Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Extensive research effort has advanced our understanding of <it>Caenorhabditis</it> as a model system, but its natural association with bacteria remains to be explored in an ecological context. Explored associations vary...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
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| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/5/688 |
| _version_ | 1819177920000688128 |
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| author | Lancaster Jeremiah D Mohammad Budour Abebe Eyualem |
| author_facet | Lancaster Jeremiah D Mohammad Budour Abebe Eyualem |
| author_sort | Lancaster Jeremiah D |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Extensive research effort has advanced our understanding of <it>Caenorhabditis</it> as a model system, but its natural association with bacteria remains to be explored in an ecological context. Explored associations vary vastly from mutualistic to parasitic. <it>Serratia marcescens</it> has been shown to be pathogenic to <it>Caenorhabditis</it> with a fitness cost<it>.</it> The recent isolation of an entomopathogenic <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001<it>/S. marcescens</it> SCBI association from the wild has allowed us to examine under laboratory conditions whether such an association poses a serious cost to <it>Caenorhabditis</it> as previously surmised for other <it>Serratia</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A fecundity table of <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 fed on <it>S. marcescens</it> SCBI and the control fed on <it>E. coli</it> OP50 is presented. We found no significant difference in survivorship or total fecundity between the <it>S. marcescens</it> SCBI fed and <it>E. coli</it> OP50 fed <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001. Only the mean onset of reproduction was significantly different between the two groups with <it>E. coli</it> fed <it>C. briggsae</it> maturing earlier (2.12 days) than those fed on <it>Serratia</it> (2.42 days)<it>.</it></p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>S. marcescens SCBI</it> is not highly pathogenic to <it>C. briggsae</it> KT0001 indicating that the entomopathogenicity reported for this association may be beneficial for both the nematode and bacteria. In light of the fact that hitherto conducted experimental tests conform to widely held view that <it>Serratia</it> are highly pathogenic to <it>Caenorhabditis</it>, the absence of a high fitness cost for <it>C. briggsae</it> we report here may indicate that this entomopathogenic association is non-transient suggesting nematode/bacterial associations in the wild may vary greatly. Consequently, broad generalizations about nematode/bacterial associations should be interpreted with care.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:34:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57d70974967243709e2577ea1b809b2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
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| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T21:34:19Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-57d70974967243709e2577ea1b809b2e2022-12-21T18:11:48ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002012-12-015168810.1186/1756-0500-5-688Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001Lancaster Jeremiah DMohammad BudourAbebe Eyualem<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Extensive research effort has advanced our understanding of <it>Caenorhabditis</it> as a model system, but its natural association with bacteria remains to be explored in an ecological context. Explored associations vary vastly from mutualistic to parasitic. <it>Serratia marcescens</it> has been shown to be pathogenic to <it>Caenorhabditis</it> with a fitness cost<it>.</it> The recent isolation of an entomopathogenic <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001<it>/S. marcescens</it> SCBI association from the wild has allowed us to examine under laboratory conditions whether such an association poses a serious cost to <it>Caenorhabditis</it> as previously surmised for other <it>Serratia</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A fecundity table of <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 fed on <it>S. marcescens</it> SCBI and the control fed on <it>E. coli</it> OP50 is presented. We found no significant difference in survivorship or total fecundity between the <it>S. marcescens</it> SCBI fed and <it>E. coli</it> OP50 fed <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001. Only the mean onset of reproduction was significantly different between the two groups with <it>E. coli</it> fed <it>C. briggsae</it> maturing earlier (2.12 days) than those fed on <it>Serratia</it> (2.42 days)<it>.</it></p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>S. marcescens SCBI</it> is not highly pathogenic to <it>C. briggsae</it> KT0001 indicating that the entomopathogenicity reported for this association may be beneficial for both the nematode and bacteria. In light of the fact that hitherto conducted experimental tests conform to widely held view that <it>Serratia</it> are highly pathogenic to <it>Caenorhabditis</it>, the absence of a high fitness cost for <it>C. briggsae</it> we report here may indicate that this entomopathogenic association is non-transient suggesting nematode/bacterial associations in the wild may vary greatly. Consequently, broad generalizations about nematode/bacterial associations should be interpreted with care.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/5/688<it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it><it>Serratia</it>SymbiosisFitnessNematode-bacterial associations |
| spellingShingle | Lancaster Jeremiah D Mohammad Budour Abebe Eyualem Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 BMC Research Notes <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> <it>Serratia</it> Symbiosis Fitness Nematode-bacterial associations |
| title | Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 |
| title_full | Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 |
| title_fullStr | Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 |
| title_short | Effect of the bacterium <it>Serratia marcescens</it> SCBI on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> KT0001 |
| title_sort | effect of the bacterium it serratia marcescens it scbi on the longevity and reproduction of the nematode it caenorhabditis briggsae it kt0001 |
| topic | <it>Caenorhabditis briggsae</it> <it>Serratia</it> Symbiosis Fitness Nematode-bacterial associations |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1756-0500/5/688 |
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