibacteraceae tend to be reversed with the change of salinity, but the total BALOs diversities among the eight shrimp ponds were similar.

CONCLUSION

Shrimp mariculture ponds in Zhanjinag harbor a high diversity of BALOs comprising of Halobacteriovoracaceae and Peredibacteraceae, and salinity affect their community structure and composition greatly.

In and out: an analysis of epibiotic vs periplasmic bacterial predators

Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALO) are obligate predators of Gram-negative bacteria, belonging to the α- and δ-proteobacteria. BALO prey using either a periplasmic or an epibiotic predatory strategy, but the genetic background underlying these phenotypes is not known. Here we compare the epibiotic Bdellovibrio exovorus and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus to the periplasmic B. bacteriovorus and Bacteriovorax marinus. Electron microscopy showed that M. aeruginosavorus, but not B. exovorus, can attach to prey cells in a non-polar manner through its longitudinal side. Both these predators were resistant to a surprisingly high number of antibiotic compounds, possibly via 26 and 19 antibiotic-resistance genes, respectively, most of them encoding efflux pumps. Comparative genomic analysis of all the BALOs revealed that epibiotic predators have a much smaller genome (ca. 2.5 Mbp) than the periplasmic predators (ca. 3.5 Mbp). Additionally, periplasmic predators have, on average, 888 more proteins, at least 60% more peptidases, and one more rRNA operon. Fifteen and 219 protein families were specific to the epibiotic and the periplasmic predators, respectively, the latter clearly forming the core of the periplasmic 'predatome', which is upregulated during the growth phase. Metabolic deficiencies of epibiotic genomes include the synthesis of inosine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and the siderophore aerobactin. The phylogeny of the epibiotic predators suggests that they evolved by convergent evolution, with M. aeruginosavorus originating from a non-predatory ancestor while B. exovorus evolved from periplasmic predators by gene loss.

Isolation and classification of Bdellovibrio and like organisms

Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are obligate predators of Gram-negative bacteria. BALOs are isolated as plaques growing at the expense of their prey and are cultivated as two-member cultures. The growth cycle is composed of an extracellular attack phase and an intraperiplasmic elongation and replication phase. However, there are methods for obtaining host-independent (HI) mutants that grow without prey on rich media. BALOs are commonly found in the environment but generally constitute small populations; therefore, their isolation may require enrichment steps. Contamination by other bacteria during isolation necessitates efficient separation between the smaller BALO cells from the majority of larger bacteria. BALOs can also be directly detected and quantified in environmental samples using specific PCR. Synchronous cultures of both wild-type and HI derivatives can be obtained to study the different growth phases. These can be further separated by centrifugation. Classification is based on 16S rDNA analysis. Protocols relevant to these aspects of BALO detection, isolation, growth, classification, and quantitation are presented in this unit.

Increased diversity of predacious Bdellovibrio-like organisms (blos) as a function of eutrophication in Kumaon Lakes of India

Predation by Bdellovibrio-like organisms (BLOs) results in bacterial community succession in aquatic ecosystems. The effects of nutrient loading on the distribution and phylogeny of BLOs remain largely unknown. To this end, we present our findings on BLO diversity from four north-Indian lakes that are variable in their trophic status; Nainital is eutrophic, both, Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal are mesotrophic and Sattal remains oligotrophic, respectively. Initially, total heterotrophic bacteria and BLOs were quantified by most probable number (MPN) analyses using Pseudomonas putida and Escherichia coli as prey bacteria. Total bacterial numbers were at least two-logs higher in the eutrophic lake samples compared with oligotrophic lake. Similarly, BLO numbers were approximately 39-fold higher using Pseudomonas sp., which is likely the preferred prey within these lakes. Conversely, significant differences were not observed between mesotrophic and oligotrophic BLO numbers when E. coli was used as the prey. PCR-RFLP of small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) of BLOs, followed by cloning, sequencing, and taxonomic categorization revealed distinct differences such that, eutrophic lake consisted of higher BLO diversity compared with mesotrophic and oligotrophic lake, most likely due to both, higher numbers and availability of a diverse population of prey bacteria resulting from nutrient loading in this ecosystem.

