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Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus uses chimeric fibre proteins to recognize and invade a broad range of bacterial hosts (2024)
Journal Article
Caulton, S. G., Lambert, C., Tyson, J., Radford, P., Al-Bayati, A., Greenwood, S., …Lovering, A. L. (2024). Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus uses chimeric fibre proteins to recognize and invade a broad range of bacterial hosts. Nature Microbiology, 9(1), 214-227. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01552-2

Predatory bacteria, like the model endoperiplasmic bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, show several adaptations relevant to their requirements for locating, entering and killing other bacteria. The mechanisms underlying prey recognition and handlin... Read More about Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus uses chimeric fibre proteins to recognize and invade a broad range of bacterial hosts.

An MltA-Like Lytic Transglycosylase Secreted by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Cleaves the Prey Septum during Predatory Invasion (2023)
Journal Article
Banks, E. J., Lambert, C., Mason, S. S., Tyson, J., Radford, P. M., McLaughlin, C., …Sockett, R. E. (2023). An MltA-Like Lytic Transglycosylase Secreted by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Cleaves the Prey Septum during Predatory Invasion. Journal of Bacteriology, 205(4), Article 00475-22. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00475-22

Lytic transglycosylases cut peptidoglycan backbones, facilitating a variety of functions within bacteria, including cell division, pathogenesis, and insertion of macromolecular machinery into the cell envelope. Here, we identify a novel role of a sec... Read More about An MltA-Like Lytic Transglycosylase Secreted by Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Cleaves the Prey Septum during Predatory Invasion.

Production of 3′,3′-cGAMP by a Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus promiscuous GGDEF enzyme, Bd0367, regulates exit from prey by gliding motility (2022)
Journal Article
Lowry, R. C., Hallberg, Z. F., Till, R., Simons, T. J., Nottingham, R., Want, F., …Lambert, C. (2022). Production of 3′,3′-cGAMP by a Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus promiscuous GGDEF enzyme, Bd0367, regulates exit from prey by gliding motility. PLoS Genetics, 18(5), Article e1010164. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010164

Bacterial second messengers are important for regulating diverse bacterial lifestyles. Cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is produced by diguanylate cyclase enzymes, named GGDEF proteins, which are widespread across bacteria. Recently, hybrid promiscuous (Hypr... Read More about Production of 3′,3′-cGAMP by a Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus promiscuous GGDEF enzyme, Bd0367, regulates exit from prey by gliding motility.

Asymmetric peptidoglycan editing generates cell curvature in Bdellovibrio predatory bacteria (2022)
Journal Article
Banks, E. J., Valdivia-Delgado, M., Biboy, J., Wilson, A., Cadby, I. T., Vollmer, W., …Sockett, R. E. (2022). Asymmetric peptidoglycan editing generates cell curvature in Bdellovibrio predatory bacteria. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 1509. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29007-y

Peptidoglycan hydrolases contribute to the generation of helical cell shape in Campylobacter and Helicobacter bacteria, while cytoskeletal or periskeletal proteins determine the curved, vibrioid cell shape of Caulobacter and Vibrio. Here, we identify... Read More about Asymmetric peptidoglycan editing generates cell curvature in Bdellovibrio predatory bacteria.

A lysozyme with altered substrate specificity facilitates prey cell exit by the periplasmic predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (2020)
Journal Article
Harding, C. J., Huwiler, S. G., Somers, H., Lambert, C., Ray, L. J., Till, R., …Lovering, A. L. (2020). A lysozyme with altered substrate specificity facilitates prey cell exit by the periplasmic predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Nature Communications, 11, Article 4817. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18139-8

Lysozymes are among the best-characterized enzymes, acting upon the cell wall substrate peptidoglycan. Here, examining the invasive bacterial periplasmic predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, we report a diversified lysozyme, DslA, which acts, unusual... Read More about A lysozyme with altered substrate specificity facilitates prey cell exit by the periplasmic predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

Dual predation by bacteriophage and bdellovibrio bacteriovorus can eradicate escherichia coli prey in situations where single predation cannot (2020)
Journal Article
Hobley, L., Summers, J. K., Till, R., Milner, D. S., Atterbury, R. J., Stroud, A., …Sockett, R. E. (2020). Dual predation by bacteriophage and bdellovibrio bacteriovorus can eradicate escherichia coli prey in situations where single predation cannot. Journal of Bacteriology, 202(6), Article e00629-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00629-19

Copyright © 2020 Hobley et al. Bacteria are preyed upon by diverse microbial predators, including bacteriophage and predatory bacteria, such as Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. While bacteriophage are used as antimicrobial therapies in Eastern Europe and... Read More about Dual predation by bacteriophage and bdellovibrio bacteriovorus can eradicate escherichia coli prey in situations where single predation cannot.

