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Bdellovibrio as therapeutic agents: a predatory renaissance?

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 2, pages 669–675 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Bdellovibrio are predatory bacteria that invade the periplasm of other Gram-negative bacteria where they undergo a complex developmental cycle that culminates in killing of the prey cell. Their intracellular niche allows Bdellovibrio to feed without competition and their lytic action can rapidly reduce bacterial populations, including pathogens, making these predatory bacteria interesting potential candidates for therapeutic applications. With the complete genome sequence for one Bdellovibrio strain now available, researchers now have an opportunity to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these predatory bacteria.

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Figure 1: The predatory life cycle of Bdellovibrio.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank R. Chaudhuri of Colibase, University of Birmingham, UK, for assistance with genome analysis. Their work is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Genetics, School of Biology, University of Nottingham Medical School, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK

    R. Elizabeth Sockett & Carey Lambert

Authors
  1. R. Elizabeth Sockett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Elizabeth Sockett.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Related links

Related links

DATABASES

Entrez

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100

Buchnera aphidicola

CAE77837

CAE78299

CAE78505

CAE78865

CAE78875

CAE79180

CAE79394

CAE79452

CAE79454

CAE80233

CAE80242

CAE80483

CAE80640

CAE81224

RadA

RecA

RecG

FURTHER INFORMATION

B. bacteriovorus strain W

Bacteriovorax marinus strain J

Bdellovibrio genome project

R. Elizabeth Sockett's laboratory

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Sockett, R., Lambert, C. Bdellovibrio as therapeutic agents: a predatory renaissance?. Nat Rev Microbiol 2, 669–675 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro959

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