[Isolation and characterization of Bdellovibrio strains from the ocean]

OBJECTIVE

To isolate and identify the new Bdellovibrio strains from the sea mud of Shenzhen bay and to preliminarily study their biological characteristics.

METHODS

We isolated Bdellovibrio strains by DNB(dilute nutrient broth) double-layer plate method. Their 16S rDNAs were sequenced and their morphologies were examined under electron microscope. We identified these strains according to the ninth edition of Bergey's manual of determinative bacteriology. We also studied their biological characteristics through physiological tests.

RESULTS

We isolated 2 strains of Bdellovibrio sp. (5#-12 and 5#-sh06) from sea mud of Shenzhen bay. Both strains grew between 209C and 35 degrees C, with 259C and 309C as optimal temperature for 5#-12 and 5#-sh06, respectively. They grew between pH 6.1 and 8.6, and the opticCmal pH for both was 7.2. Lysis experiments on 58 strains of pathogens were conducted and the results showed that 5#-12 and 5#-sh06 lysed 46 and 48 strains, corresponding to 79.3% and 82.8% of lysis abilities. Taken both two Bdellovibrio strains together, they lysed 96.6% (56 strains) of tested pathogens and 100% of tested vibrios (39 strains).

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that Bdellovibrio have potential and significant application prospect for elimination of pathogens.

A new alpha-proteobacterial clade of Bdellovibrio-like predators: implications for the mitochondrial endosymbiotic theory

Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALOs) are peculiar, ubiquitous, small-sized, highly motile Gram-negative bacteria that are obligatory predators of other bacteria. Typically, these predators invade the periplasm of their prey where they grow and replicate. To date, BALOs constitute two highly diverse families affiliated with the delta-proteobacteria class. In this study, Micavibrio spp., a BALO lineage of epibiotic predators, were isolated from soil. These bacteria attach to digest and grow at the expense of other prokaryotes, much like other BALOs. Multiple phylogenetic analyses based on six genes revealed that they formed a deep branch within the alpha-proteobacteria, not affiliated with any of the alpha-proteobacterial orders. The presence of BALOs deep among the alpha-proteobacteria suggests that their peculiar mode of parasitism maybe an ancestral character in this proteobacterial class. The origin of the mitochondrion from an alpha-proteobacterium endosymbiont is strongly supported by molecular phylogenies. Accumulating data suggest that the endosymbiont's host was also a prokaryote. As prokaryotes are unable to phagocytose, the means by which the endosymbiont gained access into its host remains mysterious. We here propose a scenario based on the BALO feeding-mode to hypothesize a mechanism at play at the origin of the mitochondrial endosymbiosis.

[The recent research progress on Bdellovibrio bacteriourus]

The recent research progress on taxonomy and physiological of B. bacteriouorus were briefly touched. The bacteriouorus HD100 and the system for genetic recombination and repair in B. genome characteristics of B. bacteriouorus were summarized in great detail. Prey cells invading mechanism(s) and biochemical characteristics of B. bacteriouorus, including respiration and synthesis and nutrients transportation and absorption were introduced in detail too. Recent practical applications of B. bacteriouorus were reviewed and the potential problems in applications were also pointed out.

Structure analysis of a soil community of predatory bacteria using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods reveals a hitherto undetected diversity of Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms

Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALOs) are widespread obligatory predators of other Gram-negative bacteria. Their detection by culture-dependent methods is complicated as their replication is totally dependent upon the availability of an appropriate prey. Because BALOs do not form numerically dominant groups within microbial communities, non-specific culture-independent tools also generally fail to detect them. We designed sets of 16S rRNA primers that specifically target BALOs. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were combined, yielding partial 16S rDNA sequences. This simple method that allows specific in situ culture-independent detection of BALOs was applied to the soil environment. Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms were also isolated from the same soil and the phylogeny and prey range of the isolates analysed. Seventeen isolates retrieved using five different potential preys exhibited eight different spectra of prey utilization and formed nine operational taxonomic units (OTUs). These OTUs were affiliated with the Bdellovibrionaceae, Bacteriovorax, Peredibacter or Micavibrio, i.e. the known BALO groups. In comparison, 15 OTUs including 10 that were not detected by the culture-dependent approach were obtained using the specific primers in a PCR-DGGE approach. The occurrence of a complex BALO community suggests that predation occurs on a much wider range of prey than can be detected by the classical culture-dependent technique.

