coliform bacteria live in the digestive tract, specifically in the intestinal system of
people and animals.
15.2 Antibiosis: Reciprocal Versus Unilateral
The term “antibiosis” was first used in 1889 by the French mycologist Jean Paul
Vuillemin, then director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the Medical faculty,
University of Nancy (France). His definition of the term was “one being destroys
another one in order to preserve its own.” Vuillemin defined antibiosis in a wider
biological context which at first did not even include microorganisms, just plants and
animals. In his assessment of antibiosis, H. Marshal Ward (1899) defined antibiosis
as a phenomenon whereby in an association of two organisms one of them damages
the other. Later, in 1928, Georges Papacostas and Jean Gaté (1928) defined antibiosis in the following manner: “...when we consider an association of two microbes, it
always involves an inhibition, either a reciprocal one, or a unilateral ....” Howard H.
M. Bowman valuably presented a review of the literature on antibiosis in 1947
(Bowman 1947).
15.3 Amensalism Alias Allelopathy
The term allelopathy, a synonym to amensalism, dates back to Hans Molische
(1937). A typical example of amensalism is the biosynthesis of antibiotics which
represents a pronounced antagonistic influence upon microbial species. In 1970,
William L. Brown with coworkers proposed the term allomons for allelopathic
substances (Brown et al. 1970).
Amensalism represents a relationship between organisms of a microbial community in which a specific microbe, the so called inhibitor, produces or releases a
specific substance (or substances) which suppresses either the growth or some
metabolic activity of another organism. For example, organotrophic
(chemoorganotrophic) organisms are sensitive to NH 3 . Similarly, microbial alkalinization of the environment may negatively affect some microbial species.
In nature, an accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) occurs exclusively in
anaerobic environments. Proteins as well as amino acids represent the source of
H 2 S. Also, in nature, desulfurization bacteria reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. In
general, these processes take place in the muddy bottoms of ponds and water
reservoirs, but they also occur during the process of biological decontamination of
wastewaters or in the digestive tract of animals. Sensitive microorganisms can be
negatively affected by the presence of H 2 S and that can change the species composition of microorganisms inside the digestive system of animals.
Other microorganisms can form hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), when even low H 2 O 2
concentrations may be bacteriostatic. Yet other bacteria may synthetize both organic
15 Microscopic World and the Phenomenon of Symbiosis in the Natural Environment
247
people and animals.
15.2 Antibiosis: Reciprocal Versus Unilateral
The term “antibiosis” was first used in 1889 by the French mycologist Jean Paul
Vuillemin, then director of the Museum of Natural Sciences of the Medical faculty,
University of Nancy (France). His definition of the term was “one being destroys
another one in order to preserve its own.” Vuillemin defined antibiosis in a wider
biological context which at first did not even include microorganisms, just plants and
animals. In his assessment of antibiosis, H. Marshal Ward (1899) defined antibiosis
as a phenomenon whereby in an association of two organisms one of them damages
the other. Later, in 1928, Georges Papacostas and Jean Gaté (1928) defined antibiosis in the following manner: “...when we consider an association of two microbes, it
always involves an inhibition, either a reciprocal one, or a unilateral ....” Howard H.
M. Bowman valuably presented a review of the literature on antibiosis in 1947
(Bowman 1947).
15.3 Amensalism Alias Allelopathy
The term allelopathy, a synonym to amensalism, dates back to Hans Molische
(1937). A typical example of amensalism is the biosynthesis of antibiotics which
represents a pronounced antagonistic influence upon microbial species. In 1970,
William L. Brown with coworkers proposed the term allomons for allelopathic
substances (Brown et al. 1970).
Amensalism represents a relationship between organisms of a microbial community in which a specific microbe, the so called inhibitor, produces or releases a
specific substance (or substances) which suppresses either the growth or some
metabolic activity of another organism. For example, organotrophic
(chemoorganotrophic) organisms are sensitive to NH 3 . Similarly, microbial alkalinization of the environment may negatively affect some microbial species.
In nature, an accumulation of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) occurs exclusively in
anaerobic environments. Proteins as well as amino acids represent the source of
H 2 S. Also, in nature, desulfurization bacteria reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. In
general, these processes take place in the muddy bottoms of ponds and water
reservoirs, but they also occur during the process of biological decontamination of
wastewaters or in the digestive tract of animals. Sensitive microorganisms can be
negatively affected by the presence of H 2 S and that can change the species composition of microorganisms inside the digestive system of animals.
Other microorganisms can form hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), when even low H 2 O 2
concentrations may be bacteriostatic. Yet other bacteria may synthetize both organic
15 Microscopic World and the Phenomenon of Symbiosis in the Natural Environment
247