Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate-accumulating bacteria protect gnotobiotic Artemia franciscana from pathogenic Vibrio campbellii.
A poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB)-accumulating enrichment culture was obtained using activated sludge from a polyphosphate-accumulating reactor as inoculum. PHB accumulated by the enrichment culture significantly enhanced the survival of Artemia nauplii, infected with the virulent pathogen Vibrio campbellii LMG 21363. A strain was isolated from the enrichment culture, based on its ability to accumulate PHB, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the isolate revealed 99% sequence similarity to Brachymonas denitrificans AS-P1. The isolate, named PHB2, showed good PHB-accumulating activity (up to 32% of the cell dry weight). PHB accumulated by isolate PHB2 was able to protect Artemia completely from the V. campbellii strain. Our data indicate that PHB-accumulating bacteria, such as B. denitrificans PHB2, could be used as an an effective and economically interesting alternative strategy to control infections in aquaculture.
Halet
Dirk
D
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Defoirdt
Tom
T
Van Damme
Petra
P
Vervaeren
Han
H
Forrez
Ilse
I
Van de Wiele
Tom
T
Boon
Nico
N
Sorgeloos
Patrick
P
Bossier
Peter
P
Verstraete
Willy
W
D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture / Q000379:methods; D001156:Artemia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014733:Vibrio / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014735:Vibrio Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates
D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D011091:Polyesters; C003182:poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates