Predation pattern and phylogenetic analysis of Bdellovibrionaceae from the Great Salt Lake, Utah

The Bdellovibrionaceae are predatory, intraperiplasmic bacteria that prey upon a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. The prey susceptibility pattern is frequently used to characterize new isolates. The objective in this study was to isolate and characterize predators from the Great Salt Lake (GSL) by prey susceptibility testing. To recover the predators, water samples were inoculated into an enrichment medium with Vibrio parahaemolyticus as prey. After several days of incubation, the predators were isolated, pure DNA was extracted, and partial 16S rDNA gene was sequenced. Water samples were also plated for isolation of heterotrophic bacteria. The susceptibility of bacterial isolates from the lake and other sources to each predator isolate was determined. The results revealed that there are predators in the GSL, and they preferentially prey on bacteria from the lake. This is the first report of the isolation of Bdellovibrionaceae from GSL and the predators showing preferences for bacteria from the same habitat.