Streptomyces sp. as predators of bacteria
Correspondence: (Login to view email address)
- Anujeeva Biosciences Pvt. Ltd.
- Department of Microbiology, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune, India
- Document Type:
- Presentation
- Date:
- Received 30 October 2007 14:36 UTC; Posted 01 November 2007
- Subjects:
- Biotechnology, Ecology, Microbiology
- Abstract:
Background: The ecological role of actinomycetes and their secondary metabolites is not yet completely understood.
Hypothesis: Actinomycetes and Streptomyces sp. in particular, are non-obligate predators of bacteria in soil.
Evidence: Ability to grow on live bacterial cells as a sole source of nutrients. Prey cell lysis accompanying growth. Circumstantial evidence for the involvement of antimicrobials along with enzymes.
Implications: This finding may open up a new source of novel secondary metabolites from the genus.- Presented at:
- 14th International Symposium on the Biology of Actinomycetes, 26 August 2007 , 26 August 2007
Discussion
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Additional information
- License:
- This document is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
- How to cite this document:
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Kumbhar, Charushila and Watve, Milind. Streptomyces sp. as predators of bacteria. Available from Nature Precedings <http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/npre.2007.1263.2> (2007)
- Version info:
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Other versions of this document in Nature Precedings
Version number Document title Date v1 Posted 29 October 2007 Other versions of this document elsewhere on the web
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Cesar Sanchez on 15 January 2008 13:53 UTC
This is a very interesting study, I hope it will be soon published in a peer-reviewed journal. I have just made some comments on this issue on my science blog (Twisted Bacteria), citing this presentation and other related studies.
Indeed, previous reports have shown predatory activities for a few actinomycetes, including some streptomycetes [reviewed by Prof. L.E. Casida Jr. in Microbial Ecology (1988) 15, 1-8].Some of these works included clever microscopic observations of soil microbes in action, and discovered several soil bacteria (streptomycetes, other actinomycetes, and gram-negative microbes) that appeared to feed on other bacteria. After isolating the predators, additional studies were done with pure cultures in agar media and in soil. The results presented here by Kumbhar and Watve reinforce conclusions of previous reports: some actinomycetes (and, particularly, streptomycetes) are able to feed on alivebacterial cells. The prey cells are lysed by, apparently, the action of diffusible substances produced by the predator; i.e., direct contact with prey is not essential. Remarkably, the results by Kumbhar and Watve indicate that predatory activity may be widespread among streptomycetes (and other soil actinomycetes). This raises new questions, concerning the ecological role of actinomycetes in soil, and the natural function of antibiotics (and other secondary metabolites). Under an applied point of view, i suggests a possible way to induce the expression of “silent” gene clusters in streptomycetes and, hence, discover new secondary metabolites: by co-culturing with potential preys.