Vibrio fischeri
Research ArticleIdentification of a Transcriptomic Network Underlying the Wrinkly and Smooth Phenotypes of Vibrio fischeriThe 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.
Research ArticleThe Bacterial Enhancer Binding Protein VasH Promotes Expression of a Type VI Secretion System in Vibrio fischeri during SymbiosisAnimals harbor bacterial symbionts with specific traits that promote host fitness. Mechanisms that facilitate intercellular interactions among bacterial symbionts impact which bacterial lineages ultimately establish symbiosis with the host. How these mechanisms are regulated is poorly characterized in nonhuman bacterial symbionts. This study establishes a model for the transcriptional regulation of a contact-dependent killing machine,...
Research ArticleAmbient pH Alters the Protein Content of Outer Membrane Vesicles, Driving Host Development in a Beneficial SymbiosisBeneficial bacteria communicate with their hosts through a variety of means. These communications are often carried out by a combination of molecules that stimulate responses from the host and are necessary for development of the relationship between these organisms. Naturally produced bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) contain many of those molecules and can stimulate a wide range of responses from recipient organisms. Here, we...
Research ArticleIncompatibility of Vibrio fischeri Strains during Symbiosis Establishment Depends on Two Functionally Redundant hcp GenesDifferent bacterial strains compete to occupy the same niche. The outcome of such competition can be affected by the type VI secretion system (T6SS), an intercellular killing mechanism of bacteria. Here an animal-bacterial symbiosis is used as a platform for study of the genetic factors that promote the T6SS-mediated killing of one strain by another. Identification of the molecular determinants of T6SS function in vivo...
Research Article | SpotlightNatural Strain Variation Reveals Diverse Biofilm Regulation in Squid-Colonizing Vibrio fischeriBiofilms are surface-associated, matrix-encased bacterial aggregates that exhibit enhanced protection to antimicrobial agents. Previous work has established the importance of biofilm formation by a strain of luminous Vibrio fischeri bacteria as the bacteria colonize their host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid. In this study, expansion of this work to many natural isolates...
- Meeting PresentationAlternative Oxidase Activity Reduces Stress in Vibrio fischeri Cells Exposed to Nitric Oxide
Unlike typical respiratory oxidases, alternative oxidase (Aox) does not directly contribute to energy conservation, and its activity would presumably reduce the efficiency of respiration and associated ATP production. Aox has been identified in certain bacteria, a majority of which are marine associated. The presence of Aox in these bacteria poses the interesting question of how Aox function benefits bacterial growth and survival in the...
- Meeting Reviewd-Fining DarR, a LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulator That Responds to d-Aspartate
Work by Jones et al. (R. M. Jones, Jr., D. L. Popham, A. L. Schmidt, E. L. Neidle, and E. V. Stabb, J Bacteriol 200:e00773-17, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00773-17) describes a d-aspartate-sensing system in proteobacteria.
- Meeting ReviewVibrio2017: the Seventh International Conference on the Biology of Vibrios
Vibrio2017, the ASM Conference on the Biology of Vibrios, was held in November 2017. The conference focused on all aspects of biology related to the bacterial genus Vibrio.
- Meeting PresentationDiscovery of Calcium as a Biofilm-Promoting Signal for Vibrio fischeri Reveals New Phenotypes and Underlying Regulatory Complexity
Biofilms, or communities of surface-attached microorganisms adherent via a matrix that typically includes polysaccharides, are highly resistant to environmental stresses and are thus problematic in the clinic and important to study. Vibrio fischeri forms biofilms to colonize its symbiotic host, making this organism useful for studying biofilms. Biofilm formation...