This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by McCann, J.
Right arrow Articles by Ruby, E. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by McCann, J.
Right arrow Articles by Ruby, E. G.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by McCann, J.
Right arrow Articles by Ruby, E. G.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2003, p. 5928-5934, Vol. 69, No. 10
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.10.5928-5934.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Population Dynamics of Vibrio fischeri during Infection of Euprymna scolopes

Jessica McCann,1 Eric V. Stabb,2 Deborah S. Millikan,1 and Edward G. Ruby1*

Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813,1 Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 306022

Received 6 March 2003/ Accepted 14 July 2003

The luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri colonizes a specialized light-emitting organ within its squid host, Euprymna scolopes. Newly hatched juvenile squid must acquire their symbiont from ambient seawater, where the bacteria are present at low concentrations. To understand the population dynamics of V. fischeri during colonization more fully, we used mini-Tn7 transposons to mark bacteria with antibiotic resistance so that the growth of their progeny could be monitored. When grown in culture, there was no detectable metabolic burden on V. fischeri cells carrying the transposon, which inserts in single copy in a specific intergenic region of the V. fischeri genome. Strains marked with mini-Tn7 also appeared to be equivalent to the wild type in their ability to infect and multiply within the host during coinoculation experiments. Studies of the early stages of colonization suggested that only a few bacteria became associated with symbiotic tissue when animals were exposed for a discrete period (3 h) to an inoculum of V. fischeri cells equivalent to natural population levels; nevertheless, all these hosts became infected. When three differentially marked strains of V. fischeri were coincubated with juvenile squid, the number of strains recovered from an individual symbiotic organ was directly dependent on the size of the inoculum. Further, these results indicated that, when exposed to low numbers of V. fischeri, the host may become colonized by only one or a few bacterial cells, suggesting that symbiotic infection is highly efficient.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813. Phone: (808) 539-7309. Fax: (808) 599-4817. E-mail: eruby{at}hawaii.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2003, p. 5928-5934, Vol. 69, No. 10
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.10.5928-5934.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Herbert Tran, E. E., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2009). CpxRA Contributes to Xenorhabdus nematophila Virulence through Regulation of lrhA and Modulation of Insect Immunity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 3998-4006 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Adin, D. M., Engle, J. T., Goldman, W. E., McFall-Ngai, M. J., Stabb, E. V. (2009). Mutations in ampG and Lytic Transglycosylase Genes Affect the Net Release of Peptidoglycan Monomers from Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 191: 2012-2022 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wollenberg, M. S., Ruby, E. G. (2009). Population Structure of Vibrio fischeri within the Light Organs of Euprymna scolopes Squid from Two Oahu (Hawaii) Populations. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 193-202 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lyell, N. L., Dunn, A. K., Bose, J. L., Vescovi, S. L., Stabb, E. V. (2008). Effective Mutagenesis of Vibrio fischeri by Using Hyperactive Mini-Tn5 Derivatives. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 7059-7063 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dunn, A. K., Stabb, E. V. (2008). Genetic Analysis of Trimethylamine N-Oxide Reductases in the Light Organ Symbiont Vibrio fischeri ES114. J. Bacteriol. 190: 5814-5823 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Darnell, C. L., Hussa, E. A., Visick, K. L. (2008). The Putative Hybrid Sensor Kinase SypF Coordinates Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri by Acting Upstream of Two Response Regulators, SypG and VpsR. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4941-4950 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hussa, E. A., Darnell, C. L., Visick, K. L. (2008). RscS Functions Upstream of SypG To Control the syp Locus and Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4576-4583 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Herbert, E. E., Cowles, K. N., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2007). CpxRA Regulates Mutualism and Pathogenesis in Xenorhabdus nematophila. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7826-7836 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hussa, E. A., O'Shea, T. M., Darnell, C. L., Ruby, E. G., Visick, K. L. (2007). Two-Component Response Regulators of Vibrio fischeri: Identification, Mutagenesis, and Characterization. J. Bacteriol. 189: 5825-5838 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Taylor, M. W., Radax, R., Steger, D., Wagner, M. (2007). Sponge-Associated Microorganisms: Evolution, Ecology, and Biotechnological Potential. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 71: 295-347 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Koropatnick, T. A., Kimbell, J. R., McFall-Ngai, M. J. (2007). Responses of Host Hemocytes During the Initiation of the Squid-Vibrio Symbiosis. Biol. Bull. 212: 29-39 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • O'Shea, T. M., Klein, A. H., Geszvain, K., Wolfe, A. J., Visick, K. L. (2006). Diguanylate Cyclases Control Magnesium-Dependent Motility of Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 188: 8196-8205 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Walker, E. L., Bose, J. L., Stabb, E. V. (2006). Photolyase Confers Resistance to UV Light but Does Not Contribute to the Symbiotic Benefit of Bioluminescence in Vibrio fischeri ES114. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6600-6606 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dunn, A. K., Millikan, D. S., Adin, D. M., Bose, J. L., Stabb, E. V. (2006). New rfp- and pES213-Derived Tools for Analyzing Symbiotic Vibrio fischeri Reveal Patterns of Infection and lux Expression In Situ. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 802-810 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Orchard, S. S., Goodrich-Blair, H. (2005). Pyrimidine Nucleoside Salvage Confers an Advantage to Xenorhabdus nematophila in Its Host Interactions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6254-6259 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Millikan, D. S., Ruby, E. G. (2004). Vibrio fischeri Flagellin A Is Essential for Normal Motility and for Symbiotic Competence during Initial Squid Light Organ Colonization. J. Bacteriol. 186: 4315-4325 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Whistler, C. A., Ruby, E. G. (2003). GacA Regulates Symbiotic Colonization Traits of Vibrio fischeri and Facilitates a Beneficial Association with an Animal Host. J. Bacteriol. 185: 7202-7212 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»