The periplasmic, group III catalase of Vibrio fischeri is required for normal symbiotic competence and is induced both by oxidative stress and by approach to stationary phase

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a Reference Organism to Study Algal-Microbial Interactions: Why Can't They Be Friends?

The stability and harmony of ecological niches rely on intricate interactions between their members. During evolution, organisms have developed the ability to thrive in different environments, taking advantage of each other. Among these organisms, microalgae are a highly diverse and widely distributed group of major primary producers whose interactions with other organisms play essential roles in their habitats. Understanding the basis of these interactions is crucial to control and exploit these communities for ecological and biotechnological applications. The green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a well-established model, is emerging as a model organism for studying a wide variety of microbial interactions with ecological and economic significance. In this review, we unite and discuss current knowledge that points to C. reinhardtii as a model organism for studying microbial interactions.

Reactive oxygen species in the world ocean and their impacts on marine ecosystems

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are omnipresent in the ocean, originating from both biological (e.g., unbalanced metabolism or stress) and non-biological processes (e.g. photooxidation of colored dissolved organic matter). ROS can directly affect the growth of marine organisms, and can also influence marine biogeochemistry, thus indirectly impacting the availability of nutrients and food sources. Microbial communities and evolution are shaped by marine ROS, and in turn microorganisms influence steady-state ROS concentrations by acting as the predominant sink for marine ROS. Through their interactions with trace metals and organic matter, ROS can enhance microbial growth, but ROS can also attack biological macromolecules, causing extensive modifications with deleterious results. Several biogeochemically important taxa are vulnerable to very low ROS concentrations within the ranges measured in situ, including the globally distributed marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus and ammonia-oxidizing archaea of the phylum Thaumarchaeota. Finally, climate change may increase the amount of ROS in the ocean, especially in the most productive surface layers. In this review, we explore the sources of ROS and their roles in the oceans, how the dynamics of ROS might change in the future, and how this change might impact the ecology and chemistry of the future ocean.

Environmental Stress Selects for Innovations That Drive Vibrio Symbiont Diversity

Symbiotic bacteria in the Vibrionaceae are a dynamic group of γ-Proteobacteria that are commonly found throughout the world. Although they primarily are free-living in the environment, they can be commonly found associated with various Eukarya, either as beneficial or pathogenic symbionts. Interestingly, this dual lifestyle (free-living or in symbiosis) enables the bacteria to have enormous ecological breadth, where they can accommodate a variety of stresses in both stages. Here, we discuss some of the most common stressors that Vibrio bacteria encounter when in their free-living state or associated with an animal host, and how some of the mechanisms that are used to cope with these stressors can be used as an evolutionary advantage that increases their diversity both in the environment and within their specific hosts.

Identification of a Transcriptomic Network Underlying the Wrinkly and Smooth Phenotypes of Vibrio fischeri

Vibrio fischeri is a cosmopolitan marine bacterium that oftentimes displays different colony morphologies, switching from a smooth to a wrinkly phenotype in order to adapt to changes in the environment. This wrinkly phenotype has also been associated with increased biofilm formation, an essential characteristic for V. fischeri to adhere to substrates, to suspended debris, and within the light organs of sepiolid squids. Elevated levels of biofilm formation are correlated with increased microbial survival of exposure to environmental stressors and the ability to expand niche breadth. Since V. fischeri has a biphasic life history strategy between its free-living and symbiotic states, we were interested in whether the wrinkly morphotype demonstrated differences in its expression profile in comparison to the naturally occurring and more common smooth variant. We show that genes involved in major biochemical cascades, including those involved in protein sorting, oxidative stress, and membrane transport, play a role in the wrinkly phenotype. Interestingly, only a few unique genes are specifically involved in macromolecule biosynthesis in the wrinkly phenotype, which underlies the importance of other pathways utilized for adaptation under the conditions in which Vibrio bacteria are producing this change in phenotype. These results provide the first comprehensive analysis of the complex form of genetic activation that underlies the diversity in morphologies of V. fischeri when switching between two different colony morphotypes, each representing a unique biofilm ecotype.IMPORTANCE The wrinkly bacterial colony phenotype has been associated with increased squid host colonization in V. fischeri The significance of our research is in identifying the genetic mechanisms that are responsible for heightened biofilm formation in V. fischeri This report also advances our understanding of gene regulation in V. fischeri and brings to the forefront a number of previously overlooked genetic networks. Several loci that were identified in this study were not previously known to be associated with biofilm formation in V. fischeri.

Signal Recognition Particle RNA Contributes to Oxidative Stress Response in Deinococcus radiodurans by Modulating Catalase Localization

The proper functioning of many proteins requires their transport to the correct cellular compartment or their secretion. Signal recognition particle (SRP) is a major protein transport pathway responsible for the co-translational movement of integral membrane proteins as well as periplasmic proteins. Deinococcus radiodurans is a ubiquitous bacterium that expresses a complex phenotype of extreme oxidative stress resistance, which depends on proteins involved in DNA repair, metabolism, gene regulation, and antioxidant defense. These proteins are located extracellularly or subcellularly, but the molecular mechanism of protein localization in D. radiodurans to manage oxidative stress response remains unexplored. In this study, we characterized the SRP complex in D. radiodurans R1 and showed that the knockdown (KD) of the SRP RNA (Qpr6) reduced bacterial survival under hydrogen peroxide and growth under chronic ionizing radiation. Through LC-mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, we detected 162 proteins in the periplasm of wild-type D. radiodurans, of which the transport of 65 of these proteins to the periplasm was significantly reduced in the Qpr6 KD strain. Through Western blotting, we further demonstrated the localization of the catalases in D. radiodurans, DR_1998 (KatE1) and DR_A0259 (KatE2), in both the cytoplasm and periplasm, respectively, and showed that the accumulation of KatE1 and KatE2 in the periplasm was reduced in the SRP-defective strains. Collectively, this study establishes the importance of the SRP pathway in the survival and the transport of antioxidant proteins in D. radiodurans under oxidative stress.

Symbiotic organs shaped by distinct modes of genome evolution in cephalopods

Animal–microbe associations are critical drivers of evolutionary innovation, yet the origin of specialized symbiotic organs remains largely unexplored. We analyzed the genome of Euprymna scolopes, a model cephalopod, and observed large-scale genomic reorganizations compared with the ancestral bilaterian genome. We report distinct evolutionary signatures within the two symbiotic organs of E. scolopes, the light organ (LO) and the accessory nidamental gland (ANG). The LO evolved through subfunctionalization of genes expressed in the eye, indicating a deep evolutionary link between these organs. Alternatively, the ANG was enriched in novel, species-specific orphan genes suggesting these two tissues originated via different evolutionary strategies. These analyses represent the first genomic insights into the evolution of multiple symbiotic organs within a single animal host.

