Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1093/femsec/fix112
Title (Primary) Grazing resistance of bacterial biofilms: a matter of predators' feeding trait
Author Seiler, C.; van Velzen, E.; Neu, T.R.; Gaedke, U.; Berendonk, T.U.; Weitere, M.
Source Titel FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Year 2017
Department FLOEK
Volume 93
Issue 9
Page From fix112
Language englisch
Supplements https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/femsec/93/9/10.1093_femsec_fix112/1/fix112_Supp.docx?Expires=1525188806&Signature=Uv-DPJLY1dOpytDkWkvOYkjw7RY1M7nqoA~y7bs0pRNTpKmTqwrU~aBC8qj0yzNAfX4tWA9VwpJrDhaRyw9vr5G8aaJS2xoCvzYRB5f-145q0cLNrF11Dlnqf9sP2wdOUZ-KOliAkTlic6hjLBpfTzctfPevlNU2siW6t4iVPPY6zNge5J-j0XBNh~8nq4nKX4ABWLHAz53gfOEISzFY00HwgN~PYhzyuVlvw1DIFPudzkinKpK~FTEzcnR2OmBhpAs6wFeZz5j-Ywc6N2YC2GW2R4WnV0iruUcpnxncAqjxFitZfuLXCXuRfyY0Zhy~IgPoZSkOJA6FGNsBbbXvPg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA
Keywords protozoa; biofilm; plankton; predator-prey model; grazing defence; feeding trait
UFZ wide themes RU2;
Abstract Biofilm formation in bacteria is considered to be one strategy to avoid protozoan grazing. However, this assumption is largely based on experiments with suspension-feeding protozoans. Here we test the hypothesis that grazing resistance depends on both the grazers’ feeding trait and the bacterial phenotype, rather than being a general characteristic of bacterial biofilms. We combined batch experiments with mathematical modelling, considering the bacterium Pseudomonas putida and either a suspension-feeding (i.e. the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia) or a surface-feeding grazer (i.e. the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii). We find that both plankton and biofilm phenotypes were consumed, when exposed to their specialised grazer, whereas the other phenotype remained grazing-resistant. This was consistently shown in two experiments (starting with either only planktonic bacteria or with additional pre-grown biofilms) and matches model predictions. In the experiments, the plankton feeder strongly stimulated the biofilm biomass. This stimulation of the resistant prey phenotype was not predicted by the model and it was not observed for the biofilm feeders, suggesting the existence of additional mechanisms that stimulate biofilm formation besides selective feeding. Overall, our results confirm our hypothesis that grazing resistance is a matter of the grazers’ trait (i.e. feeding type) rather than a biofilm-specific property.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=19457
Seiler, C., van Velzen, E., Neu, T.R., Gaedke, U., Berendonk, T.U., Weitere, M. (2017):
Grazing resistance of bacterial biofilms: a matter of predators' feeding trait
FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 93 (9), fix112 10.1093/femsec/fix112