Aliivibrio fischeri

General Information

Aliivibrio fischeri is a fascinating marine bacterium known for its bioluminescent properties. This microorganism is primarily found in symbiotic relationships with marine animals, such as the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes). The bioluminescence of A. fischeri is due to the enzyme luciferase, which catalyzes a light-emitting reaction. This light production is not only a remarkable natural phenomenon but also serves a critical role in the symbiotic relationship, providing the host with counter-illumination camouflage. One of the most intriguing aspects of A. fischeri is its ability to regulate bioluminescence through a process known as quorum sensing. This cell-to-cell communication mechanism allows the bacteria to sense their population density and coordinate gene expression accordingly. When the population reaches a certain threshold, the bacteria collectively produce light, which is a classic example of microbial cooperation and social behavior. From a research perspective, A. fischeri has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of quorum sensing, symbiosis, and microbial ecology. The bacterium's genome has been fully sequenced, providing valuable insights into the genetic basis of bioluminescence and symbiotic interactions. Additionally, A. fischeri serves as a model organism for studying host-microbe interactions, particularly how microbial communities establish and maintain symbiotic relationships with their hosts. In biotechnology, the bioluminescent properties of A. fischeri have been harnessed for various applications, including the development of biosensors for detecting environmental pollutants and monitoring bacterial contamination. The natural glow of A. fischeri also makes it a popular organism for educational purposes, demonstrating fundamental biological concepts in a visually engaging way. Overall, Aliivibrio fischeri is a microbe of significant scientific interest due to its unique bioluminescence, sophisticated quorum sensing system, and its role in symbiotic relationships, making it a valuable model for a wide range of biological and ecological studies.

Aliivibrio fischeri is a fascinating marine bacterium known for its bioluminescent properties, which are primarily attributed to the presence of luciferase enzymes. This organism is often found in symbiotic relationships with various marine animals, most notably the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes). The bioluminescence produced by A. fischeri plays a crucial role in the camouflage of the squid, allowing it to blend in with the moonlight filtering down through the water, thus evading predators. One of the most interesting aspects of A. fischeri is its ability to establish a specific and mutualistic symbiosis with its host. The squid provides a nutrient-rich environment for the bacteria, while the bacteria, in turn, provide light that helps the squid in its predatory and defensive strategies. This relationship is a prime example of how microorganisms can influence the behavior and survival of larger organisms. From a research perspective, A. fischeri serves as an excellent model organism for studying quorum sensing, a process by which bacteria communicate and coordinate their behavior based on population density. The study of A. fischeri has provided significant insights into the mechanisms of bioluminescence and the genetic regulation of this phenomenon, making it a valuable tool in molecular biology and genetics. Additionally, the genetic manipulation of A. fischeri has opened avenues for biotechnological applications, including the development of bioluminescent biosensors that can detect environmental pollutants or pathogens. The organism's relatively simple genome and well-characterized genetic tools make it an attractive candidate for synthetic biology applications. In summary, Aliivibrio fischeri is not only a remarkable example of microbial bioluminescence and symbiosis but also a significant organism for research in microbial ecology, genetics, and biotechnology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Vibrionales

Family: Vibrionaceae

Genus: Aliivibrio

Species: Aliivibrio fischeri

NCBI ID

668

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/014/647/395/GCA_014647395.1_ASM1464739v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_014647395.1_ASM1464739v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri is primarily known for its symbiotic relationship with marine organisms, particularly in the light organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid. However, its clinical implications extend to its potential role in human health and disease. While A. fischeri is not typically associated with human infections, its close relatives, such as Vibrio species, are known to cause gastrointestinal infections and wound infections in humans. Pathogenicity is generally low, but the organism's ability to produce bioluminescence and its role in biofilm formation may have implications in understanding microbial interactions in various environments, including human-associated microbiomes. In terms of antimicrobial resistance, A. fischeri has been studied for its potential to develop resistance mechanisms, although specific resistance profiles are not well-documented. Its interactions with other microorganisms in the marine environment may provide insights into resistance mechanisms that could be relevant in clinical settings. Moreover, the study of A. fischeri has potential medical applications. Its use in probiotics is being explored, particularly in aquaculture, to promote fish health and reduce the need for antibiotics. Understanding its symbiotic mechanisms may also lead to novel therapeutic strategies for enhancing immune responses in humans. Overall, while Aliivibrio fischeri is not a primary pathogen, its ecological roles and interactions with other species provide valuable insights into microbial ecology, potential therapeutic applications, and the dynamics of immune evasion strategies in microbial communities.

Industrial Application

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The microorganism Aliivibrio fischeri has several notable industrial applications primarily due to its bioluminescent properties and its role in biotechnology and waste management. This organism is well-known for its symbiotic relationship with marine animals, particularly in the light organs of certain fish and squids, where it provides bioluminescence that aids in camouflage and predation. This characteristic has been harnessed in various biotechnological applications, including the development of bioluminescent biosensors that can detect environmental pollutants and toxins, thus playing a crucial role in environmental monitoring. In the realm of waste management, Aliivibrio fischeri has been studied for its ability to degrade organic pollutants, making it a candidate for bioremediation processes. Its enzymatic activity can break down complex organic compounds, which is beneficial in treating wastewater and reducing the environmental impact of industrial effluents. Furthermore, the organism's ability to produce specific enzymes can be utilized in pharmaceutical development, where these enzymes may be employed in the synthesis of bioactive compounds or as catalysts in various chemical reactions. The potential for Aliivibrio fischeri in fermentation processes is also being explored, particularly in the production of biofuels, where its metabolic pathways could be optimized for the conversion of biomass into renewable energy sources. Overall, Aliivibrio fischeri demonstrates significant promise across multiple industries, particularly in enhancing sustainability and environmental health.

Phenotypes and Predictions

The table shows the phenotypes and predictions. Cell colors indicate the class of the value. When literature-based data is available, a checkmark (✓) indicates a correct prediction, while an ✗ indicates an incorrect prediction.

Literature-based phenotypes: 8

LLM predicted phenotypes: 4

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	openchat/openchat-7b	google/gemma-7b-it	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/gemini-pro-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-flash-1.5	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	google/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro
Motility	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Gram staining	gram stain negative	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓
Aerophilicity	N/A	facultatively anaerobic	aerotolerant	facultatively anaerobic	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	aerobic	aerobic	facultatively anaerobic	facultatively anaerobic	facultatively anaerobic	facultatively anaerobic	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗
Biosafety level	biosafety level 1	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true
Host association	TRUE	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	spirillum ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	spirillum ✗	spirillum ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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