INTERACTIO

N
SUBMITTED BY:MONIKA SAPRA
MSc.MICROBIOLOGY
SEM:3rd
ROLL NO.1508
The inter- and intra-relationships between
various microorganisms which can include both
positive (like SYMBIOSIS) and negative (like
ANTIBIOSIS) interactions. Examples include
virus - bacteria and bacteria - bacteria.

The consortium may be in

intermitent,cyclic or permanent.

These are ubiquitous, diverse and

critically important in the function of any
biological community.
These includes-
1. Neutralism
2. Mutualism
3. Commensalism
4. Parasitism
5. Cooperation
6. Predation
7. Amensalism
8. Competition
9. Synergism
PARTNERS INVOLVED
MICROBE-MICROBE INTERACTION.

MICROBE-PLANT INTERACTION.

MICROBE-ANIMAL INTERACTION.

MICROBE-HUMAN INTERACTIONS.

MICROBE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS
AND DISEASES.
 NEUTRALISM
Microorganisms have no effect on
each other.

Observed in natural communities if-

Culture density is low.
Nutrient level is high.
Each culture has distinct
requirements.
 Mutualism
An obligatory relationship.
Highly specific.
They operate as a single
organism.
Both organisms benefit.
For Eeg.Diatom(Climacodium)
and cyanobacteria(Epithemia
turgida)
Lichen-Fungi with
Xanthoparmelia substrigosa(foliose) Usnea(fruticose)

The endosymbionts
are visible as round bodies w
ithin the cytoplasm.
endosymbionts
Clim are important in fixing atmosp
heric nitrogen for use by the c
ells.
 Cooperation
Positive but not obligatery symbiosis
Can be separated from one another.
For eg-Desulfovibrio &
Chromatium,Cellulomonas &
Azotobactor.
 Commensalism
One partner(commensal) benefits.
while other(host) remains unaffected.
Common among organisms, not
obligatory
Unidirectional
Usually, unaffected population modifies
the environment in a way that other
population benefits.
For eg-during Nitrification ,oxidation of
NH4+ ions get convert into nitrate.
Nitrosomonas convert NH4+ Ions to nitrite
and nitrobacter oxidise nitrite into nitrate.
 Parasitism
oOne speices is dependent on
a another for
nutrition and growth.
oIn it, one organism is
benefitted and other is
harmed.
oClosly related to predation.
oCoexistence between host
and parasite.
oFor eg-Viruses are the highly
specialized intracellular
 Cont.
cell.Myxococcus xanthus and E.coli.

Microbial parasite may kill the host or can have

stable relationship without killing the host.
(lysogeny provirus is carried on host
chromosome).

Pathogenic parasite may attack and kill the plant

or animal host.
Obligate parasite Treponema
pallidum(syphilis),Rickettsia(Rockey mountain
fever) cant grow without an appropriate host.
 Predatory behavior ofM. xanthus
TheM. xanthusswarm expands from
the initial spot in a tangled motility
pattern. Lysis...
 Predation
It involves predator species which target
other microbe for material to survive.
Predator attacks and kills its prey.
They can be obligate or facultative.
Members of predatory bacteria are known as
Bdellovibrio and like organisms(BALO).They
can be epibiotic,periplasmic,cytoplasmic.
For eg-
Bdellovibrio-E.coli interaction
(Vampirococcus,Daptobacter both attack
Chromatium.
Antibiotic production
 Amensalism
Focuses on exclusion of an organism from
growing on a specific site to prevent the
utilization of limiting nutrients.
Unidirectional process based on the release of
a specific compound by one organism that has
negative effect on another.
Product of one impact another i.e one species
remains uneffected while other is harmed.
For eg- microbial production of antibiotics that
can inhibits or kill another.penicillin by fungi
inhibit a type of cell wall found
 Cont.
only in bacteria.
Bacteriocins-kill the strains of closely
related species by generating holes
in plasma membrane
Metabolic end products.
 Competition
It arises when different organisms within
population try to acquire same resources.
Both the species are harmed.
Competiton within the species or among
different species can be attributed to
availibility of Nitrogen source,carbon
source,electron donors,electron
accepter,vitamins,light,water.
Competition may result in exclusion of other
species or the establishment of a steady state
where multiple species coexist.
 Cont..
Eg- In aquatic environment where
extensive phototrophic activity results in
blooms of single species of diatoms or
cyanobacteria.
Thermophilic springs chemolithotrophic
organisms are selected.
Lactic acid fermentation of food.
Large intestine of animals,a single
species doesnt dominate but a mixed
population coexist.
 Syntropism
Two species are required for growth on a specific electron
donor that is not metabolized by either organism alone or
one of the organisms remove end products of metabolism
from other,which enables both the organisms to grow.
Both the species are benefited.
This relationship was discovered by Meyer Wolin and
colleagues,when fermentation of propionic acid occurred
when there was a coculture.
Synophobacter produces H during fermentation and
accumulation of H makes the reaction thermodynamically
unstable.
Pesence of methanogen,Methanospirillum makes the
oxidation favourable by consuming the H.
Cont..
Microbe-Plant Interactions
Different interactions between
microorganisms and plants have been
identified and the most obvious environment
for such interactions is soil.
Microbe-plant association can be mutulistic(a
highly specialized interaction where there is
considerable specificity found in mutulistic
activities)or it can be
commensilistic(secretions from plants benefit
bacteria and fungi but no apparent benefit to
plant.
Simbiosis with Cyanobacteria
Beneficial aspects of plant-microbe symbiosis
are,plants provide c-material to support growth
of microbes and microbes promote plant
growth by supplying minerals or N2.
Eg.Azolla(fresh water aquatic fern)lives in
symbiotic association with Anabena azollae
,where cyanobacteria fixes atmospheric N2and
Azolla provides carbohydrates.cyanobacteria
are present in trichomes and nutrient
exchange occurs through tiny fibres extending
from plant to cavity.
 Interaction In Rhizosphere
and Symbiotic systems
Fungus-Root
system
Mucilage,organic acids(rhizodepozition),dead root cells(nucleic
acid,complex carb.,proteins)released by root tip act as c-source for
microbes.
Microorganisms enhance the cycling of c and N compounds,consume

