Symbiotic marine bacteria chemically defend crustacean embryos from a pathogenic fungus.
Embryos of the shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus are remarkably resistant to infection by the fungus Lagenidium callinectes, a recognized pathogen of many crustaceans. An Alteromonas sp. bacterial strain consistently isolated from the surface of the embryos, produces 2,3-indolinedione (isatin), a compound that inhibits the pathogenic fungus. If exposed to the fungus, bacteria-free embryos quickly die, whereas similar embryos reinoculated with the bacteria or treated only with 2,3-indolinedione live well. The commensal Alteromonas sp. bacteria protect shrimp embryos from fungal infection by producing and liberating the antifungal metabolite 2,3-indolinedione.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0228.
M S
MS
Gil-Turnes
M E
ME
Hay
W
W
Fenical
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000502:physiology*; D033364:Decapoda / Q000196:embryology / Q000382:microbiology*; D007510:Isatin / Q000378:metabolism; D009868:Oomycetes / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis; D014871:Water Microbiology
D007510:Isatin