Polyphyly of non-bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri
نویسندگان
چکیده
This study reports the first description and molecular characterization of naturally occurring, nonbioluminescent strains of Vibrio fischeri. These ‘dark’ V. fischeri strains remained non-bioluminescent even after treatment with both autoinducer and aldehyde, substrate additions that typically maximize light production in dim strains of luminous bacteria. Surprisingly, the entire lux locus (eight genes) was absent in over 97% of these dark V. fischeri strains. Although these strains were all collected from a Massachusetts (USA) estuary in 2007, phylogenetic reconstructions allowed us to reject the hypothesis that these newly described non-bioluminescent strains exhibit monophyly within the V. fischeri clade. These dark strains exhibited a competitive disadvantage against native bioluminescent strains when colonizing the light organ of the model V. fischeri host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes. Significantly, we believe that the data collected in this study may suggest the first observation of a functional, parallel locus-deletion event among independent lineages of a non-pathogenic bacterial species.
منابع مشابه
Polyphyly of non-bioluminescent Vibrio fischeri sharing a lux-locus deletion.
This study reports the first description and molecular characterization of naturally occurring, non-bioluminescent strains of Vibrio fischeri. These 'dark' V. fischeri strains remained non-bioluminescent even after treatment with both autoinducer and aldehyde, substrate additions that typically maximize light production in dim strains of luminous bacteria. Surprisingly, the entire lux locus (ei...
متن کاملEvolutionary perspectives in a mutualism of sepiolid squid and bioluminescent bacteria: combined usage of microbial experimental evolution and temporal population genetics.
The symbiosis between marine bioluminescent Vibrio bacteria and the sepiolid squid Euprymna is a model for studying animal-bacterial Interactions. Vibrio symbionts native to particular Euprymna species are competitively dominant, capable of outcompeting foreign Vibrio strains from other Euprymna host species. Despite competitive dominance, secondary colonization events by invading nonnative Vib...
متن کاملChemoattraction of Vibrio fischeri to serine, nucleosides, and N-acetylneuraminic acid, a component of squid light-organ mucus.
Newly hatched juveniles of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes rapidly become colonized by the bioluminescent marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Motility is required to establish the symbiotic colonization, but the role of chemotaxis is unknown. In this study we analyzed chemotaxis of V. fischeri to a number of potential attractants. The bacterium migrated toward serine and most sugars tested. ...
متن کاملSymbiotic characterization of Vibrio fischeri ES114 mutants that display enhanced luminescence in culture.
Vibrio fischeri ES114 is a bioluminescent symbiont of the squid Euprymna scolopes. Like most isolates from E. scolopes, ES114 produces only dim luminescence outside the host, even in dense cultures. We previously identified mutants with brighter luminescence, and here we report their symbiotic phenotypes, providing insights into the host environment.
متن کاملShedding Light on the Bioluminescence “Paradox”
T he fascinating biochemistry, genetics, and cell density-dependent regulation of bacterial bioluminescence provoke a challenging question. What good is it to bioluminescent bacteria? There may be no single answer to this seemingly simple question. However, two recent advances shed new light on the problem. First, studies of the symbiosis between the bioluminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri and...
متن کامل