Meeting Abstract

P3.3  Wednesday, Jan. 6  Experimentally Evolved Vibrio fischeri Examines Responsiveness to Temperature Adaptation. EASTERLING, J.G.*; SOTO, W; NISHIGUCHI, M.K.; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces jeasterl@nmsu.edu

Luminous bacteria in the family Vibrionaceae (g-Proteobacteria) are found living mutualistically in the light organs of both sepiolid squids and monocentrid fishes. Vibrio symbionts are transmitted environmentally, and are inherently exposed to a wide spectrum of abiotic conditions during each cycle of their life history. Temperature differences between habitats fluctuates, and may prevent dispersal of these otherwise cosmopolitan bacteria. Because Vibrio symbionts have been observed to be transient between different host species, a temperature assay using several symbiotic strains of Vibrio fischeri (ES114, EM17, and ET401) was developed to map detailed growth extremes at environmental temperatures. Results indicate that all three strains have visible growth at temperature extremes between 8 and 37°C. We also examined temperatures that will be used in additional experimental evolution experiments at 20 and 31°C, that are representative of low and high temperature extremes. Comparison of these measurements with other abiotic factors will eventually help us better understand whether vibrios that have broad temperature ranges can become a more competitive symbiont than those with more narrow temperature ranges.