How one bacterium inhibits predators with poison:
How one bacterium inhibits predators with poison: Microbiologists in South Korea report that the bacterium Chromobacterium piscinae produce cyanide when under attack from Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100, a microbial predator found in streams and soils that ingests its prey from the top to bottom. Scientists found that the prey delivered levels of cyanide sufficiently high to hinder, but not kill, the B. bacteriovorus HD100. Examinations demonstrated that C. piscinae secrete the defensive cyanide in a nutrient-rich broth. In a medium without supplements, it didn't secrete the cyanide and was consumed. The scientists suspect that the microorganisms likely uses some ingredients in the broth to secrete the cyanide. That perception suggests that microscopic organisms' defenses may depend on location-- and, more generally, that microorganism may harbor defensive components that are activated in a suitable environment, but not in others. To test whether cyanide alone was d...
