Iman Khan
Bioluminescent bacteria predominantly found in the sea...
This bacteria is mainly found in the ocean. What sets Aliivibrio apart from any ordinary bacteria, is its ability to bioluminesce (glow in the dark) and live symbiotically within various marine organisms.
As you can see Aliivibrio fischeri is a gram-negative bacteria that is motile, has rod-shaped cells with one or more sheathed flagella.
Aliivibrio forms a symbiotic relationship with the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid.
The bacteria is able to produce luminescence by expressing the lux operon which is a small group of genes found in several of the Vibrionaceae family.
Luminescence is controlled by acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing which is found to be common in various genera to regulate gene expression. The cell density control of luminescence in the Vibrio fischeri is the best-studied quorum sensing system, and
although each of the known systems has unique features, this system is considered the model.
Vibrio fischeri belongs to the Vibrionaceae, a large family of marine γ-proteobacteria that contain species that can be beneficial and pathogenic towards humans/animals.
There’s no evidence that A. fischeri cause disease in humans or other organisms, but it does contain homologs of toxin genes that can be found in the Vibrio species.
Information on quorum sensing and how V.fischeri has contributed to that research.
Off the coast of Hawaii lives a cunning nocturnal hunter with a brilliant trick up its sleeve. Or rather its mantle. Meet the Hawaiian Bobtail squid.
How Aliivibrio luminesce..
Isn't this amazing!!
Pacific Biomedical Research Center, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, and W. M. Keck Microbial Communities and Cell Signaling Program, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813; ‡Department of Microbiology and W. M. Keck Microbial Communities and Cell Signaling Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242; §Integrated Genomics, Chicago, IL 60612; ¶Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602; ∥Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061; *Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095; and ††Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153
