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. 2017 Jul 5:8:1050.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01050. eCollection 2017.

Survey of Antibiotic-producing Bacteria Associated with the Epidermal Mucus Layers of Rays and Skates

Kim B Ritchie  1   2 , Melbert Schwarz  2   3 , Joseph Mueller  2 , Valeri A Lapacek  2 , Daniel Merselis  2   4 , Catherine J Walsh  2 , Carl A Luer  2
Affiliations

Survey of Antibiotic-producing Bacteria Associated with the Epidermal Mucus Layers of Rays and Skates

Kim B Ritchie et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Elasmobranchs represent a distinct group of cartilaginous fishes that harbor a remarkable ability to heal wounds rapidly and without infection. To date very little work has addressed this phenomenon although it is suggested that antibiotic capabilities associated with epidermal surfaces may be a factor. The study of benefits derived from mutualistic interactions between unicellular and multicellular organisms is a rapidly growing area of research. Here we survey and identify bacterial associates of three ray and one skate species in order to assess the potential for antibiotic production from elasmobranch associated bacteria as a novel source for new antibiotics.

Keywords: antibacterial screening; antibiotic producing bacteria; beneficial bacteria; epidermal mucus; pathogens; skate; stingray.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
(A) Epidermal mucus is collected by passive scraping of the pectoral fin surface of an Atlantic stingray, Dasyatis sabina with a sterile scoopula. Fresh mucus (B) can be separated into an aqueous supernatant and a mucus pellet (C) following centrifugation at 2,600 × g for 20 min at 4°C.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Plate containing 96 of the 323 bacterial isolates cultured from marine Atlantic stingray (D. sabina) mucus overlaid with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). Zones of inhibition are visible in 30 of the 96 isolates assayed on this plate.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Plate containing 96 of the 960 bacterial strains cultured from cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus) mucus overlaid with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Diameters of zones of inhibition in wells E6 and G11 are 7.5 mm and 6.0 mm, respectively.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
A phylogenetic tree of antibiotic producing bacteria found in this study. Each taxon is colored based on host stingray species. The heatmap to the right represents the zone of inhibition (mm) of candidate strains against test strains. Clusters are designated as I, II, and II to the left of the heat map for discussion purposes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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