Microbes have been critical drivers of evolutionary innovation in animals. To understand the processes that influence the origin of specialized symbiotic organs, we report the sequencing and analysis of the genome of Euprymna scolopes, a model cephalopod with richly characterized host–microbe interactions. We identified large-scale genomic reorganization shared between E. scolopes and Octopus bimaculoides and posit that this reorganization has contributed to the evolution of cephalopod complexity. To reveal genomic signatures of host–symbiont interactions, we focused on two specialized organs of E. scolopes: the light organ, which harbors a monoculture of Vibrio fischeri, and the accessory nidamental gland (ANG), a reproductive organ containing a bacterial consortium. Our findings suggest that the two symbiotic organs within E. scolopes originated by different evolutionary mechanisms. Transcripts expressed in these microbe-associated tissues displayed their own unique signatures in both coding sequences and the surrounding regulatory regions. Compared with other tissues, the light organ showed an abundance of genes associated with immunity and mediating light, whereas the ANG was enriched in orphan genes known only from E. scolopes. Together, these analyses provide evidence for different patterns of genomic evolution of symbiotic organs within a single host.

Transcriptional profiling of the mutualistic bacterium Vibrio fischeri and an hfq mutant under modeled microgravity

For long-duration space missions, it is critical to maintain health-associated homeostasis between astronauts and their microbiome. To achieve this goal it is important to more fully understand the host–symbiont relationship under the physiological stress conditions of spaceflight. To address this issue we examined the impact of a spaceflight analog, low-shear-modeled microgravity (LSMMG), on the transcriptome of the mutualistic bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Cultures of V. fischeri and a mutant defective in the global regulator Hfq (∆hfq) were exposed to either LSMMG or gravity conditions for 12 h (exponential growth) and 24 h (stationary phase growth). Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed few to no significant differentially expressed genes between gravity and the LSMMG conditions in the wild type or mutant V. fischeri at exponential or stationary phase. There was, however, a pronounced change in transcriptomic profiles during the transition between exponential and stationary phase growth in both V. fischeri cultures including an overall decrease in gene expression associated with translational activity and an increase in stress response. There were also several upregulated stress genes specific to the LSMMG condition during the transition to stationary phase growth. The ∆hfq mutants exhibited a distinctive transcriptome profile with a significant increase in transcripts associated with flagellar synthesis and transcriptional regulators under LSMMG conditions compared to gravity controls. These results indicate the loss of Hfq significantly influences gene expression under LSMMG conditions in a bacterial symbiont. Together, these results improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which microgravity alters the physiology of beneficial host-associated microbes.

Vibrio fischeri DarR Directs Responses to d-Aspartate and Represents a Group of Similar LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulators

Mounting evidence suggests that d-amino acids play previously underappreciated roles in diverse organisms. In bacteria, even d-amino acids that are absent from canonical peptidoglycan (PG) may act as growth substrates, as signals, or in other functions. Given these proposed roles and the ubiquity of d-amino acids, the paucity of known d-amino-acid-responsive transcriptional control mechanisms in bacteria suggests that such regulation awaits discovery. We found that DarR, a LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR), activates transcription in response to d-Asp. The d-Glu auxotrophy of a Vibrio fischerimurI::Tn mutant was suppressed, with the wild-type PG structure maintained, by a point mutation in darR This darR mutation resulted in the overexpression of an adjacent operon encoding a putative aspartate racemase, RacD, which compensated for the loss of the glutamate racemase encoded by murI Using transcriptional reporters, we found that wild-type DarR activated racD transcription in response to exogenous d-Asp but not upon the addition of l-Asp, l-Glu, or d-Glu. A DNA sequence typical of LTTR-binding sites was identified between darR and the divergently oriented racD operon, and scrambling this sequence eliminated activation of the reporter in response to d-Asp. In several proteobacteria, genes encoding LTTRs similar to DarR are linked to genes with predicted roles in d- and/or l-Asp metabolism. To test the functional similarities in another bacterium, darR and racD mutants were also generated in Acinetobacter baylyi In V. fischeri and A. baylyi, growth on d-Asp required the presence of both darR and racD Our results suggest that multiple bacteria have the ability to sense and respond to d-Asp.IMPORTANCE d-Amino acids are prevalent in the environment and are generated by organisms from all domains of life. Although some biological roles for d-amino acids are understood, in other cases, their functions remain uncertain. Given the ubiquity of d-amino acids, it seems likely that bacteria will initiate transcriptional responses to them. Elucidating d-amino acid-responsive regulators along with the genes they control will help uncover bacterial uses of d-amino acids. Here, we report the discovery of DarR, a novel LTTR in V. fischeri that mediates a transcriptional response to environmental d-Asp and underpins the catabolism of d-Asp. DarR represents the founding member of a group of bacterial homologs that we hypothesize control aspects of aspartate metabolism in response to d-Asp and/or to d-Asp-containing peptides.

Cross-protection from hydrogen peroxide by helper microbes: the impacts on the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus and other beneficiaries in marine communities

Hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) is a reactive oxygen species, derived from molecular oxygen, that is capable of damaging microbial cells. Surprisingly, the HOOH defence systems of some aerobes in the oxygenated marine environments are critically depleted, relative to model aerobes. For instance, the gene encoding catalase is absent in the numerically dominant photosynthetic cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus. Accordingly, Prochlorococcus is highly susceptible to HOOH when exposed as pure cultures. Pure cultures do not exist in the marine environment, however. Catalase-positive community members can remove HOOH from the seawater medium, thus lowering the threat to Prochlorococcus and any other member that likewise lacks their own catalase. This cross-protection may constitute a loosely defined symbiosis, whereby the catalase-positive helper cells may benefit through the acquisition of nutrients released by the beneficiaries such as Prochlorococcus. Other members of the community that may be helped by the catalase-positive cells may include some lineages of Synechococcus - the sister genus of Prochlorococcus - as well as some lineages of SAR11 and ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria. The co-occurrence of catalase-positive and -negative members suggests that cross-protection from HOOH-mediated oxidative stress may play an important role in the construction of the marine microbial community.