Diversity and evolution of Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALOs), reclassification of Bacteriovorax starrii as Peredibacter starrii gen. nov., comb. nov., and description of the Bacteriovorax–Peredibacter clade as Bacteriovoracaceae fam. nov

A phylogenetic analysis of Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALOs) was performed. It was based on the characterization of 71 strains and on all consequent 16S rRNA gene sequences available in databases, including clones identified by data-mining, totalling 120 strains from very varied biotopes. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) accurately reflected the diversity and phylogenetic affiliation of BALOs, thereby providing an efficient screening tool. Extensive phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed great diversity within the Bdellovibrio (>14 % divergence) and Bacteriovorax (>16 %) clades, which comprised nine and eight clusters, respectively, exhibiting more than 3 % intra-cluster divergence. The clades diverged by more than 20 %. The analysis of conserved 16S rRNA secondary structures showed that Bdellovibrio contained motifs atypical of the δ-Proteobacteria, suggesting that it is ancestral to Bacteriovorax. While none of the Bdellovibrio strains were of marine origin, Bacteriovorax included separate soil/freshwater and marine-specific groups. On the basis of their extensive diversity and the large distance separating the groups, it is proposed that Bacteriovorax starrii be placed into a new genus, Peredibacter gen. nov., with Peredibacter starrii A3.12T (=ATCC 15145T=NCCB 72004T) as its type strain. Also proposed is a redefinition of the Bdellovibrio and the Bacteriovorax–Peredibacter lineages as two different families, i.e. ‘Bdellovibrionaceae’ and a new family, Bacteriovoracaceae. Also, a re-evaluation of oligonucleotides targeting BALOs is presented, and the implications of the large diversity of these organisms and of their distribution in very different environments are discussed.

Reclassification of salt-water Bdellovibrio sp. as Bacteriovorax marinus sp. nov. and Bacteriovorax litoralis sp. nov

Bdellovibrios are unique, predatory bacteria with an intraperiplasmic growth and multiplication phase within their prey, which consists of many Gram-negative bacteria. Until recently, all bacteria that exhibited these traits were included in the genus Bdellovibrio. However, analysis of 16S rDNA sequences and other studies have demonstrated substantial genotypic, phenotypic and ecotypic diversity among the organisms in this genus (Baer et al., 2000; Snyder et al., 2002). This has resulted in reclassification of Bdellovibrio stolpii and Bdellovibrio starrii into the newly constructed genus Bacteriovorax (Baer et al., 2000). In this study, examination of marine isolates of Bdellovibrio (designated SJT, AQ and JS5T) has revealed them to be related more closely to the newly designated genus Bacteriovorax. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that marine isolates SJT, AQ and JS5T clustered in a separate clade from Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 100T as part of the clade that contains Bacteriovorax spp., indicating a much closer taxonomic relationship to the latter. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments also demonstrated <5 % similarity between Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 100T and the marine isolates. Distinct differences between the salt-water group and Bdellovibrio spp. were also observed by determination of DNA G+C content, salinity growth testing and antibiotic sensitivity analysis. On the basis of the results from the studies described above, it is proposed that marine isolates SJT (=ATCC BAA-682T=DSM 15412T) and JS5T (=ATCC BAA-684T=DSM 15409T) should be classified within the genus Bacteriovorax as the type strains of Bacteriovorax marinus sp. nov. and Bacteriovorax litoralis sp. nov., respectively.

