Description
The extraction of PHA from bacterial cells typically relies on unsustainable processes that utilize volatile organic solvents at temperatures close to their boiling points. In line with our sustainability and circular economy philosophy, in the POLYBIO group we propose the use of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, a predatory bacterium with a broad host range, as a lytic tool for the release on intracellular products (namely PHA).
B. bacteriovorus is a predatory Gram-negative bacterium that feeds on other species of Gram-negative bacteria. It is characterized by its small size and high speed (up to 160 μm·s-1). Its lifecycle comprises i) a free-swimming attack phase, in which it localizes its prey and attaches to its membrane, and ii) an intraperiplasmic growth phase in which, after establishing itself in the prey’s periplasm, it digests and consumes the components of the host cell. Once the nutrients are depleted, the daughter cells lyse the prey and enter the attack phase once more.
The POLYBIO group is renowned for the “domestication” of this predator as a tool for biotechnological applications. In addition to the use of this microorganism as an agent for the release of PHA particles, we exploit it as a source of hydrolytic enzymes. Due it its broad prey range, B. bacteriovorus also has the potential to serve as a biocontrol agent in open ecosystems. Therefore, it finds application as a living antibiotic in different sectors, including agriculture, aquiculture, or biomedicine.
Relevant publications:
Martínez, V., de la Peña, F., García-Hidalgo, J., de la Mata, I., García, J. L., & Prieto, M. A. (2012). Identification and biochemical evidence of a medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase in the Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predatory hydrolytic arsenal. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78(17), 6017-6026.
Salgado, S., Hernández‐Herreros, N., & Prieto, M. A. (2024). Controlling the expression of heterologous genes in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using synthetic biology strategies. Microbial Biotechnology, 17(6), e14517.
Martínez, V., Herencias, C., Jurkevitch, E., & Prieto, M. A. (2016). Engineering a predatory bacterium as a proficient killer agent for intracellular bio-products recovery: The case of the polyhydroxyalkanoates. Scientific Reports, 6(1), 1-12.
Group