The Potential of Bdellovibrio For the Biocontrol of the Infectious Agent Vibrio cholerae

Abstract

Members of the genus Bdellovibrio are small and highly motile Gram-negative predators of other Gram-negative bacteria. Bdellovibrio enters the prey cell, transforming it into a structure that is referred to as a bdelloplast. It then grows and divides inside the bdelloplast, ending in lysis and the release of the Bdellovibrio progeny. Because of this capability, Bdellovibrio is a potential antibacterial agent. In this article, we report the results of studies on the interactions of Bdellovibrio with actively growing and viable but nonculturable (VBNC) Vibrio cholerae. A significant observation was that Bdellovibrio attacked both VBNC and actively growing V. cholerae. These results indicate that Bdellovibrio, a “living antibiotic,” has potential as an antibacterial agent in environmental and public health bioprotection.