Predation Pattern and Phylogenetic Analysis of Bdellovibrionaceae from the Great Salt Lake, Utah

The Bdellovibrionaceae are predatory, intraperiplasmic bacteria that prey upon a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. The prey susceptibility pattern is frequently used to characterize new isolates. The objective in this study was to isolate and characterize predators from the Great Salt Lake (GSL) by prey susceptibility testing. To recover the predators, water samples were inoculated into an enrichment medium with Vibrio parahaemolyticus as prey. After several days of incubation, the predators were isolated, pure DNA was extracted, and partial 16S rDNA gene was sequenced. Water samples were also plated for isolation of heterotrophic bacteria. The susceptibility of bacterial isolates from the lake and other sources to each predator isolate was determined. The results revealed that there are predators in the GSL, and they preferentially prey on bacteria from the lake. This is the first report of the isolation of Bdellovibrionaceae from GSL and the predators showing preferences for bacteria from the same habitat.

16S rDNA sequence analysis of environmental Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALO) reveals extensive diversity

Bdellovibrio-and-like organisms (BALO) are Gram-negative, predatory bacteria that inhabit terrestrial, freshwater and salt-water environments. Historically, these organisms have been classified together despite documented genetic differences between isolates. The genetic diversity of these microbes was assessed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Primers that selectively amplify predator 16S rDNA, and not contaminating prey DNA, were utilized to study 17 freshwater and terrestrial and nine salt-water BALO isolates. When the 16S rDNA sequences were compared with representatives of other bacterial classes, 25 of the 26 BALO isolates clustered into two groups. One group, supported 100% by bootstrap analysis, included all of the Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus isolates. Each member of this group was isolated from either a freshwater or terrestrial source. The genetic distance between these isolates was less than 12%. The other group, supported 94% by bootstrap analysis, includes Bacteriovorax starrii, Bacteriovorax stolpii and the salt-water isolates. The salt-water isolates form a subgroup (83% by bootstrap) and differ within the subgroup by less than 110%. This observation implies that the salt-water isolates arose from Bacteriovorax progenitors. The difference between isolates in different clades is over 17%, a quantity similar to differences between bacterial species in different classes. However, both the Bdellovibrio and Bacteriovorax clades were closest to other representatives of the delta-Proteobacteria using maximum-likelihood. One freshwater isolate, James Island, was distinct from all other BALO (> 19%), but differed from Pseudomonas putida, a member of the gamma-Proteobacteria, by only 3%. Thus, by 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the BALO appear to have multiple origins, contrary to the unified taxonomic grouping based on morphology and natural history. These observations are consistent with the need to review and revise the taxonomy of these organisms.

Predatory prokaryotes: an emerging research opportunity

Predatory prokaryotes have evolved a unique strategy of obtaining energy and biosynthetic materials from their surroundings: acquiring them from other living bacterial cells. These types of microbes have been found in a diverse variety of environments, and may play an important role in modulating microbial population structure and dynamics, as has been hypothesized for marine viruses and possibly protists. Only one genus of predatory bacterium, Bdellovibrio, has been extensively described and studied, though several other examples have been reported in the literature. In this review, the four basic strategies used by currently described predatory prokaryotes will be discussed: "wolfpack" group predation, epibiotic attachment, direct cytoplasmic invasion, and periplasmic invasion. Special adaptations to each approach will be considered, and compared overall to the genetic and biochemical characteristics of symbiotic or pathogenic prokaryotes living within eukaryotic cells. Two specific examples of predatory microbes, Bdellovibrio and Ensifer, will be described in terms of predation strategy, association with host cells, and host range. The prospects for bringing to bear the tools of molecular microbial genetics to the study of predatory prokaryotes will be explored, using current research with Bdellovibrio and Ensifer as examples.

