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Bdellovibrio Research Paper

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Scientists have used bacteria as some of the most popular medical treatments for decades and now a new bacteria is in the spotlight. It is called Bdellovibrio, which literally means “waterborne pathogenic leech”. Bdellovibrio was initially discovered by Hans Stolp in 1963.
It is gram-negative curved rods. They are small, highly motile, vibrio shaped, monoflagellated, gram negative bacteria of the class delta-proteobacteria with the ability to parasitize and kill other gram negative bacteria. It is highly motile delta-proteobacterium that prey on other Gram-negative bacteria. They are in aquative and terrestrial habitats as well as mammalian intestines. Their prey include plant, animal, and human pathogens. The bacteria grows to about 0.5um …show more content…

While doing this, they release enzymes that break down the prey’s cell wall. The Bdellovibrio then makes a small hole in the outer membrane and penetrates itself inside the periplasm. It is reversibly attached at this point for a short “recognition” period. After the recognition period it becomes irreversibly attached via the pole opposite the flagellum. While inside, the Bdellovibrio seals the membrane hole and converts the host to a spheroblast by degrading and using the cells nutrients. The bdellovibrio then divides into multiple daughter cells and when the host cell eventually degrades completely the daughter cells are release to repeat the cycle. Once the bacteria enters the periplasm, a mixture of hydrolytic enzymes are applied that prevents excessive damage to the host and counters diffusion. This breaks down host cell molecules which it is used to elongate and form a filament. This alters the cell shape of its prey, forming a joint structure called the bdelloplast. The entire process for this life cycle take about 3 to 4 hours.
1. Bdello swims using flagella
2. Strikes its prey that prey propels a short distance
3. Attaches to gram negative prey using a hook-like extension and makes a spinning motion
4. Breaks down the lipids and peptidoglycan in the outer membrane making a small hole
5. The Bdello penetrates the hoel and immerges itself into the periplasm. …show more content…

bacteriovorus is useful in the purification of waste water because it decreases gram-negative bacterial counts. When this bacteria was first discovered, scientists were excited to conduct biochemical and physiological research on it but the effort was substantially dropped. With the recent advent of molecular genetics and sequencing, scientists have picked Bdellovibrio back up. The structure is made of 40% predatosome meaning that it is very condensed and non-permissive nature towards other hosts genetic elements indicates that it has a high level of specialization and is consistent with its obligate parasitic lifestyle.
Because of the Bdellovibrios ability to lyse bacterial cells while growing in non-competitive inter-periplasmic niche has made them potential candidates as live biocontrol, and maybe someday even therapeutic agents. It does not have the type III secretion system that is heavily associated with pathogenic infection of eukaryotic organisms. There also have been no reports of Bdellovibrio bacteria invading mammalian cells. There are all positive signs that Bdellovibrio can be used as a possible therapeutic agent in the

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