Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – per se ; compositions thereof; proces of... – Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-17
2001-02-27
Scheiner, Laurie (Department: 1641)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, per se ; compositions thereof; proces of...
Bacteria or actinomycetales; media therefor
C435S267000, C435S876000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194194
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for controlling Dreissena species, including, but not limited to, zebra (
D. polymorpha
) and quagga (
D. bugensis
) mussels, by use of a toxin-producing microorganism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Zebra mussels are small molluses of the Dreissena genus native to European water bodies and have recently been detected in large numbers in North America.
The spread of Dreissena species is of great concern to municipal, utility, and environmental interests because of the propensity of these species to form thick colonies. The formation of these colonies can have many effects, such as, for example, occluding structures such as water intake pipes, thus reducing the volume of water delivered, and degrading water quality and purity. Widespread unchecked colonization of Dreissena therefore threatens the operation of such industries as power plants, which rely on raw water for operation. In addition, Dreissena species kill many native bivalves such as unionid mussels, and the like, as well as consume ecologically important microscopic plankton.
Mechanical removal of the colonies is difficult and costly. Filtration of large volumes of intake water is impractical considering the small size (40 to 290 microns) of the colonizing larvae. Thermal or chemical treatment (e.g. hot water or chlorine) of intake water can be effective, but may have undesirable environmental consequences in some large-scale operations. Regulatory agencies continue to warn industries that continued long-term use of chemical and thermal control methods will be limited. A practical and economical method that reduces Dreissena colonization without adverse environmental impacts is therefore highly desirable.
The use of microorganisms such as bacteria or their chemical products to control pest populations is well known in the art.
Bacillus thuringiensis
varieties, for example, have been used for many years as a commercial insecticide for lepidopteran pests. More recently, additional strains of
B. thuringiensis
have been discovered which have specificity for an expanded range of pest populations, including, for example, mosquitoes, black flies, beetles, and the like.
Another bacterium,
Serratia liquefaciens,
has been shown to be lethal to zebra mussels (Toews et al.,
Can J Zool.,
Vol. 71, 1763 (1993)). To date, however, there has been no recognition of a strain of Pseudomonas that has a demonstrated ability to specifically control Dreissena species.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a
Pseudomonas fluorescens
biotype A (American Type Culture Collection Project Report SC3738 Bacterial Characterization; biotype A as follows Stanier, J.,
Gen. Microbiol.,
Vol. 43, 159 (1966)) isolate CL0145A, hereinafter, “ATCC 55799,” that is toxic to Dreissena and can therefore be used to control them.
In another embodiment of the present invention, variants of the
Pseudomonas fluorescens
isolate that have substantially the same molluscicidal properties as the isolate can also be used to control Dreissena species. Such variants can include, but are not limited to, mutants, whether spontaneously occuring or that are induced chemically or by other means well known in the art. Spontaneous mutant strains of an organism can arise naturally, as the cells in the organism divide and proliferate. Each time a cell divides, there is a small probability of an inheritable change in the DNA (ie., an alteration in a particular amino acid sequence of a protein within the DNA chain) of the organisim and such changes, unless lethal to the organism, will give rise to a mutant strain of the organism. In addition, it is often desired to deliberately introduce or induce a particular mutation into an organism, in an attempt to produce an improved strain having the characteristic associated with the mutation. Induced mutations may be achieved by such means known in the art as UV radiation, ionizing radiation, or chemicals such as nitric acid.
In addition, organisms other than the exemplified
Pseudomonas fluorescens
isolate into which the Dreissena toxin-producing genes of the isolate have been transferred, such as, for example, by transduction, transformation or other genetic engineering means, wherein the genetically engineered organism achieves the same molluscicidal properties as the isolate, can also be used to control Dreissena.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, organisms other than the exemplified
Pseudomonas fluorescens
isolate, which have he toxin-producing characteristics of Pseudomonas ATCC 55799, can also be used to control Dreissena species.
The present invention also includes a method for controlling Dreissena species by using one or more of the ATCC 55799 strain itself, variants or mutants of the ATCC 55799 strain, fragments and toxins of the ATCC 55799 strain that retain pathogenicity to Dreissena, organisms into which the ATCC 55799 strain toxin-producing genes have been genetically transferred, and organisms other than the ATCC 55799 strain which have the toxin-producing characteristics of the ATCC 55799 strain.
REFERENCES:
“Helminth and protist parasites of zebra mussels, Dreissen polymorpha (Pallas, 1771), in the Great Lakes region region of southwestern Ontario, with comments on associated bacteria,” by Sheila Toews, Beverly-Burton, and Tara Lawrimore; Can. J. Zool., vol. 71 (1993), pp. 1762-1766.
Heslin & Rothenberg, P.C.
Scheiner Laurie
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