The Search for Hunters: Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods for Analysis of Bdellovibrio and Like Organisms

Abstract

Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs) are predatory bacteria capable of invading the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria and of growing and replicating within this protected niche. Research dedicated to studying the sophisticated weaponry of these predators aims to find novel strategies for combating pathogenic bacteria as the worldwide increase of pathogens resistant to a wide range of antibiotics forces a search for alternative antimicrobial substances to counter this threat. The physiology of BALOs will be the main focus of this chapter, and some potential applications for BALOs will be discussed. However, our current knowledge of the amazing biology of these extraordinary prokaryotes that possess an astonishing predatory lifestyle and perform a well-organized deconstruction of prey bacteria is still rather limited. The great advances in proteomic and genomic techniques will allow the investigation of the interaction between predators and prey, lately supported by the availability of the genome sequence of one B. bacteriovorus reference strain. It seems likely that the exploitation of the unique weaponry of these bacteria will enable researchers to find new biochemicals and—perhaps—therapeutic agents.