Ref ID : 1147
Mazal Varon and B.P. Zeigler; Bacterial predator-prey interaction at low prey density. Appl.Environ.Microbiol. 36(1):11-17, 1978
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A bacterial predator-prey interaction was studied using Bdellovibrio and bioluminescent prey bacteria. The attacking bdellovibrio causes decay of bioluminescent, which is correlated with bdellovibrio penetration into the prey. The behaviour of the prey predator populations over time was found to be well described by a Lotka-Volterra model. By using this model, the probability of bdellovibirio penetration after encounting a prey cell was found to be approximately 3.0%. The prey density required to give the bdellovibrios a 50% chance of survival was calculated to be at least 3.0x10E6 cells per ml, and the density required for population equilibria was calculated to be about 7x10E5 prey bacteria per ml. These values, not generally characteristics of natural habitats, suggest that the existence of Bdellovibrio in nature is limited to special ecological niches.