Nucleotide signaling pathway convergence in a cAMP?sensing bacterial c?di?GMP phosphodiesterase (2019)
Journal Article
Cadby, I. T., Basford, S. M., Nottingham, R., Meek, R., Lowry, R., Lambert, C., …Lovering, A. L. (2019). Nucleotide signaling pathway convergence in a cAMP‐sensing bacterial c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase. EMBO Journal, 38(17), Article e100772. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2018100772

Bacterial usage of the cyclic dinucleotide c-di-GMP is widespread, governing the transition between motile/sessile and unicellular/ multicellular behaviors. There is limited information on c-di-GMP metabolism, particularly on regulatory mechanisms go... Read More about Nucleotide signaling pathway convergence in a cAMP?sensing bacterial c?di?GMP phosphodiesterase.

Evolutionary diversification of the RomR protein of the invasive deltaproteobacterium, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (2019)
Journal Article
Lowry, R. C., Milner, D. S., Al-Bayati, A. M., Lambert, C., Francis, V. I., Porter, S. L., & Sockett, R. E. (2019). Evolutionary diversification of the RomR protein of the invasive deltaproteobacterium, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41263-5

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predatory deltaproteobacterium that encounters individual Gram-negative prey bacteria with gliding or swimming motility, and then is able to invade such prey cells via type IVa pilus-dependent mechanisms. Movement cont... Read More about Evolutionary diversification of the RomR protein of the invasive deltaproteobacterium, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

Engulfment, persistance and fate of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predators inside human phagocytic cells informs their future therapeutic potential (2019)
Journal Article
Raghunathan, D., Radford, P. M., Gell, C., Negus, D., Moore, C., Till, R., …Tyson, J. (2019). Engulfment, persistance and fate of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predators inside human phagocytic cells informs their future therapeutic potential. Scientific Reports, 9, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40223-3

In assessing the potential of predatory bacteria, such as Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, to become live therapeutic agents against bacterial infections, it is crucial to understand and quantify Bdellovibrio host cell interactions at a molecular level. H... Read More about Engulfment, persistance and fate of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predators inside human phagocytic cells informs their future therapeutic potential.

Examining diabetic heel ulcers through an ecological lens: microbial community dynamics associated with healing and infection (2019)
Journal Article
Sloan, T. J., Turton, J. C., Tyson, J., Musgrove, A., Fleming, V. M., Lister, M. M., …Jeffcoate, W. (2019). Examining diabetic heel ulcers through an ecological lens: microbial community dynamics associated with healing and infection. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 68(2), 230-240. https://doi.org/10.1099/jmm.0.000907

Purpose: While some micro-organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, are clearly implicated in causing tissue damage in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), our knowledge of the contribution of the entire microbiome to clinical outcomes is limited. We profile... Read More about Examining diabetic heel ulcers through an ecological lens: microbial community dynamics associated with healing and infection.

Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation (2017)
Journal Article
Kuru, E., Lambert, C., Jonathon, R., Till, R., Ducret, A., Derouaux, A., …Sockett, L. (2017). Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation. Nature Microbiology, 2(12), 1648-1657. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-017-0029-y

Modification of essential bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) containing cell walls can lead to antibiotic resistance, for example ?-lactam resistance by L,D-transpeptidase activities. Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are naturally antibacterial and com... Read More about Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation.

Measuring and modelling the response of Klebsiella pneumoniae KPC prey to Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation, in human serum and defined buffer (2017)
Journal Article
Baker, M., Negus, D., Raghunathan, D., Radford, P., Moore, C., Clark, G., …Sockett, R. E. (in press). Measuring and modelling the response of Klebsiella pneumoniae KPC prey to Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation, in human serum and defined buffer. Scientific Reports, 7(8329), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08060-4

In worldwide conditions of increasingly antibiotic-resistant hospital infections, it is important to research alternative therapies. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus bacteria naturally prey on Gram-negative pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains... Read More about Measuring and modelling the response of Klebsiella pneumoniae KPC prey to Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation, in human serum and defined buffer.

