Document Detail


Protozoan grazing and its impact upon population dynamics in biofilm communities.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15610437     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
AIMS: To determine the impact of protozoan grazing on the population dynamics of a multispecies bacterial biofilm community. METHODS AND RESULTS: Grazing by Acanthamoeba castellanii and the ciliate Colpoda maupasi upon biofilm and planktonic communities, composed of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Staphylococcus epidermidis was investigated. Biofilms were formed using glass coverslips, held in a carousel device, as substrata for biofilm formation or in glass flow cells. The predatory effects of the amoeba were generally confined to the biofilm, where grazing rates corresponded to losses from the biofilm equivalent to ca 30,000 biofilm cells cm(-2) h(-1), with the amoeba becoming an integral part of the community. C. maupasi reduced the thickness of mature multispecies biofilms at steady-state from 500 to <200 microm. CONCLUSIONS: We report that the presence of the protozoa A. castellanii and C. maupasi markedly influence population dynamics within defined biofilm communities. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The current study dispels the popular opinion that biofilms are protected against predation by protozoa. A. castellanii clearly has the capacity to graze mixed biofilm communities and to become integrally associated with them, whereas the ciliate C. maupasi reduced biofilm thickness by up to 60%.
Authors:
S A Huws; A J McBain; P Gilbert
Related Documents :
7429727 - Expiation as a defense.
15137527 - The burden of hospitalised pneumonia in lazio, italy, 1997-1999.
6334737 - Hl-a 27 and ankylosing spondylitis in b.c. indians.
16238477 - The use of metaphors in the service of the therapeutic alliance and therapeutic communi...
11800277 - Hiv/aids behind bars: an avenue for culturally sensitive interventions.
10535137 - Air quality legislation and controls--imperfectly conceived solutions to imperfectly un...
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of applied microbiology     Volume:  98     ISSN:  1364-5072     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Appl. Microbiol.     Publication Date:  2005  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-12-21     Completed Date:  2005-07-12     Revised Date:  2009-11-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9706280     Medline TA:  J Appl Microbiol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  238-44     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acanthamoeba / physiology
Animals
Bacteria*
Biofilms*
Ciliophora / physiology
Colony Count, Microbial
Eukaryota / physiology*
Plankton
Population Dynamics
Predatory Behavior

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Characterization of an acid phosphatase from Lactobacillus pentosus: regulation and biochemical prop...
Next Document:  Assessment of resistance to colicinogenic Escherichia coli by E. coli O157:H7 strains.