Taxonomic studies of predatory bdellovibrios based on 16S rRNA analysis, ribotyping and the hit locus and characterization of isolates from the gut of animals

The aim of our study was to obtain data for the molecular characterization of bdellovibrio bacteria, which were recently split into the genus Bdellovibrio and the newly designated genus Bacteriovorax. We determined the 16S rDNA sequences of five reference strains and performed a phylogenetic analysis including published 16S rRNA sequences of bdellovibrios. A comparison of the secondary structure showed significant differences in two regions of the 16S rRNAs of the species Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, Bacteriovorax starrii, and Bacteriovorax stolpii. In addition, ribotyping techniques gave specific hybridization patterns and revealed that two rRNA operons are present in the investigated strains. A hybridization probe derived from the genetic locus hit, associated with the host independent (HI) phenotype of B. bacteriovorus, was found to be specific for this species. Sequence comparison of the hit locus revealed few base pair changes between host independent (HI) and host dependent (HD) strains. Ribotyping and hybridization experiments using the hit probe were applied to characterize bdellovibrio strains isolated from the gut of animals and humans and one isolate from sewage.

Prey range characterization, ribotyping, and diversity of soil and rhizosphere Bdellovibrio spp. isolated on phytopathogenic bacteria

Thirty new Bdellovibrio strains were isolated from an agricultural soil and from the rhizosphere of plants grown in that soil. Using a combined molecular and culture-based approach, we found that the soil bdellovibrios included subpopulations of organisms that differed from rhizosphere bdellovibrios. Thirteen soil and seven common bean rhizosphere Bdellovibrio strains were isolated when Pseudomonas corrugata was used as prey; seven and two soil strains were isolated when Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora and Agrobacterium tumefaciens, respectively, were used as prey; and one tomato rhizosphere strain was isolated when A. tumefaciens was used as prey. In soil and in the rhizosphere, depending on the prey cells used, the concentrations of bdellovibrios were between 3 x 10(2) to 6 x 10(3) and 2.8 x 10(2) to 2.3 x 10(4) PFU g(-1). A prey range analysis of five soil and rhizosphere Bdellovibrio isolates performed with 22 substrate species, most of which were plant-pathogenic and plant growth-enhancing bacteria, revealed unique utilization patterns and differences between closely related prey cells. An approximately 830-bp fragment of the 16S rRNA genes of all of the Bdellovibrio strains used was obtained by PCR amplification by using a Bdellovibrio-specific primer combination. Soil and common bean rhizosphere strains produced two and one restriction patterns for this PCR product, respectively. The 16S rRNA genes of three soil isolates and three root-associated isolates were sequenced. One soil isolate belonged to the Bdellovibrio stolpii-Bdellovibrio starrii clade, while all of the other isolates clustered with Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and formed two distantly related, heterogeneous groups.

A proposal for the reclassification of Bdellovibrio stolpii and Bdellovibrio starrii into a new genus, Bacteriovorax gen. nov. as Bacteriovorax stolpii comb. nov. and Bacteriovorax starrii comb. nov., respectively

Bdellovibrios are unique bacteria with the ability to prey upon a wide variety of susceptible Gram-negative bacteria. Micro-organisms exhibiting this trait have been included in the genus Bdellovibrio despite their isolation from diverse habitats and relatively unstudied taxonomic relatedness. In this study, 16S rDNA sequences were compared from known terrestrial Bdellovibrio species, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 100T, Bdellovibrio stolpii Uki2T and Bdellovibrio starrii A3.12T in order to study their phylogenetic relationship. The two sequences from B. stolpii Uki2T and B. starrii A3.12T were 90.0% similar to each other but exhibited only 81.7% and 81.2% similarity, respectively to B. bacteriovorus 100T. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that B. bacteriovorus 100T clustered in a separate clade from B. starrii A3.12T and B. stolpii Uki2T, demonstrating only a distant relationship between B. bacteriovorus 100T and the other two recognized type species. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments also demonstrated <4% hybridization between these three species. On the basis of the results obtained from the phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization studies, it is proposed that B. stolpii Uki2T and B. starrii A3.12T should be transferred to a new genus, Bacteriovorax gen. nov. as Bacteriovorax stolpii comb. nov. and Bacteriovorax starrii comb. nov., respectively. It is also proposed that the type species for the new genus Bacteriovorax should be Bacteriovorax stolpii comb. nov.