Injections of Predatory Bacteria Work Alongside Host Immune Cells to Treat Shigella Infection in Zebrafish Larvae (2016)
Journal Article
Willis, A. R., Moore, C., Mazon-Moya, M., Krokowski, S., Lambert, C., Till, R., …Sockett, R. E. (2016). Injections of Predatory Bacteria Work Alongside Host Immune Cells to Treat Shigella Infection in Zebrafish Larvae. Current Biology, 26(24), 3343-3351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.067

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are predatory bacteria that invade and kill a range of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens in natural environments and in vitro [ 1 and 2]. In this study, we investigated Bdellovibrio as an injected, antibacterial treatment i... Read More about Injections of Predatory Bacteria Work Alongside Host Immune Cells to Treat Shigella Infection in Zebrafish Larvae.

Interrupting peptidoglycan deacetylation during Bdellovibrio predator-prey interaction prevents ultimate destruction of prey wall, liberating bacterial-ghosts (2016)
Journal Article
Lambert, C., Lerner, T. R., Bui, N. K., Somers, H., Aizawa, S., Liddell, S., …Sockett, R. E. (2016). Interrupting peptidoglycan deacetylation during Bdellovibrio predator-prey interaction prevents ultimate destruction of prey wall, liberating bacterial-ghosts. Scientific Reports, 6:26010(1), https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26010

The peptidoglycan wall, located in the periplasm between the inner and outer membranes of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, maintains cell shape and endows osmotic robustness. Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteria invade the periplasm of other b... Read More about Interrupting peptidoglycan deacetylation during Bdellovibrio predator-prey interaction prevents ultimate destruction of prey wall, liberating bacterial-ghosts.

Ankyrin-mediated self-protection during cell invasion by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (2015)
Journal Article
Lambert, C., Cadby, I. T., Till, R., Bui, N. K., Lerner, T. R., Hughes, W. S., …Lovering, A. L. (2015). Ankyrin-mediated self-protection during cell invasion by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Nature Communications, 6, Article 8884. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9884

Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are natural antimicrobial organisms, killing other bacteria by whole-cell invasion. Self-protection against prey-metabolizing enzymes is important for the evolution of predation. Initial prey entry involves the pr... Read More about Ankyrin-mediated self-protection during cell invasion by the bacterial predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

Ras GTPase-like protein MglA, a controller of bacterial social-motility in Myxobacteria, has evolved to control bacterial predation by Bdellovibrio (2014)
Journal Article
Milner, D. S., Till, R., Cadby, I., Lovering, A. L., Basford, S. M., Saxon, E. B., …Sockett, R. E. (2014). Ras GTPase-like protein MglA, a controller of bacterial social-motility in Myxobacteria, has evolved to control bacterial predation by Bdellovibrio. PLoS Genetics, 10(4), Article e1004253. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1004253

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus invade Gram-negative bacteria in a predatory process requiring Type IV pili (T4P) at a single invasive pole, and also glide on surfaces to locate prey. Ras-like G-protein MglA, working with MglB and RomR in the deltaproteob... Read More about Ras GTPase-like protein MglA, a controller of bacterial social-motility in Myxobacteria, has evolved to control bacterial predation by Bdellovibrio.

Nucleases in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus contribute towards efficient self-biofilm formation and eradication of preformed prey biofilms (2013)
Journal Article
Lambert, C., & Sockett, R. E. (2013). Nucleases in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus contribute towards efficient self-biofilm formation and eradication of preformed prey biofilms. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 340(2), https://doi.org/10.1111/1574-6968.12075

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are predatory bacteria that burrow into prey bacteria and degrade their cell contents, including DNA and RNA, to grow. Their genome encodes diverse nucleases, some with potential export sequences. Transcriptomic analysis de... Read More about Nucleases in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus contribute towards efficient self-biofilm formation and eradication of preformed prey biofilms.

An inside job: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus (2008)
Journal Article
Sockett, L., Hobley, L., Fenton, A., Woods, R., Lambert, C., Chang, C. Y., …King, S. (2008). An inside job: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Microbiology Today, 35(4), 184-187