Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:08:38.215Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Ecology of anti-microbials produced by bacterial associates of Steinernema carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

J. Jarosz
J. Jarosz
Affiliation:
Department of Insect Pathology, Institute of Biology, Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, 20–033 Lublin, Akademicka 19, Poland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Based on the ability of bacterial associates of entomopathogenic nematodes to produce antibiotic compounds on artificial media, it has been commonly accepted that Xenorhabdus sp. and Photorhabdus sp. inhibit a wide range of invading microorganisms in insects infected with Steinernema spp. or Heterorhabditis spp. Therefore, the question of whether antibiotic compounds produced by the primary form of bacterial symbionts associated mutualistically with S. carpocapsae and H. bacteriophora explain why insect carcasses do not putrefy but provide nutritional requirements for insect parasitic rhabditoid nematodes to complete their life-cycle was examined. Laboratory bioassays of anti-bacterial activity on nutrient agar and during parasitism in larvae of Galleria mellonella have confirmed earlier observations that in vitro colonies of the primary form of X. nematophilus and P. luminescens produced agar-diffusible antibiotic compounds of a broad spectrum of anti-bacterial activity; their role in parasitism seems doubtful, however. This hypothesis is supported by a low antibiotic potency of a limited spectrum of anti-bacterial activity throughout the life-cycle of the parasites, principally in Galleria infected with S. carpocapsae. Since the lack of putrefaction cannot be explained simply by antibiotic inhibition of contaminating bacterial microflora, other competition mechanisms must be operating in parasitized insects. I postulated that a rapid and massive colonization of the insect body by nematophilic bacteria creates unfavourable conditions for the growth and multiplication of bacterial (proteolytic) contaminators making the insect carcass decay-resistant. In the case of H. bacteriophora, low antibiotic activity at an early stage of parasitism could support the colonization by P. luminescens of the host.

Keywords

antibiotic compoundbacterial associatecompetition mechanismentomopathogenic nematodeXenorhabdus nematophilusPhotorhabdus luminescens
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 112 , Issue 6 , June 1996 , pp. 545 - 552
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Akhurst, R. J. (1980). Morphological and functional dimorphism in Xenorhabdus spp., bacteria symbolically associated with the insect pathogenic nematodes Neoaplectana and Heterorhabditis. Journal of General Microbiology 121, 303–9.Google Scholar
Akhurst, R. J. (1982). Antibiotic activity of Xenorhabdus spp., bacteria symbiotically associated with insect pathogenic nematodes of the families Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae. Journal of General Microbiology 128, 3061–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Akhurst, R. J. (1983). Taxonomic study of Xenorhabdus, a genus of bacteria symbiotically associated with insect pathogenic nematodes. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33, 38–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akhurst, R. J. & Boemare, N. E. (1990). Biology and taxonomy of Xenorhabdus. In Entomopathogenic Nematodes in Biological Control, (ed. Gaugler, R. & Kaya, H. K.) pp. 75–90. CRC Press: Boca Raton, Florida.Google Scholar
Bedding, R. A. & Akhurst, R. J. (1975). A simple technique for the detection of insect parasitic rhabditoid nematodes in soil. Nematologica 21, 109–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boemare, N. E., Akhurst, R. J. & Mourant, R. G. (1993). DNA relatedness between Xenorhabdus spp. (Enterobacteriaceae), symbiotic bacteria of entomopathogenic nematodes and proposal to transfer Xenorhabdus luminescens to a new genus, Photorhabdus gen nov. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 45, 249–55.Google Scholar
Boemare, N. E., Boyer-Giglio, M. H., Thaler, J. O., Akhurst, R. J. & Brehelin, M. (1992). Lysogeny and bacteriocinogeny in Xenorhabdus nematophilus and other Xenorhabdus spp. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 58, 3032–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dutky, s. R. (1974). Nematode parasites. In Proceedings of the Summer Institute on Biological Control of Plant Insects and Diseases (ed. Maxwell, F. G. & Harris, F. A.), pp. 576–590. University Press of Mississippi: Jackson, USA.Google Scholar
Dutky, S. R., Thompson, J. V. & Cantwell, G. E. (1964). A technique for the mass propagation of the DD-136 nematode. Journal of Insect Pathology 6, 417–22.Google Scholar
Hamon, I. (1957). Étude des images de sensibilité des Escherichia coli pathogènes pour le nourrisson à diverses colicines types. Annale de l' Institut Pasteur 95, 117–23.Google Scholar
Jarosz, J. & Skrzypek, H. (1992). Pathological changes in the greater wax moth larvae parasitized with entomogenous rhabditoid nematodes or their baterial associates alone. Entomonematologia 1, 1–6.Google Scholar
McInerney, B. V., Taylor, W. C., Lacey, M. J., Akhurst, R. J., Lyons, G. R., Rhodes, S. H., Smith, D. R. J., Engelhardt, L. M. & White, A. H. (1991 a). Biologically active metabolites from Xenorhabdus spp. I. Dithiopyrrolone derivatives with antibiotic activity. Journal of Natural Products 54, 774–84.Google Scholar
McInerney, B. V., Taylor, W. C., Lacey, M. J., Akhurst, R. J. & Gregson, R. P. (1991 b). Biologically active metabolites from Xenorhabdus spp. II. Benzopyran-1-one derivatives with gastroprotective activity. Journal of Natural Products 54, 785–95.Google Scholar
Paul, V. J., Frautschy, S., Fenical, W. & Nealson, K. H. (1981). Antibiotics in microbial ecology. Isolation and structure assignment of several new antibacterial compounds from the insect-symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabdus spp. Journal of Chemical Ecology 7, 589–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poinar, G. O. & Thomas, G. M. (1978). Diagnostic Manual for the Identification of Insect Pathogens. Plenum Press: New York and London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poinar, G. O., Hess, R. & Thomas, G. M. (1980). Isolation of defective bacteriophages from Xenorhabdus spp. (Enterobacteriaceae). International Research Communication System of Medical Science 8, 141.Google Scholar
Richardson, W. H., Schmidt, T. M. & Nealson, K. H. (1988). Identification of an anthraquinone pigment and hydroxystilbene antibiotics from Xenorhabdus luminescens. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 54, 1602–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skrzypek, H. (1987). Reproduction of entomophilic rhabditoid nematodes is affected by different population density. Doct. Dissert., Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, (in Polish).Google Scholar
Thomas, G. M. & Poinar, G. O. (1979). Xenorhabdus gen. nov., a genus of enthomopathogenic, nematophilic bacteria of the family Enterobactericeae. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 29, 352–60.Google Scholar
Weevers, R. De G. (1966). A lepidopteran saline: effects of inorganic cation concentrations on sensory, reflex and motor responses in a herbivorous insect. Journal of Experimental Biology 44, 163–75.Google Scholar