Transcriptional characterization of Vibrio fischeri during colonization of juvenile Euprymna scolopes

The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri is the monospecific symbiont of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the establishment of this association involves a number of signaling pathways and transcriptional responses between both partners. We report here the first full RNA-Seq dataset representing host-associated V. fischeri cells from colonized juvenile E. scolopes, as well as comparative transcriptomes under both laboratory and simulated marine planktonic conditions. These data elucidate the broad transcriptional changes that these bacteria undergo during the early stages of symbiotic colonization. We report several previously undescribed and unexpected transcriptional responses within the early stages of this symbiosis, including gene expression patterns consistent with biochemical stresses inside the host, and metabolic patterns distinct from those reported in associations with adult animals. Integration of these transcriptional data with a recently developed metabolic model of V. fischeri provides us with a clearer picture of the metabolic state of symbionts within the juvenile host, including their possible carbon sources. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of the early stages of the squid-vibrio symbiosis, and more generally inform the transcriptional responses underlying the activities of marine microbes during host colonization.

Host-selected mutations converging on a global regulator drive an adaptive leap towards symbiosis in bacteria

Host immune and physical barriers protect against pathogens but also impede the establishment of essential symbiotic partnerships. To reveal mechanisms by which beneficial organisms adapt to circumvent host defenses, we experimentally evolved ecologically distinct bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri by colonization and growth within the light organs of the squid Euprymna scolopes. Serial squid passaging of bacteria produced eight distinct mutations in the binK sensor kinase gene, which conferred an exceptional selective advantage that could be demonstrated through both empirical and theoretical analysis. Squid-adaptive binK alleles promoted colonization and immune evasion that were mediated by cell-associated matrices including symbiotic polysaccharide (Syp) and cellulose. binK variation also altered quorum sensing, raising the threshold for luminescence induction. Preexisting coordinated regulation of symbiosis traits by BinK presented an efficient solution where altered BinK function was the key to unlock multiple colonization barriers. These results identify a genetic basis for microbial adaptability and underscore the importance of hosts as selective agents that shape emergent symbiont populations.

Genomic Insight into the Host-Endosymbiont Relationship of Endozoicomonas montiporae CL-33(T) with its Coral Host

The bacterial genus Endozoicomonas was commonly detected in healthy corals in many coral-associated bacteria studies in the past decade. Although, it is likely to be a core member of coral microbiota, little is known about its ecological roles. To decipher potential interactions between bacteria and their coral hosts, we sequenced and investigated the first culturable endozoicomonal bacterium from coral, the E. montiporae CL-33(T). Its genome had potential sign of ongoing genome erosion and gene exchange with its host. Testosterone degradation and type III secretion system are commonly present in Endozoicomonas and may have roles to recognize and deliver effectors to their hosts. Moreover, genes of eukaryotic ephrin ligand B2 are present in its genome; presumably, this bacterium could move into coral cells via endocytosis after binding to coral's Eph receptors. In addition, 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine triphosphatase and isocitrate lyase are possible type III secretion effectors that might help coral to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction and promote gluconeogenesis, especially under stress conditions. Based on all these findings, we inferred that E. montiporae was a facultative endosymbiont that can recognize, translocate, communicate and modulate its coral host.

Protective roles of katG-homologous genes against extrinsic peroxides in Vibrio parahaemolyticus

The marine foodborne enteropathogen, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, has four putative catalase genes. Function of the katG-homologous genes, katG1(VPA0768) and katG2(VPA0453), was examined using gene deletion mutants, and compared with those of the katE-homologous genes, katE1(VPA1418) and katE2(VPA0305). Bacterial growth of ΔkatG1 was significantly delayed in the presence of 200-300 μM H2O2, and such inhibition was enhanced when incubation temperature was lowered from 37°C to 22°C. In the stationary phase, the ΔkatG1 strain was more susceptible to the lethal dosage of H2O2 than the ΔkatE1 strain. The minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations revealed that ΔkatE1/ΔkatE2 strains were more susceptible to H2O2 than the ΔkatG1/ΔkatG2 strains in exponential phase, while ΔkatG1 was more susceptible than the ΔkatE1/ΔkatE2 strains in the starved culture. This study demonstrated the chief antioxidative role of katG1 in the stationary phase and starved culture of V. parahaemolyticus, while katG1 and katG2 were also responsive to H2O2 and cumene hydroperoxide in the exponential phase.

Functions of VPA1418 and VPA0305 Catalase Genes in Growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus under Oxidative Stress

The marine foodborne enteropathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus has four putative catalase genes. The functions of two katE-homologous genes, katE1 (VPA1418) and katE2 (VPA0305), in the growth of this bacterium were examined using gene deletion mutants with or without complementary genes. The growth of the mutant strains in static or shaken cultures in a rich medium at 37°C or at low temperatures (12 and 4°C), with or without competition from Escherichia coli, did not differ from that of the parent strain. When 175 μM extrinsic H2O2 was added to the culture medium, bacterial growth of the ΔkatE1 strain was delayed and growth of the ΔkatE1 ΔkatE2 and ΔkatE1 ΔahpC1 double mutant strains was completely inhibited at 37°C for 8 h. The sensitivity of the ΔkatE1 strain to the inhibition of growth by H2O2 was higher at low incubation temperatures (12 and 22°C) than at 37°C. The determined gene expression of these catalase and ahpC genes revealed that katE1 was highly expressed in the wild-type strain at 22°C under H2O2 stress, while the katE2 and ahpC genes may play an alternate or compensatory role in the ΔkatE1 strain. This study demonstrated that katE1 encodes the chief functional catalase for detoxifying extrinsic H2O2 during logarithmic growth and that the function of these genes was influenced by incubation temperature.

A conserved chemical dialog of mutualism: lessons from squid and vibrio

Microorganisms shape, and are shaped by, their environment. In host-microbe associations, this environment is defined by tissue chemistry, which reflects local and organism-wide physiology, as well as inflammatory status. We review how, in the squid-vibrio mutualism, both partners shape tissue chemistry, revealing common themes governing tissue homeostasis in animal-microbe associations.

Genomic and proteomic evidences unravel the UV-resistome of the poly-extremophile Acinetobacter sp. Ver3

Ultraviolet radiation can damage biomolecules, with detrimental or even lethal effects for life. Even though lower wavelengths are filtered by the ozone layer, a significant amount of harmful UV-B and UV-A radiation reach Earth's surface, particularly in high altitude environments. high-altitude Andean lakes (HAALs) are a group of disperse shallow lakes and salterns, located at the Dry Central Andes region in South America at altitudes above 3,000 m. As it is considered one of the highest UV-exposed environments, HAAL microbes constitute model systems to study UV-resistance mechanisms in environmental bacteria at various complexity levels. Herein, we present the genome sequence of Acinetobacter sp. Ver3, a gammaproteobacterium isolated from Lake Verde (4,400 m), together with further experimental evidence supporting the phenomenological observations regarding this bacterium ability to cope with increased UV-induced DNA damage. Comparison with the genomes of other Acinetobacter strains highlighted a number of unique genes, such as a novel cryptochrome. Proteomic profiling of UV-exposed cells identified up-regulated proteins such as a specific cytoplasmic catalase, a putative regulator, and proteins associated to amino acid and protein synthesis. Down-regulated proteins were related to several energy-generating pathways such as glycolysis, beta-oxidation of fatty acids, and electronic respiratory chain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a genome from a polyextremophilic Acinetobacter strain. From the genomic and proteomic data, an "UV-resistome" was defined, encompassing the genes that would support the outstanding UV-resistance of this strain.

