title: Visualizing Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus by Using the tdTomato Fluorescent Protein.
abstract: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a Gram-negative bacterium that belongs to the delta subgroup of proteobacteria and is characterized by a predatory life cycle. In recent years, work has highlighted the potential use of this predator to control bacteria and biofilms. Traditionally, the reduction in prey cells was used to monitor predation dynamics. In this study, we introduced pMQ414, a plasmid that expresses the tdTomato fluorescent reporter protein, into a host-independent strain and a host-dependent strain of B. bacteriovorus 109J. The new construct was used to conveniently monitor predator proliferation in real time, in different growth conditions, in the presence of lytic enzymes, and on several prey bacteria, replicating previous studies that used plaque analysis to quantify B. bacteriovorus. The new fluorescent plasmid also enabled us to visualize the predator in liquid cultures, in the context of a biofilm, and in association with human epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Somdatta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Campbell Laboratory of Ophthalmic Microbiology, Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Brothers
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Campbell Laboratory of Ophthalmic Microbiology, Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M Q
authors.initials: RMQ
authors.lastname: Shanks
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, New Jersey, USA kadourde@sdm.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kadouri
mesh_terms: D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000379:methods*; D001501:Bdellovibrio / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins