Detection of the light organ symbiont, Vibrio fischeri, in Hawaiian seawater by using lux gene probes

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1992 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:7279329

Lee, Kyuho; Ruby, E G ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles (United States)

Symbiotic bacteria that inhabit the light-emitting organ of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes are distinctive from typical Vibrio fischeri organisms in that they are not visibly luminous when grown in laboratory culture. Therefore, the abundance of these bacteria in seawater samples cannot be estimated simply by identifying them among luminous colonies that arise on nutrient agar plates. Instead, the authors have used luxR and polymerase chain reaction generated luxA gene probes to identify both luminous and non-visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies by DNA-DNA hybridization. Bacteria in seawater samples, obtained either within or distant from squid habitats, were collected on membrane filters and incubated until colonies appeared. The filters were then observed for visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies and hybridized with the lux gene probes to determine the number of total V. fischeri colonies (both luminous and non-visibly luminous). They detected no significant differences in the abundance of luminous V. fischeri CFU in any of the water samples observed ({le} 1 to 3 CFU/100 ml). However, probe-positive colonies of V. fischeri (up to 900 CFU/100 ml) were found only in seawater collected from within the natural habitats of the squids. A number of criteria were used to confirm that these probe-positive strains were indistinguishable from symbiotic V. fischeri. Therefore, the luxA and luxR gene probes were species specific and gave a reliable estimate of the number of culturable V. fischeri colonies in natural water samples.

• OSTI ID: 7279329
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States) Vol. 58:3; ISSN 0099-2240; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BACTERIA
BIOLUMINESCENCE
DETECTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
ENZYMES
FEDERAL REGION IX
GENES
HABITAT
HAWAII
HYBRIDIZATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
LUCIFERASE
LUMINESCENCE
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
MOLLUSCS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATION DENSITY
PROTEINS
SEAWATER
SYMBIOSIS
USA
WATER