Figure 8: Epifluorescence phase contrast microscopy of TMA-DPH-stained cultures of Bdellovibrio (small, phase dark, comma-shaped cells) preying upon E. coli prey. | Scientific Reports

Figure 8: Epifluorescence phase contrast microscopy of TMA-DPH-stained cultures of Bdellovibrio (small, phase dark, comma-shaped cells) preying upon E. coli prey.

From: Interrupting peptidoglycan deacetylation during Bdellovibrio predator-prey interaction prevents ultimate destruction of prey wall, liberating bacterial-ghosts

Figure 8

10 mM of the fluorescent, membrane-staining dye TMA-DPH was used in 2 minute staining reactions at the timepoints described. (A) Uninfected E. coli control cells after 3 hours incubation in Ca/HEPES buffer (B) Bdellovibrio ∆Bd0468Bd3279 at a control timepoint of 3 hours after invading and rounding E. coli “bdelloplasts”. Also visible is a smaller, less fluorescent Bdellovibrio attack phase cell. (C) Wild type Bdellovibrio at a control timepoint of 3 hours after invading and rounding E. coli “bdelloplasts”. Also visible is are smaller, less fluorescent Bdellovibrio attack phase cells. (D) Uninfected E. coli control cells after 5 hours incubation in Ca/HEPES buffer (E) Lysed bdelloplasts 5 hours post mixing, invasion, predation and exit of Bdellovibrio ∆Bd0468∆Bd3279 into/from prey E. coli shows fluorescent, rounded prey ghosts of similar size to the bdelloplasts (in B,C), but paler under phase contrast. (F) Lysed bdelloplasts 5 hours post mixing, invasion, predation and exit of Bdellovibrio wild type Bdellovibrio HD100 strain into/from E. coli. Here, smaller, round, fluorescent structures or fragments of prey are visible in the fluorescent channel, but scarcely visible in the phase contrast images. Scale bars are 2 μm.

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