Vibrio fischeri proliferates in a sessile, stable community known as a biofilm, which is one alternative survival strategy of its life cycle. Although this survival strategy provides adequate protection from abiotic factors, marine biofilms are still susceptible to grazing by bacteria-consuming protozoa. Subsequently, grazing pressure can be controlled by certain defense mechanisms that confer ...

The evolution of biological signalling systems and apparently altruistic or cooperative traits in diverse organisms has required selection against the subversive tendencies of self-interested biological entities. The bacterial signalling and response system known as quorum sensing or Acylated Homoserine Lactone (AHL) mediated gene expression is thought to have evolved through kin selection. In ...

This study reports the adhesion behavior of two bacterial species, Vibrio fischeri and Escherichia coli, to the photoresistant poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) (P(tBMA)) polymer surface. The data has demonstrated that ultraviolet irradiation of P(tBMA) was able to provide control over bacterial adhesion tendencies. Following photolithography, several of the surface characteristics of P(tBMA) were ...

A total of ten seaweeds and four seagrasses were used in the present investigation to study the effect of crude methanol extracts on anti-biofilm activity using a microtiter-plate and anti-larval settlement assay using cyprids of barnacle Balanus amphitrite. Of these fourteen species tested, seagrass Halophila ovalis showed noticeable anti-biofilm activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio...

Evaluation of biological effects using a rapid, sensitive and cost effective method can indicate specific information on toxicity/ecotoxicity. Since assays based on animals, plants and algae are expensive, time consuming and require large sample volume, recent studies have emphasized the benefits of rapid, reproducible and cost effective bacterial assays for toxicity screening and assessment. T...

The organization of the lux structural genes (A-E) in Photobacterium phosphoreum has been determined and a new gene designated as luxF discovered. The P. phosphoreum luminescence system was cloned into Escherichia coli using a pBR322 vector and identified by cross-hybridization with Vibrio fischeri lux DNA. The lux genes were located by specific expression of P. phosphoreum DNA fragments in the...

Genetically altered or tagged Vibrio fischeri strains can be observed in association with their mutualistic host Euprymna scolopes, providing powerful experimental approaches for studying this symbiosis. Two limitations to such in situ analyses are the lack of suitably stable plasmids and the need for a fluorescent tag that can be used in tandem with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Vectors pre...

During light organ colonization of the squid Euprymna scolopes by Vibrio fischeri, host-derived mucus provides a surface upon which environmental V. fischeri forms a biofilm and aggregates prior to colonization. In this study we defined the temporal and spatial characteristics of this process. Although permanent colonization is specific to certain strains of V. fischeri, confocal microscopy ana...