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Microbial Exopolymers Link Predator and Prey in a Model Yeast Biofilm System

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Abstract

Protistan grazing on biofilms is potentially an important conduit enabling energy flow between microbial trophic levels. Contrary to the widely held assumption that protistan feeding primarily involves ingestion of biofilm cells, with negative consequences for the biofilm, this study demonstrated preferential grazing on the noncellular biofilm matrix by a ciliate, with selective ingestion of yeast and bacterial cells of planktonic origin over attached and biofilm-derived planktonic cells. Introducing a ciliate to two biofilm-forming Cryptococcus species, as well as two bacterial species in a model biofilm system, fluorescent probes were applied to determine ingestion of cellular and noncellular biofilm fractions. Fluoromicroscopy, as well as photometric quantification, confirmed that protistan grazing enhanced yeast biofilm metabolism, and an increase in biofilm biomass and viability. We propose that the extracellular polymeric matrix of biofilms may act as an interface regulating interaction between predator and prey, while serving as source of nutrients and energy for protists.

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Acknowledgments

The Claude Leon Foundation is acknowledged for financial support for L.-M. Joubert. Funding from the South African NRF and MRC for G. Wolfaardt is acknowledged. S. Saftic is thanked for the use of the OLAPH prototype (German patent no. 19947651).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    L.-M. Joubert, G. M. Wolfaardt & A. Botha

  2. Cell Sciences Imaging Facility, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    L.-M. Joubert

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON, Canada, M5B 2K3

    G. M. Wolfaardt

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  1. L.-M. Joubert
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  2. G. M. Wolfaardt
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Correspondence to G. M. Wolfaardt.

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Joubert, LM., Wolfaardt, G.M. & Botha, A. Microbial Exopolymers Link Predator and Prey in a Model Yeast Biofilm System. Microb Ecol 52, 187–197 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9063-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9063-7

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