Predatory prokaryotes: predation and primary consumption evolved in bacteria

Two kinds of predatory bacteria have been observed and characterized by light and electron microscopy in samples from freshwater sulfurous lakes in northeastern Spain. The first bacterium, named Vampirococcus, is Gram-negative and ovoidal (0.6 micrometer wide). An anaerobic epibiont, it adheres to the surface of phototrophic bacteria (Chromatium spp.) by specific attachment structures and, as it grows and divides by fission, destroys its prey. An important in situ predatory role can be inferred for Vampirococcus from direct counts in natural samples. The second bacterium, named Daptobacter, is a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic straight rod (0.5 x 1.5 micrometers) with a single polar flagellum, which collides, penetrates, and grows inside the cytoplasm of its prey (several genera of Chromatiaceae). Considering also the well-known case of Bdellovibrio, a Gram-negative, aerobic curved rod that penetrates and divides in the periplasmic space of many chemotrophic Gram-negative bacteria, there are three types of predatory prokaryotes presently known (epibiotic, cytoplasmic, and periplasmic). Thus, we conclude that antagonistic relationships such as primary consumption, predation, and scavenging had already evolved in microbial ecosystems prior to the appearance of eukaryotes. Furthermore, because they represent methods by which prokaryotes can penetrate other prokaryotes in the absence of phagocytosis, these associations can be considered preadaptation for the origin of intracellular organelles.

[Comparative study of the membrane protein composition of bacteria in the genus Bdellovibrio]

The protein composition of membranes was studied in 17 Bdellovibrio strains by electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. No similarity in the protein composition of membranes was found in the strains grown on cells of one and the same host. A dendrogram constructed basing on the similarity coefficients between the strains allowed to subdivide them into 3 groups according to the protein composition of their membranes. This correlated with the other phenotypic features and genotaxonomic data.

[Comparative characteristics of the Bdellovibrio strains isolated from river water and sewage]

The morphology, the host ranges, the resistance to pteridine and the nucleotide composition of DNA were compared in 12 newly isolated and 10 collection strains of Bdellovibrio. The significance of properties used for the taxonomy of these organisms was evaluated. The host ranges of Bdellovibrio strains are heterogeneous with respect to the taxonomy of host bacteria. The specificity of the parasite depends to a significant degree on the host bacterium in which it grows. All the strains including Bd. starrii which was described earlier as a pteridine resistant species are sensitive to pteridine. Therefore, such properties as the host range action and the response to pteridine cannot be used for diagnostics of Bdellovibrio species. The strains were found to be very heterogeneous with regard to the nucleotide composition of the DNA. Eight out of the 12 newly isolated strains were assigned to the species Bd, bacteriovorus.

Further taxonomic characterization of the genus Bdellovibrio

Cultures of Bdellovibrio isolated from different geographic locations have been studied in terms of deoxyribonucleic acid analysis (% G + C, genome size, and DNA hybridization), cytochrome spectrum, and host range. Isolates of the genus exhibit a broad range of % G + C ranging from 37 to 51% and the genome sizes extend from 1300 x 10(6) to 1700 x 10(6) daltons. DNA hybridization continues to reveal a high level of genetic heterogeneity. Bdellovibrio 3294 exhibits 32% relative reassociation to Bdellovibrio W, 37% to Bdellovibrio stolpii Uki2, and an undetectible level to Bdellovibrio starrii A3.12 Bdellovibrio W is 23% related to B. starri A3.12 and 28.5% to B. stolpii Uki2. For the first time differential absorption techniques have revealed peaks of cytochrome b. The analysis of the cytochrome spectrum seems to be limited as a taxonomic tool since most of the recent isolates studied share a common cytochrome spectrum. Host-range studies have been found to be dependent on the experimental conditions, and with the exception of one isolate (B. starrii A3.12) the taxonomic significance of such techniques must be taken with caution.