Figures
Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus bacteria invade the periplasm of other Gram-negative "prey" bacteria.
The action of predatorily specialized, PBP4-like peptidoglycan-endopeptidase enzymes of Bdellovibrio modifies and rounds the prey cell wall. This prevents wasteful double invasion of already occupied prey bacteria by subsequent Bdellovibrio. Electron microscopy shows two predatory Bdellovibrio bacteria outside of two rounded E. coli prey "bdelloplasts" previously invaded by the crescent-shaped Bdellovibrio seen within. Cells were negatively strained with phosphotungstic acid (see Lerner et al., doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002524).
Image Credit: Thomas Lerner, University of Nottingham and Prefectural University of Hiroshima
Citation: (2012) PLoS Pathogens Issue Image | Vol. 8(2) February 2012. PLoS Pathog 8(2): ev08.i02. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.ppat.v08.i02
Published: February 23, 2012
Copyright: © 2012 Lerner. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The action of predatorily specialized, PBP4-like peptidoglycan-endopeptidase enzymes of Bdellovibrio modifies and rounds the prey cell wall. This prevents wasteful double invasion of already occupied prey bacteria by subsequent Bdellovibrio. Electron microscopy shows two predatory Bdellovibrio bacteria outside of two rounded E. coli prey "bdelloplasts" previously invaded by the crescent-shaped Bdellovibrio seen within. Cells were negatively strained with phosphotungstic acid (see Lerner et al., doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002524).
Image Credit: Thomas Lerner, University of Nottingham and Prefectural University of Hiroshima