Bright luminescence of Vibrio fischeri aconitase mutants reveals a connection between citrate and the Gac/Csr regulatory system

The Gac/Csr regulatory system is conserved throughout the γ-proteobacteria and controls key pathways in central carbon metabolism, quorum sensing, biofilm formation and virulence in important plant and animal pathogens. Here we show that elevated intracellular citrate levels in a Vibrio fischeri aconitase mutant correlate with activation of the Gac/Csr cascade and induction of bright luminescence. Spontaneous or directed mutations in the gene that encodes citrate synthase reversed the bright luminescence of aconitase mutants, eliminated their citrate accumulation and reversed their elevated expression of CsrB. Our data elucidate a correlative link between central metabolic and regulatory pathways, and they suggest that the Gac system senses a blockage at the aconitase step of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, either through elevated citrate levels or a secondary metabolic effect of citrate accumulation, and responds by modulating carbon flow and various functions associated with host colonization, including bioluminescence.

Investigating catalase activity through hydrogen peroxide decomposition by bacteria biofilms in real time using scanning electrochemical microscopy

Catalase activity through hydrogen peroxide decomposition in a 1 mM bulk solution above Vibrio fischeri (γ-Protebacteria-Vibrionaceae) bacterial biofilms of either symbiotic or free-living strains was studied in real time by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The catalase activity, in units of micromoles hydrogen peroxide decomposed per minute over a period of 348 s, was found to vary with incubation time of each biofilm in correlation with the corresponding growth curve of bacteria in liquid culture. Average catalase activity for the same incubation times ranging from 1 to 12 h was found to be 0.28 ± 0.07 μmol H2O2/min for the symbiotic biofilms and 0.31 ± 0.07 μmol H2O2/min for the free-living biofilms, suggesting similar catalase activity. Calculations based on Comsol Multiphysics simulations in fitting experimental biofilm data indicated that approximately (3 ± 1) × 10(6) molecules of hydrogen peroxide were decomposed by a single bacterium per second, signifying the presence of a highly active catalase. A 2-fold enhancement in catalase activity was found for both free-living and symbiotic biofilms in response to external hydrogen peroxide concentrations as low as 1 nM in the growth media, implying a similar mechanism in responding to oxidative stress.

Gimme shelter: how Vibrio fischeri successfully navigates an animal's multiple environments

Bacteria successfully colonize distinct niches because they can sense and appropriately respond to a variety of environmental signals. Of particular interest is how a bacterium negotiates the multiple, complex environments posed during successful infection of an animal host. One tractable model system to study how a bacterium manages a host’s multiple environments is the symbiotic relationship between the marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, and its squid host, Euprymna scolopes. V. fischeri encounters many different host surroundings ranging from initial contact with the squid to ultimate colonization of a specialized organ known as the light organ. For example, upon recognition of the squid, V. fischeri forms a biofilm aggregate outside the light organ that is required for efficient colonization. The bacteria then disperse from this biofilm to enter the organ, where they are exposed to nitric oxide, a molecule that can act as both a signal and an antimicrobial. After successfully managing this potentially hostile environment, V. fischeri cells finally establish their niche in the deep crypts of the light organ where the bacteria bioluminesce in a pheromone-dependent fashion, a phenotype that E. scolopes utilizes for anti-predation purposes. The mechanism by which V. fischeri manages these environments to outcompete all other bacterial species for colonization of E. scolopes is an important and intriguing question that will permit valuable insights into how a bacterium successfully associates with a host. This review focuses on specific molecular pathways that allow V. fischeri to establish this exquisite bacteria–host interaction.

Growth-dependent catalase localization in Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans T-2-2T reflected by catalase activity of cells

A psychrotolerant and H₂O₂-resistant bacterium, Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans T-2-2^T, exhibits extraordinary H₂O₂ resistance and produces catalase not only intracellularly but also extracellularly. The intracellular and extracellular catalases exhibited the same enzymatic characteristics, that is, they exhibited the temperature-dependent activity characteristic of a cold-adapted enzyme, their heat stabilities were similar to those of mesophilic enzymes and very high catalytic intensity. In addition, catalase gene analysis indicated that the bacterium possessed the sole clade 1 catalase gene corresponding to intracellular catalase. Hence, intracellular catalase is secreted into the extracellular space. In addition to intracellular and extracellular catalases, the inner circumference of the cells showed the localization of catalase in the mid-stationary growth phase, which was observed by immunoelectron microscopy using an antibody against the intracellular catalase of the strain. The cells demonstrated higher catalase activity in the mid-stationary growth phase than in the exponential growth phase. The catalase localized in the inner circumference can be dissociated by treatment with Tween 60. Thus, the localized catalase is not tightly bound to the inner circumference of the cells and may play a role in the oxidative defense of the cells under low metabolic state.

Characterization of the bacterial diversity in Indo-West Pacific loliginid and sepiolid squid light organs

Loliginid and sepiolid squid light organs are known to host a variety of bacterial species from the family Vibrionaceae, yet little is known about the species diversity and characteristics among different host squids. Here we present a broad-ranging molecular and physiological analysis of the bacteria colonizing light organs in loliginid and sepiolid squids from various field locations of the Indo-West Pacific (Australia and Thailand). Our PCR-RFLP analysis, physiological characterization, carbon utilization profiling, and electron microscopy data indicate that loliginid squid in the Indo-West Pacific carry a consortium of bacterial species from the families Vibrionaceae and Photobacteriaceae. This research also confirms our previous report of the presence of Vibrio harveyi as a member of the bacterial population colonizing light organs in loliginid squid. pyrH sequence data were used to confirm isolate identity, and indicates that Vibrio and Photobacterium comprise most of the light organ colonizers of squids from Australia, confirming previous reports for Australian loliginid and sepiolid squids. In addition, combined phylogenetic analysis of PCR-RFLP and 16S rDNA data from Australian and Thai isolates associated both Photobacterium and Vibrio clades with both loliginid and sepiolid strains, providing support that geographical origin does not correlate with their relatedness. These results indicate that both loliginid and sepiolid squids demonstrate symbiont specificity (Vibrionaceae), but their distribution is more likely due to environmental factors that are present during the infection process. This study adds significantly to the growing evidence for complex and dynamic associations in nature and highlights the importance of exploring symbiotic relationships in which non-virulent strains of pathogenic Vibrio species could establish associations with marine invertebrates.

