Effects of magnesium sulfate on the luminescence of Vibrio fischeri under nutrient-starved conditions

Development of light-emitting Episcia lilacina leaf by applying Vibrio campbellii RMT1 and extending the glowing by CaCl2 and yeast extract

Glowing Episcia lilacina was generated through foliar application of the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio campbellii RMT1. Firstly, different nutrient formulas were tested, incorporating yeast extract and various inorganic salts, such as CaCl₂, MgCl₂, MgSO₄, KH₂PO₄, K₂HPO₄, and NaCl, in order to enhance bacterial growth and light emission. The combination of 0.15% of yeast extract and 0.3% of CaCl₂ in a nutrient broth (NB) + 1% NaCl medium extended light emission to 24 h and resulted in higher light intensity compared to other combinations of yeast extract and inorganic salts. The peak intensity reached approximately 1.26 × 10⁸ relative light units (RLU) at 7 h. The optimal presence of inorganic salt ions likely contributed to enhanced light emission, while the yeast extract acted as a nutrient source. Secondly, the effect of proline on salt-induced stress symptoms was investigated by applying 20 mM proline to the glowing plant. Additionally, a 0.5% agar nutrient was spread on the leaves prior to bacteria application to support bacterial growth and penetration. Exogenous proline application led to a significant accumulation of proline in plant cells, resulting in decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. However, the proline accumulation also reduced the light intensity of the bioluminescent bacteria. This study demonstrates the potential for generating light on a living plant using bioluminescent bacteria. Further understanding of the interaction between plants and light-emitting bacteria could contribute to the development of sustainably light-emitting plants.

Toxicity monitoring of solvents, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals using statistically optimized model of luminous Vibrio sp. 6HFE

Background

The utilization of bioluminescent bacteria in environmental monitoring of water contaminates considers being a vital and powerful approach. This study aimed to isolate, optimize, and apply luminescent bacteria for toxicity monitoring of various toxicants in wastewater.

Results

On the basis of light intensity, strain Vibrio sp. 6HFE was initially selected, physiologically/morphologically characterized, and identified using the 16SrDNA gene. The luminescence production was further optimized by employing statistical approaches (Plackett-Burman design and central composite design). The maximum bioluminescence intensity recorded 1.53 × 10⁶ CPS using optimized medium containing (g/L), yeast extract (0.2g), CaCl₂ (4.0), MgSO₄ (0.1), and K₂HPO₄ (0.1) by 2.3-fold increase within 1h. The harnessing of Vibrio sp. 6HFE as a bioluminescent reporter for toxicity of organic solvents was examined using a bioluminescence inhibition assay. According to IC₅₀ results, the toxicity order of such pollutants was chloroform > isoamyl > acetic acid > formamide > ethyl acetate > acetonitrile > DMSO > acetone > methanol. However, among eight heavy metals tested, the bioluminescence was most sensitive to Ag⁺ and Hg⁺ and least sensitive to Co²⁺ and Ni²⁺. Additionally, the bioluminescence was inhibited by benzene, catechol, phenol, and penta-chlorophenol at 443.1, 500, 535.1, and 537.4 ppm.

Conclusion

Vibrio sp. 6HFE succeeded in pollution detection at four different environmental and wastewater samples revealing its efficiency in ecotoxicity monitoring.

Bioluminescence and Photoreception in Unicellular Organisms: Light-Signalling in a Bio-Communication Perspective

Bioluminescence, the emission of light catalysed by luciferases, has evolved in many taxa from bacteria to vertebrates and is predominant in the marine environment. It is now well established that in animals possessing a nervous system capable of integrating light stimuli, bioluminescence triggers various behavioural responses and plays a role in intra- or interspecific visual communication. The function of light emission in unicellular organisms is less clear and it is currently thought that it has evolved in an ecological framework, to be perceived by visual animals. For example, while it is thought that bioluminescence allows bacteria to be ingested by zooplankton or fish, providing them with favourable conditions for growth and dispersal, the luminous flashes emitted by dinoflagellates may have evolved as an anti-predation system against copepods. In this short review, we re-examine this paradigm in light of recent findings in microorganism photoreception, signal integration and complex behaviours. Numerous studies show that on the one hand, bacteria and protists, whether autotrophs or heterotrophs, possess a variety of photoreceptors capable of perceiving and integrating light stimuli of different wavelengths. Single-cell light-perception produces responses ranging from phototaxis to more complex behaviours. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that unicellular prokaryotes and eukaryotes can perform complex tasks ranging from habituation and decision-making to associative learning, despite lacking a nervous system. Here, we focus our analysis on two taxa, bacteria and dinoflagellates, whose bioluminescence is well studied. We propose the hypothesis that similar to visual animals, the interplay between light-emission and reception could play multiple roles in intra- and interspecific communication and participate in complex behaviour in the unicellular world.