rhizospheric O and lower the redox potential of rhizosphere.

Eg.Mycorrhizae-mutulistic relationship between fungus and

plantroot,growth on exterior of the root is the characteristic of

ectomycorrhiza while growth inside the root is attributed to
endomycorrhiza.
Plants with mycorrhiza-
can grow in low nutrient soil.
display greater growth rates.
more disease resistent.
Boletus elegans and larix sp.
Gigaspora margarita and cotton.
 Bacteria-Root nodule
system
Enzyme system for N2 fixation is present only in
prokaryotes and nodules are associated with
roots of Leguminous plants,bacteria(rhizobia)
are specific for a legume species.
Assciation is beneficial for both,plant provide c
and energy source to bacteria and bacteria fix
N2 and provide amino acid to plant.
Rhizobium leguminosarum sp.and pea, beans
tropical(root nodules).
Azorhizobium caulinodan and Aquatic tropical
legume(stem nodule).
 Microbe-Animal
Interactions
Bacteria and fungi interact with humans and other animals and this
interaction can be symbiotic, commensalistic or parasitic.

Symbiotic relationships are widespread and has evolved new metabolic

capabilities and cellular structures.(symbiogenesis).

Evolutionary benefits in a symbiotic relationship are;-provision of dietary

needs that their hosts lack including essential amino
acids,cofactors,metabolic factors etc.
N storage and recycling.

Large alterations in genome of symbionts and adaptations by host to

favour the symbiosis occur during long association which can be in form
of genome size reduction or increase in AT content in genome.since
endosymbionts protect their hosts from pathogens,this may have
influenced the evolution of sociality in animals to acquire the
endosymbiont through horizontal and vertical transmission.
Primary symbionts are transmitted through vertical
transmission and secondary symbionts through
horizontal transmission in addition to maternal trans

Buchnera aphidicola and Wiglesworthia glossinidia

are examples of primary symbionts showing
marked genome reduction and resultant genome
is the commitment to a symbiotic lifestyle.

Secondary symbionts may have negative or

positive effect on host and are generally
facultative and their genomes indicate that they
are adapting themselves to an obligate mutulism.
Glossina sp.,which
housesWigglesworthia glossinidia
 Microbe-Animal Mutulism
In vertebrates gut microbial community produce
vitamins needed by host,help digetion and
colonization resistence.
Termite(Reticulitermis speratus) gut
community(symbioses within symbiosis) responsible
for cellulose degradation include
bacteria(spirochaetes,TG1,2,3,bacteroidetes,firmicutes
) which provideN-comp. by fixing N2 and nutrients to
host and protists with their bacterial and archeal ecto
and endosymbionts degrade cellulose,provide a.acid
and cofactors to protists.
Ambrosia beetle carries fungus to a new environment
where fungus flourishes beetle uses fungus as food.
Microbe-Animal Parasitism
One fascinating parasitic interaction involves
nematod(Heterorhabditis bacteriophora harboring a
bacterial endosymbiont Photorhabdus luminescens) and
parasitize insects and humans.

The beneficial nematodes can be used to control a broad

range of soil inhabiting insects and above ground insects in
their soil inhabiting stage of life. White grubs, Beetle grubs,
Japanese beetle

This nematod arrest their development in a phase called

infective juvinile larval stage at which it is infected by
endosymbiont and when it infects the insect,nematod
further development is induced by insects hemolymph.

Endosymbiont secretes proteases supressing insects

immune system and damage the insect and nematod
Photorhabdus fluorescent bacteria
within a Heterorhabditis nematode
 Microbe-Animal Comensalism
Comensal(species that benefits from association)
may obtain nutrient,shelter, support,locomotion
from the host species which remains unmodified.
Comensal species may show great structural
adaptation.eg.Titan triggerfish(Balistoides
viridescens) which creates feeding opportunities
for smaller fishes by moving large rocks too big
for them to shift themselves.
Another example is of a vulture which eats the
leftover food from a lion and the lion is not
affected by this while the vulture gets to eat.
Titan trigger fish
Vultures eating the leftover food
Microbe-Human Interactions
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