Knowing your friends: invertebrate innate immunity fosters beneficial bacterial symbioses

The innate immune system is present in all animals and is a crucial first line of defence against pathogens. However, animals also harbour large numbers of beneficial microorganisms that can be housed in the digestive tract, in specialized organs or on tissue surfaces. Although invertebrates lack conventional antibody-based immunity, they are capable of eliminating pathogens and, perhaps more importantly, discriminating them from other microorganisms. This Review examines the interactions between the innate immune systems of several model invertebrates and the symbionts of these organisms, and addresses the central question of how these long-lived and specific associations are established and maintained.

Host/microbe interactions revealed through "omics" in the symbiosis between the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes and the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri

The association between Euprymna scolopes, the Hawaiian bobtail squid, and Vibrio fischeri, a bioluminescent bacterium, has served as a model for beneficial symbioses for over 25 years. The experimental tractability of this association has helped researchers characterize many of the colonization events necessary for symbiosis. Recent technological advances, such as the sequenced genome of V. fischeri, DNA microarrays, and high-throughput transcriptomics and proteomics, have allowed for the identification of host and symbiont factors that are important in establishing and maintaining specificity in the association. We highlight some of these findings pertaining to quorum sensing, luminescence, responses to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns by the innate immune system of the host, and a diel rhythm that helps regulate the symbiont population. We also discuss how comparative genomics has allowed the identification of symbiont factors important for specificity and why sequencing the host's genome should be a priority for the research community.

Why do bacteria use so many enzymes to scavenge hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is continuously formed by the autoxidation of redox enzymes in aerobic cells, and it also enters from the environment, where it can be generated both by chemical processes and by the deliberate actions of competing organisms. Because H(2)O(2) is acutely toxic, bacteria elaborate scavenging enzymes to keep its intracellular concentration at nanomolar levels. Mutants that lack such enzymes grow poorly, suffer from high rates of mutagenesis, or even die. In order to understand how bacteria cope with oxidative stress, it is important to identify the key enzymes involved in H(2)O(2) degradation. Catalases and NADH peroxidase (Ahp) are primary scavengers in many bacteria, and their activities and physiological impacts have been unambiguously demonstrated through phenotypic analysis and through direct measurements of H(2)O(2) clearance in vivo. Yet a wide variety of additional enzymes have been proposed to serve similar roles: thiol peroxidase, bacterioferritin comigratory protein, glutathione peroxidase, cytochrome c peroxidase, and rubrerythrins. Each of these enzymes can degrade H(2)O(2) in vitro, but their contributions in vivo remain unclear. In this review we examine the genetic, genomic, regulatory, and biochemical evidence that each of these is a bonafide scavenger of H(2)O(2) in the cell. We also consider possible reasons that bacteria might require multiple enzymes to catalyze this process, including differences in substrate specificity, compartmentalization, cofactor requirements, kinetic optima, and enzyme stability. It is hoped that the resolution of these issues will lead to an understanding of stress resistance that is more accurate and perceptive.

Characterization of catalase from psychrotolerant Psychrobacter piscatorii T-3 exhibiting high catalase activity

A psychrotolerant bacterium, strain T-3 (identified as Psychrobacter piscatorii), that exhibited an extraordinarily high catalase activity was isolated from the drain pool of a plant that uses H₂O₂ as a bleaching agent. Its cell extract exhibited a catalase activity (19,700 U·mg protein⁻¹) that was higher than that of Micrococcus luteus used for industrial catalase production. Catalase was approximately 10% of the total proteins in the cell extract of the strain. The catalase (PktA) was purified homogeneously by only two purification steps, anion exchange and hydrophobic chromatographies. The purified catalase exhibited higher catalytic efficiency and higher sensitivity of activity at high temperatures than M. luteus catalase. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest homology with catalase of Psycrobacter cryohalolentis, a psychrotolelant bacterium obtained from Siberian permafrost. These findings suggest that the characteristics of the PktA molecule reflected the taxonomic relationship of the isolate as well as the environmental conditions (low temperatures and high concentrations of H₂O₂) under which the bacterium survives. Strain T-3 efficiently produces a catalase (PktA) at a higher rate than Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans, which produces a very strong activity of catalase (EktA) at a moderate rate, in order to adapt to high concentration of H₂O₂.

The novel sigma factor-like regulator RpoQ controls luminescence, chitinase activity, and motility in Vibrio fischeri

Vibrio fischeri, the bacterial symbiont of the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, uses quorum sensing to control genes involved in bioluminescence, host colonization, and other biological processes. Previous work has shown that AinS/R-directed quorum sensing also regulates the expression of rpoQ (VF_A1015), a gene annotated as an RpoS-like sigma factor. In this study, we demonstrate using phylogenetics that RpoQ is related to, but distinct from, the stationary-phase sigma factor RpoS. Overexpression of rpoQ results in elevated chitinase activity but decreased motility and luminescence, three activities associated with symbiosis. The reduction in bacterial luminescence associated with the overexpression of rpoQ occurs both in culture and within the light-emitting organ of the squid host. This suppression of bioluminescence is due to the repression of the luxICDABEG promoter. Our results highlight RpoQ as a novel regulatory component, embedded in the quorum-signaling network that controls several biological processes in V. fischeri.

Quorum signaling is a widely occurring phenomenon that functions in diverse bacterial taxa. It is most often found associated with species that interact with animal or plant hosts, either as mutualists or pathogens, and controls the expression of genes critical to tissue colonization. We present the discovery of rpoQ, which encodes a new regulatory component in the quorum-signaling pathway of Vibrio fischeri. RpoQ is a novel protein in the RpoS family of stationary-phase sigma factors. Unlike many other regulatory proteins involved in the quorum-signaling pathways of the Vibrionaceae, the distribution of RpoQ appears to be restricted to only two closely related species. The role of this regulator is to enhance some quorum-signaling outputs (chitinase activity) while suppressing others (luminescence). We propose that RpoQ may be a recently evolved or acquired component in V. fischeri that provides this organism with an additional level of regulation to modulate its existing quorum-signaling pathway.

