Vibrionaceae

The Vibrionaceae are a family of Proteobacteria, given their own order. Inhabitants of fresh or salt water, several species are pathogenic, including the type species Vibrio cholerae, which is the agent responsible for cholera. Of particular note, most bioluminescent bacteria belong to this family, and are typically found as symbiotes of deep-sea animals.

Vibrionaceae are Gram-negative organisms and facultative anaerobes, capable of fermentation. They contain oxidase and have one or more flagella, which are generally polar. Originally these characteristics defined the family, which was divided into four genera. Two of these, Vibrio and Photobacterium, correspond to the modern group, although several new genera have been defined. Genetic studies have shown the other two original members&mdash;Aeromonas and Plesiomonas&mdash;belong to separate families. The family Vibrionaceae currently comprises 5 validly published genera: Moritella, Enterovibrio, Grimontia, Photobacterium and Vibrio.

Members of this family also synthesize Tetrodotoxin, an ancient marine alkaloid and powerful neurotoxin (Na+ pump inhibitor, 1 mg can kill an adult) that serves to protect members of the Tetraodontiformes (tetras-four and odontos-tooth), which include the Puffer Fish (see fugu, raw puffer fish served in Japan). As mentioned above, Vibrionacea bacteria are in symbiosis with many marine organisms. In the case of the Puffer fish, and other marine organisms harboring TTX producing Vibrionaceae, the symbiosis is an ancient and powerful one, providing protection against predation for the marine organisms that harbor these bacteria, while providing the bacteria a protected environment with plenty of nutrients for growth. TTX and Saxitoxin provide one of the most spectacular examples of convergenct biochemical evolution, both toxins are extremely toxic at low levels, both are Na+ pump inhibitors and both have nearly identical binding constants on the Na+ pump in neurons.