Elevated abundance of bacteriophage infecting bacteria in soil.

نویسندگان

  • Kevin E Ashelford
  • Martin J Day
  • John C Fry
چکیده

Here we report the first direct counts of soil bacteriophage and show that substantial populations of these viruses exist in soil (grand mean = 1.5 x 10(7) g(-1)), at least 350-fold more than the highest numbers estimated from traditional viable plaque counts. Adding pure cultures of a Serratia phage to soil showed that the direct counting methods with electron microscopy developed here underestimated the added phage populations by at least eightfold. So, assuming natural phages were similarly underestimated, virus numbers in soil averaged 1.5 x 10(8) g(-1), which is equivalent to 4% of the total population of bacteria. This high abundance was to some extent confirmed by hybridizing colonies grown on Serratia and Pseudomonas selective media with cocktails of phage infecting these bacteria. This showed that 8.9 and 3.9%, respectively, hybridized with colonies from the two media and confirmed the presence of phage DNA sequences in the cultivable fraction of the natural population. Thus, soil phage, like their aquatic counterparts, are likely to be important in controlling bacterial populations and mediating gene transfer in soil.

برای دانلود رایگان متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

ارزیابی اثر فعالیت‌های کشاورزی بر تنوع و فراوانی باکتری‌های خاک‌زی

Among the biodiversity of soil microorganisms, bacteria have the basic role in soil functions. In order to determine the diversity and abundance of soil bacteria in arid regions, and also to study the effect of agricultural practices on them, a study was conducted in winter wheat fields on Shirvan, Mashhad and Gonabad. In each region, high and low input fields of winter wheat and a natural syst...

متن کامل

Synergistic bactericidal activity of a naturally isolated phage and ampicillin against urinary tract infecting Escherichia coli O157

Objective(s): Bacteriophages are infectious replicating entities that are under consideration as antimicrobial bioagents to control bacterial infections. As an alternative or supplement to antibiotics, bacteriophages can be used to circumvent the resistance to existing antibiotics. The aim of this study was to assess the synergistic effect of a naturally isolated phage...

متن کامل

Analyses of the Distribution Patterns of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Associated Phages in Soil Samples in Thailand Suggest That Phage Presence Reduces the Frequency of Bacterial Isolation

BACKGROUND Burkholderia pseudomallei is a soil saprophytic bacterium that causes melioidosis. The infection occurs through cutaneous inoculation, inhalation or ingestion. Bacteriophages (phages) in the same ecosystem may significantly impact the biology of this bacterium in the environment, and in their culturability in the laboratory. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The soil samples were analysed...

متن کامل

Effect of Elevated CO2 Concentration, Elevated Temperature and No Nitrogen Fertilization on Methanogenic Archaeal and Methane-Oxidizing Bacterial Community Structures in Paddy Soil

Elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 ([CO2]) enhance the production and emission of methane in paddy fields. In the present study, the effects of elevated [CO2], elevated temperature (ET), and no nitrogen fertilization (LN) on methanogenic archaeal and methane-oxidizing bacterial community structures in a free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experimental paddy field were investigated by PCR-DGG...

متن کامل

جداسازی و تعیین اختصاصیت باکتریوفاژ بومی اشریشیاکلی از فاضلاب خام

Introduction: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and destroy prokaryote cells, specifically the bacteria. They act too selective, so as each bacteriophage affects only on specific type of bacteria. Due to their specific features, bacteriophages can be used as an appropriate substitute for antibiotics in infectious diseases treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate E. coli-specific b...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Applied and environmental microbiology

دوره 69 1  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2003