Role for cheR of Vibrio fischeri in the Vibrio-squid symbiosis

Upon hatching, the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes is rapidly colonized by its symbiotic partner, the bioluminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri . Vibrio fischeri cells present in the seawater enter the light organ of juvenile squid in a process that requires bacterial motility. In this study, we investigated the role chemotaxis may play in establishing this symbiotic colonization. Previously, we reported that V. fischeri migrates toward numerous attractants, including N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA), a component of squid mucus. However, whether or not migration toward an attractant such as squid-derived NANA helps the bacterium to localize toward the light organ is unknown. When tested for the ability to colonize juvenile squid, a V. fischeri chemotaxis mutant defective for the methyltransferase CheR was outcompeted by the wild-type strain in co-inoculation experiments, even when the mutant was present in fourfold excess. Our results suggest that the ability to perform chemotaxis is an advantage during colonization, but not essential.

Characterizing the host and symbiont proteomes in the association between the Bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the bacterium, Vibrio fischeri

The beneficial symbiosis between the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and the bioluminescent bacterium, Vibrio fischeri, provides a unique opportunity to study host/microbe interactions within a natural microenvironment. Colonization of the squid light organ by V. fischeri begins a lifelong association with a regulated daily rhythm. Each morning the host expels an exudate from the light organ consisting of 95% of the symbiont population in addition to host hemocytes and shed epithelial cells. We analyzed the host and symbiont proteomes of adult squid exudate and surrounding light organ epithelial tissue using 1D- and 2D-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) in an effort to understand the contribution of both partners to the maintenance of this association. These proteomic analyses putatively identified 1581 unique proteins, 870 proteins originating from the symbiont and 711 from the host. Identified host proteins indicate a role of the innate immune system and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in regulating the symbiosis. Symbiont proteins detected enhance our understanding of the role of quorum sensing, two-component signaling, motility, and detoxification of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) inside the light organ. This study offers the first proteomic analysis of the symbiotic microenvironment of the adult light organ and provides the identification of proteins important to the regulation of this beneficial association.

The haem-uptake gene cluster in Vibrio fischeri is regulated by Fur and contributes to symbiotic colonization

Although it is accepted that bacteria-colonizing host tissues are commonly faced with iron-limiting conditions and that pathogenic bacteria often utilize iron from host-derived haem-based compounds, the mechanisms of iron acquisition by beneficial symbiotic bacteria are less clear. The bacterium Vibrio fischeri mutualistically colonizes the light organ of the squid Euprymna scolopes. Genome sequence analysis of V. fischeri revealed a putative haem-uptake gene cluster, and through mutant analysis we confirmed this cluster is important for haemin use by V. fischeri in culture. LacZ reporter assays demonstrated Fur-dependent transcriptional regulation of cluster promoter activity in culture. GFP-based reporter assays revealed that gene cluster promoter activity is induced in symbiotic V. fischeri as early as 14 h post inoculation, although colonization assays with the haem uptake mutant suggested an inability to uptake haem does not begin to limit colonization until later stages of the symbiosis. Our data indicate that the squid light organ is a low iron environment and that haem-based sources of iron are used by symbiotic V. fischeri cells. These findings provide important additional information on the availability of iron during symbiotic colonization of E. scolopes by V. fischeri, as well as the role of haem uptake in non-pathogenic host-microbe interactions.

Evaluation of the virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris mutant strains lacking functional genes in the OxyR regulon

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris causes black rot in cruciferous crops. Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production and accumulation is an important initial response in plant defense against invading microbes. The role of genes involved in the bacterial H(2)O(2) protection system in pathogenicity was evaluated. Mutants of katA (encoding a monofunctional catalase) and, to a lesser extent, katG (encoding a catalase-peroxidase) and oxyR (encoding a H(2)O(2) sensor and a transcription regulator), are hypersensitive to H(2)O(2) treatments that mimic the plant H(2)O(2) burst. These data correlate with the results of pathogenicity testing that show katA, katG, and oxyR mutants are avirulent on a compatible plant. Moreover, exposure to H(2)O(2) (1, 2, and 4 mM) highly induces the expression of genes in the OxyR regulon, including katA, katG, and ahpC. The avirulent phenotype of the oxyR mutant is partly because of its inability to mount an adaptive response upon exposure to an H(2)O(2) burst. Our data provide insights into important roles of a transcription regulator and other genes involved in peroxide stress protection in the virulence of X. campestris pv. campestris.

The roles of NO in microbial symbioses

Because of its unique chemical properties, nitric oxide (NO) is a pluripotent signalling and effector molecule that is implicated in a variety of biological roles. Although NO is known to function in host innate immunity against pathogen invasion, its possible roles in microbial symbioses with animal and plant hosts remain relatively less well defined. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms by which bacteria sense and/or detoxify NO. We then focus specifically on its roles in microbial symbioses of diverse eukaryotic hosts. Using the squid-vibrio light-organ symbiosis as a well-characterized example, we discuss the ways in which NO serves as a signal, antioxidant and specificity determinant in this model symbiosis. Because beneficial microbial associations are older and much more prevalent than pathogenic ones, it seems likely that the former may be evolutionary precursors of the latter. Thus, knowledge of the roles played by NO in mutualisms will provide insights into its function in disease interactions as well.

Vibrio fischeri flavohaemoglobin protects against nitric oxide during initiation of the squid-Vibrio symbiosis

Nitric oxide (NO) is implicated in a wide range of biological processes, including innate immunity against pathogens, signal transduction and protection against oxidative stress. However, its possible roles in beneficial host-microbe associations are less well recognized. During the early stages of the squid-vibrio symbiosis, the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri encounters host-derived NO, which has been hypothesized to serve as a specificity determinant. We demonstrate here that the flavohaemoglobin, Hmp, of V. fischeri protects against NO, both in culture and during colonization of the squid host. Transcriptional analyses indicate that hmp expression is highly responsive to NO, principally through the repressor, NsrR. Hmp protects V. fischeri from NO inhibition of aerobic respiration, and removes NO under both oxic and anoxic conditions. A Δhmp mutant of V. fischeri initiates squid colonization less effectively than wild type, but is rescued by the presence of an NO synthase inhibitor. The hmp promoter is activated during the initial stage of colonization, during which the Δhmp strain fails to form normal-sized aggregates of colonizing cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the sensing of host-derived NO by NsrR, and the subsequent removal of NO by Hmp, influence aggregate size and, thereby, V. fischeri colonization efficiency.