Host, pathogen and the environment: the case of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and magnesium

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is well-known as the giant freshwater prawn, and is a commercially significant source of seafood. Its production can be affected by various bacterial contaminations. Among which, the genus Vibrio shows a higher prevalence in aquatic organisms, especially M. rosenbergii, causing food-borne illnesses. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a species of Vibrio is reported as the main causative of the early mortality syndrome. Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in M. rosenbergii was studied previously in relation to the prawn's differentially expressed immune genes. In the current review, we will discuss the growth conditions for both V. parahaemolyticus and M. rosenbergii and highlight the role of magnesium in common, which need to be fully understood. Till date, there has not been much research on this aspect of magnesium. We postulate a model that screens a magnesium-dependent pathway which probably might take effect in connection with N-acetylglucosamine binding protein and chitin from V. parahaemolyticus and M. rosenbergii, respectively. Further studies on magnesium as an environment for V. parahaemolyticus and M. rosenbergii interaction studies will provide seafood industry with completely new strategies to employ and to avoid seafood related contaminations.

Selenium cannot substitute for sulfur in cell density-independent bioluminescence in Vibrio fischeri

It has been proposed that selenium, an element chemically similar to sulfur, can participate in some of the same biological pathways as sulfur, although only a few studies have been confirmed this. In this study, we investigated the relationship between selenium and sulfur-dependent luminescence in Vibrio fischeri. The luminescence of V. fischeri was induced by the addition of sulfur-containing compounds such as Na₂SO₄ and L-cystine, and their luminescence was suppressed, in a dose-dependent manner, by the addition of the selenium-containing compounds Na₂SeO₄ and L-selenocystine. Since the viability of V. fischeri was not affected by the addition of low concentration of selenium-containing compounds, the decrease in luminescence intensity cannot be explained by cell death. Kinetic analysis performed using Lineweaver-Burk plots demonstrate that Na₂SeO₄ and L-selenocystine act as competitive suppressors in inorganic sulfur (Na₂SeO₄)-dependent luminescence. In contrast, these selenium-containing compounds act as uncompetitive suppressors in organic sulfur (L-cystine)-dependent luminescence.

Influence of cations and anions on the induction of cell density-independent luminescence in Photorhabdus luminescens

Bioluminescence is emitted by various living organisms, including bacteria. While the induction mechanism in marine luminescent bacteria, such as Vibrio fischeri and V. harveyi, has been well characterized, this mechanism has not been studied in detail in the non-marine luminescent bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. Therefore, we investigated the effect of cations and anions on the induction of luminescence by P. luminescens. Cultivation of cells in an inorganic salts solution (ISS) containing KCl, CaCl2 , MgCl2 , NaHCO3 , and MgSO4 resulted in a rapid increase in luminescence intensity. Moreover, the induction of luminescence in the ISS medium was not dependent on cell density, since cell densities remained unchanged during 48 h. Furthermore, we found that compounds containing K(+) , Mg(2+) , and HCO3(-) were necessary to induce cell density-independent luminescence. The intensity of luminescence per cell cultured in medium containing KCl, MgCl2 , and NaHCO3 was approximately 100-fold higher than that cultured in NB. In contrast, when cells actively grew in normal growth condition, the intensity of luminescence per cell was not increased even in the presence of K(+) , Mg(2+) , and HCO3(-) . Thus, these results suggest that the luminescence of P. luminescens is regulated by 2 independent cell density-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Interactions between bicarbonate, potassium, and magnesium, and sulfur-dependent induction of luminescence in Vibrio fischeri

In spite of its central importance in research efforts, the relationship between seawater compounds and bacterial luminescence has not previously been investigated in detail. Thus, in this study, we investigated the effect of cations (Na(+) , K(+) , NH(4) (+) , Mg(2+) , and Ca(2+) ) and anions (Cl(-) , HCO(3) (-) , CO(3) (2-) , and NO(3) (-) ) on the induction of both inorganic (sulfate, sulfite, and thiosulfate) and organic (L-cysteine and L-cystine) sulfur-dependent luminescence in Vibrio fischeri. We found that HCO(3) (-) (bicarbonate) and CO(3) (2-) (carbonate), in the form of various compounds, had a stimulatory effect on sulfur-dependent luminescence. The luminescence induced by bicarbonate was further promoted by the addition of magnesium. Potassium also increased sulfur-dependent luminescence when sulfate or thiosulfate was supplied as the sole sulfur source, but not when sulfite, L-cysteine, or L-cystine was supplied. The positive effect of potassium was accelerated by the addition of magnesium and/or calcium. Furthermore, the additional supply of magnesium improved the induction of sulfite- or L-cysteine-dependent luminescence, but not the l-cystine-dependent type. These results suggest that sulfur-dependent luminescence of V. fischeri under nutrient-starved conditions is mainly controlled by bicarbonate, carbonate, and potassium. In addition, our results indicate that an additional supply of magnesium is effective for increasing V. fischeri luminescence.