Loss of the acetate switch in Vibrio vulnificus enhances predation defence against Tetrahymena pyriformis

Resource partitioning and amino acid assimilation in a terrestrial geothermal spring

High-temperature geothermal springs host simplified microbial communities; however, the activities of individual microorganisms and their roles in the carbon cycle in nature are not well understood. Here, quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) was used to track the assimilation of 13C-acetate and 13C-aspartate into DNA in 74 °C sediments in Gongxiaoshe Hot Spring, Tengchong, China. This revealed a community-wide preference for aspartate and a tight coupling between aspartate incorporation into DNA and the proliferation of aspartate utilizers during labeling. Both 13C incorporation into DNA and changes in the abundance of taxa during incubations indicated strong resource partitioning and a significant phylogenetic signal for aspartate incorporation. Of the active amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) identified by qSIP, most could be matched with genomes from Gongxiaoshe Hot Spring or nearby springs with an average nucleotide similarity of 99.4%. Genomes corresponding to aspartate primary utilizers were smaller, near-universally encoded polar amino acid ABC transporters, and had codon preferences indicative of faster growth rates. The most active ASVs assimilating both substrates were not abundant, suggesting an important role for the rare biosphere in the community response to organic carbon addition. The broad incorporation of aspartate into DNA over acetate by the hot spring community may reflect dynamic cycling of cell lysis products in situ or substrates delivered during monsoon rains and may reflect N limitation.

Environmental Reservoirs of Pathogenic Vibrio spp. and Their Role in Disease: The List Keeps Expanding

Vibrio species are natural inhabitants of aquatic environments and have complex interactions with the environment that drive the evolution of traits contributing to their survival. These traits may also contribute to their ability to invade or colonize animal and human hosts. In this review, we attempt to summarize the relationships of Vibrio spp. with other organisms in the aquatic environment and discuss how these interactions could potentially impact colonization of animal and human hosts.

Stress Responses in Pathogenic Vibrios and Their Role in Host and Environmental Survival

Vibrio is a genus of bacteria commonly found in estuarine, marine, and freshwater environments. Vibrio species have evolved to occupy diverse niches in the aquatic ecosystem, with some having complex lifestyles. About a dozen of the described Vibrio species have been reported to cause human disease, while many other species cause disease in other organisms. Vibrio cholerae causes epidemic cholera, a severe dehydrating diarrheal disease associated with the consumption of contaminated food or water. The human pathogenic non-cholera Vibrio species, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, cause gastroenteritis, septicemia, and other extra-intestinal infections. Infections caused by V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus are normally acquired through exposure to sea water or through consumption of raw or undercooked contaminated seafood. The human pathogenic Vibrios are exposed to numerous different stress-inducing agents and conditions in the aquatic environment and when colonizing a human host. Therefore, they have evolved a variety of mechanisms to survive in the presence of these stressors. Here we discuss what is known about important stress responses in pathogenic Vibrio species and their role in bacterial survival.

Emerging Research Topics in the Vibrionaceae and the Squid-Vibrio Symbiosis

The Vibrionaceae encompasses a cosmopolitan group that is mostly aquatic and possesses tremendous metabolic and genetic diversity. Given the importance of this taxon, it deserves continued and deeper research in a multitude of areas. This review outlines emerging topics of interest within the Vibrionaceae. Moreover, previously understudied research areas are highlighted that merit further exploration, including affiliations with marine plants (seagrasses), microbial predators, intracellular niches, and resistance to heavy metal toxicity. Agarases, phototrophy, phage shock protein response, and microbial experimental evolution are also fields discussed. The squid-Vibrio symbiosis is a stellar model system, which can be a useful guiding light on deeper expeditions and voyages traversing these "seas of interest". Where appropriate, the squid-Vibrio mutualism is mentioned in how it has or could facilitate the illumination of these various subjects. Additional research is warranted on the topics specified herein, since they have critical relevance for biomedical science, pharmaceuticals, and health care. There are also practical applications in agriculture, zymology, food science, and culinary use. The tractability of microbial experimental evolution is explained. Examples are given of how microbial selection studies can be used to examine the roles of chance, contingency, and determinism (natural selection) in shaping Earth's natural history.

A generalizable and tunable engineered ecosystem provides a clear route to prosperity and well-being to harness the world's aquatic "blue" food systems to help end hunger: A perspective

Seafood security is essential in modern society. In 2013, Bush and colleagues stated, 'Aquaculture, farming aquatic organisms, provides close to 50% of the world's supply of seafood, with a value of United States $125 billion. It makes up 13% of the world's animal-source protein (excluding eggs and dairy) and employs an estimated 24 million people'. With the increase in the human population and reducing fishing resources, humans increasingly rely on aquacultural products as the primary protein sources for many countries. Aquacultural productivity has been improving in recent years, and in certain countries, the aquaculture output is more than the fishing output. For example, Chinese aquaculture production is more than fishing output, which provides one-third of animal protein. Thus, intensive aquaculture has become the main supply with global aquatic products (FAO). In recent years, it is estimated that each person consumption of aquaculture products is 130 kg in some countries (Iceland). Here, we illustrate the road blocker in farmed shrimp production and provide our resolution. The global pandemic of white spot syndrome (WSS), caused by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), bears a devastating economic loss in farmed shrimp production, thereby jeopardizing seafood security. Currently, there is no effective control for WSS. Conventional single-species intensive farming removes the spatiotemporal interaction between different species. We hypothesize that establishing the spatiotemporal interface of a predator-prey may control WSS outbreak. We search for the pathways for the mechanisms by which predator-prey species interact and compete across spatial scales to characterize WSSV dispersal at regional scales for the local spatiotemporal structure of viral transmission. Thus, we create a generalizable and tunable engineered ecosystem that provides a clear route to prosperity and well-being to harness the world's aquatic "blue" food systems to help end hunger.