H-NOX-mediated nitric oxide sensing modulates symbiotic colonization by Vibrio fischeri

The bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri initiates a specific, persistent symbiosis in the light organ of the squid Euprymna scolopes. During the early stages of colonization, V. fischeri is exposed to host-derived nitric oxide (NO). Although NO can be both an antimicrobial component of innate immunity and a key signaling molecule in eukaryotes, potential roles in beneficial host-microbe associations have not been described. V. fischeri hnoX encodes a heme NO/oxygen-binding (H-NOX) protein, a member of a family of bacterial NO- and/or O(2)-binding proteins of unknown function. We hypothesized that H-NOX acts as a NO sensor that is involved in regulating symbiosis-related genes early in colonization. Whole-genome expression studies identified 20 genes that were repressed in an NO- and H-NOX-dependent fashion. Ten of these, including hemin-utilization genes, have a promoter with a putative ferric-uptake regulator (Fur) binding site. As predicted, in the presence of NO, wild-type V. fischeri grew more slowly on hemin than a hnoX deletion mutant. Host-colonization studies showed that the hnoX mutant was also 10-fold more efficient in initially colonizing the squid host than the wild type; similarly, in mixed inoculations, it outcompeted the wild-type strain by an average of 16-fold after 24 h. However, the presence of excess hemin or iron reversed this dominance. The advantage of the mutant in colonizing the iron-limited light-organ tissues is caused, at least in part, by its greater ability to acquire host-derived hemin. Our data suggest that V. fischeri normally senses a host-generated NO signal through H-NOX(Vf) and modulates the expression of its iron uptake capacity during the early stages of the light-organ symbiosis.

Psychrobacter piscatorii sp. nov., a psychrotolerant bacterium exhibiting high catalase activity isolated from an oxidative environment

A Gram-negative, non-motile, psychrotolerant bacterium exhibiting high catalase activity, designated strain T-3-2T, was isolated from a drain of a fish-processing plant. Its catalase activity was 12 000 U (mg protein)−1, much higher than the activity of the other Psychrobacter strains tested. The strain grew at 0–30 °C and in the presence of 0–12 % NaCl. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8), and C16 : 1 ω9c and C18 : 1 ω9c were the predominant cellular fatty acids. The DNA G+C content of strain T-3-2T was 43.9 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogeny suggested that strain T-3-2T is a member of the genus Psychrobacter, with the closest relatives being the type strains of Psychrobacter nivimaris (99.2 % similarity), P. aquimaris (98.7 %) and P. proteolyticus (98.5 %). DNA–DNA hybridization showed less than 65 % relatedness with these strains. A phylogenetic tree based on gyrB gene sequences was more reliable, with higher bootstrap values than the 16S rRNA gene sequence-based tree. The result also differentiated the isolate from previously reported Psychrobacter species. Owing to the significant differences in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and the phylogenetic and DNA–DNA relatedness data, the isolate merits classification within a novel species, for which the name Psychrobacter piscatorii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is T-3-2T (=JCM 15603T =NCIMB 14510T).

The catalase-peroxidase KatG is required for virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in a host plant by providing protection against low levels of H2O2

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris katG encodes a catalase-peroxidase that has a role in protecting the bacterium against micromolar concentrations of H(2)O(2). A knockout mutation in katG that causes loss of catalase-peroxidase activity correlates with increased susceptibility to H(2)O(2) and a superoxide generator and is avirulent in a plant model system. katG expression is induced by oxidants in an OxyR-dependent manner.

Molecular analysis of antioxidant genes in the extremohalophile marine bacterium Exiguobacterium sp. CNU020

Exiguobacterium sp. CNU020, an alkaliphile and extremohalophile bacterium, is resistant to 20 mM H(2)O(2), a concentration that is lethal to most bacteria. Representative antioxidant genes of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD), obtained by PCR amplification of the genomic DNA, were characterized: the 252-bp catalase gene shared 77% similarity in the deduced amino acid sequence to that of E. oxidotolerans T-2-2(T). The 420-bp SOD gene had the closest similarity (94.3%) to the manganese-SOD of E. sibiricum 255-15. Through activity-staining analysis, stain CNU020 had at least four catalase isoforms: C1, C2, C3 and C4. Expression of each catalase isoform was dependent on the growth phase and oxidants but two catalases (C3 and C4) were always induced and expressed at a similar rate, indicating that they were constitutively expressed. RT-PCR-based expression analysis at the transcriptional level suggested that the catalase gene is strongly expressed in response to 2 mM H(2)O(2), 0.2 mM Paraquat and 0.2 mM menadione. However, the SOD gene exhibited no observable expression pattern with 2 mM H(2)O(2) despite its strong expression when exposed to Paraquat and menadione.

Recognition between symbiotic Vibrio fischeri and the haemocytes of Euprymna scolopes

The light organ crypts of the squid Euprymna scolopes permit colonization exclusively by the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Because the crypt interior remains in contact with seawater, the squid must not only foster the specific symbiosis, but also continue to exclude other bacteria. Investigation of the role of the innate immune system in these processes revealed that macrophage-like haemocytes isolated from E. scolopes recognized and phagocytosed V. fischeri less than other closely related bacterial species common to the host's environment. Interestingly, phagocytes isolated from hosts that had been cured of their symbionts bound five times more V. fischeri cells than those from uncured hosts. No such change in the ability to bind other species of bacteria was observed, suggesting that the host adapts specifically to V. fischeri. Deletion of the gene encoding OmpU, the major outer membrane protein of V. fischeri, increased binding by haemocytes from uncured animals to the level observed for haemocytes from cured animals. Co-incubation with wild-type V. fischeri reduced this binding, suggesting that they produce a factor that complements the mutant's defect. Analyses of the phagocytosis of bound cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting indicated that once binding to haemocytes had occurred, V. fischeri cells are phagocytosed as effectively as other bacteria. Thus, discrimination by this component of the squid immune system occurs at the level of haemocyte binding, and this response: (i) is modified by previous exposure to the symbiont and (ii) relies on outer membrane and/or secreted components of the symbionts. These data suggest that regulation of host haemocyte binding by the symbiont may be one of many factors that contribute to specificity in this association.

Symbiotic conversations are revealed under genetic interrogation

The recent development and application of molecular genetics to the symbionts of invertebrate animal species have advanced our knowledge of the biochemical communication that occurs between the host and its bacterial symbionts. In particular, the ability to manipulate these associations experimentally by introducing genetic variants of the symbionts into naive hosts has allowed the discovery of novel colonization mechanisms and factors. In addition, the role of the symbionts in inducing normal host development has been revealed, and its molecular basis described. In this Review, I discuss many of these developments, focusing on what has been discovered in five well-understood model systems.

H2O2 tolerance of Vibrio rumoiensis S-1(T) is attributable to the cellular catalase activity

The extraordinarily high level of H2O2 tolerance of Vibrio rumoiensis strain S-1(T) when compared with the tolerance levels of strain S-4, a probable catalase-deficient derivative of strain S-1(T), was demonstrated by the introduction of 0-100 mM H2O2 during the mid-exponential growth phase. The contribution of catalase to the H2O2 tolerance was also demonstrated by comparing the catalase-deficient mutant Escherichia coli strain UM2 with a UM2 strain, harboring the plasmid pBSsa1, which carried the strain S-1(T) catalase gene vktA. The decomposition rates of 23-25 mM H2O2 that was introduced in the culture fluids of strain S-1(T) and E. coli UM2 harboring pBSsa1 corresponded to the calatase activities of the cells by spectrophotometric measurements. The presence of cell surface catalase was observed by immunoelectron microscopy, using an antibody for intracellular catalase in strain S-1(T). The high level of H2O2 tolerance of strain S-1(T) was attributable to the catalase activity of the cells. Cell surface catalase is considered to contribute to the catalase activity of strain S-1(T) cells.

Genetic analysis of trimethylamine N-oxide reductases in the light organ symbiont Vibrio fischeri ES114

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) reductases are widespread in bacteria and often function in anaerobic respiration. The regulation and expression of TMAO reductase operons have been well studied in model genera such as Escherichia, Shewanella, and Rhodobacter, although TMAO reductases are present in many other bacteria, including the marine Vibrio species. The genome sequence of Vibrio fischeri revealed three putative TMAO reductase operons, and a previous report identified TMAO reductase activity in symbiotic V. fischeri isolates associated with the light organs of adult Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes. We examined the roles and regulation of these three operons using mutational analyses and promoter-reporter fusions. We found that the torECA promoter, and to a lesser extent the torYZ and dmsABC promoters, were active during symbiotic colonization of juvenile E. scolopes; however, a V. fischeri strain lacking TMAO reductase activity displays no discernible colonization defect over the first 48 h. Our studies also revealed that torECA has the most active promoter of the putative TMAO reductase operons, and TorECA is the major contributor to TMAO-dependent growth in V. fischeri under the conditions tested. Interestingly, the transcriptional regulation of TMAO reductase operons in V. fischeri appears to differ from that in previously studied organisms, such as Escherichia coli, which may reflect differences in gene arrangement and bacterial habitat. This study lays the foundation for using V. fischeri as a model system for studying TMAO reductases in the Vibrionaceae.

Facilitation of robust growth of Prochlorococcus colonies and dilute liquid cultures by "helper" heterotrophic bacteria

Axenic (pure) cultures of marine unicellular cyanobacteria of the Prochlorococcus genus grow efficiently only if the inoculation concentration is large; colonies form on semisolid medium at low efficiencies. In this work, we describe a novel method for growing Prochlorococcus colonies on semisolid agar that improves the level of recovery to approximately 100%. Prochlorococcus grows robustly at low cell concentrations, in liquid or on solid medium, when cocultured with marine heterotrophic bacteria. Once the Prochlorococcus cell concentration surpasses a critical threshold, the "helper" heterotrophs can be eliminated with antibiotics to produce axenic cultures. Our preliminary evidence suggests that one mechanism by which the heterotrophs help Prochlorococcus is the reduction of oxidative stress.

Identification of a cellobiose utilization gene cluster with cryptic beta-galactosidase activity in Vibrio fischeri

Cellobiose utilization is a variable trait that is often used to differentiate members of the family Vibrionaceae. We investigated how Vibrio fischeri ES114 utilizes cellobiose and found a cluster of genes required for growth on this beta-1,4-linked glucose disaccharide. This cluster includes genes annotated as a phosphotransferase system II (celA, celB, and celC), a glucokinase (celK), and a glucosidase (celG). Directly downstream of celCBGKA is celI, which encodes a LacI family regulator that represses cel transcription in the absence of cellobiose. When the celCBGKAI gene cluster was transferred to cellobiose-negative strains of Vibrio and Photobacterium, the cluster conferred the ability to utilize cellobiose. Genomic analyses of naturally cellobiose-positive Vibrio species revealed that V. salmonicida has a homolog of the celCBGKAI cluster, but V. vulnificus does not. Moreover, bioinformatic analyses revealed that CelG and CelK share the greatest homology with glucosidases and glucokinases in the phylum Firmicutes. These observations suggest that distinct genes for cellobiose utilization have been acquired by different lineages within the family Vibrionaceae. In addition, the loss of the celI regulator, but not the structural genes, attenuated the ability of V. fischeri to compete for colonization of its natural host, Euprymna scolopes, suggesting that repression of the cel gene cluster is important in this symbiosis. Finally, we show that the V. fischeri cellobioase (CelG) preferentially cleaves beta-d-glucose linkages but also cleaves beta-d-galactose-linked substrates such as 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-d-galactoside (X-gal), a finding that has important implications for the use of lacZ as a marker or reporter gene in V. fischeri.

Heme content of recombinant catalase from Psychrobacter sp. T-3 altered by host Escherichia coli cell growth conditions

The catalase gene of Psychrobacter sp. T-3 was cloned, and the gene product (PktA) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The specific activity of the purified PktA was slightly lower than that of the native purified enzyme obtained from Psychrobacter sp. T-3. Spectrophotometric measurements of the purified enzymes suggested that the recombinant PktA contains a mixture of heme b and d, although the native enzyme contains the sole heme b. An addition of the heme precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to the medium increased the heme b content of the recombinant PktA, and the resulting enzyme showed higher specific activity than the native enzyme. This is the first report that shows the heme content of overproduced catalase altered by the host cell growth conditions.

THE EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF A SEPIOLID SQUID-VIBRIO ASSOCIATION: FROM CELL TO ENVIRONMENT

Mutualistic relationships between bacteria and their eukaryotic hosts have existed for millions of years, and such associations can be used to understand the evolution of these beneficial partnerships. The symbiosis between sepiolid squids (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae), and their Vibrio bacteria (gamma Proteobacteria: Vibrionaceae), has been a model system for over 20 years, giving insight as to the specificity of the association, and whether the interactions themselves give rise to such finely tuned dialog. Since the association is environmentally transmitted, selection for specificity can evolve from a number of factors; abiotic (temperature, salinity), as well as biotic (host species, receptors, cell/cell interactions). Here, we examine the transition between these forces effecting the symbiosis, and pose possible explanations as to why this association offers many attributes for understanding the role of symbiotic competence.