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Table 1 The features of 3 different types of bacterial predators

From: Bradymonabacteria, a novel bacterial predator group with versatile survival strategies in saline environments

Current predator type

Redefined predator type

Prey dependent/independent

Metabolic pathway deficiencies

Pure-culture cultivable

Storing nutrients as polymers

Predation strategy

Predation specificity

Obligate

Obligate

Completely prey-dependent

High

Extremely difficult

None

Contact-dependent

Gram-negative

Bradymonabacteria

Facultative

Facultatively prey-dependent

High

Difficult

Polyhydroxyalkanoates, polyphosphate, and alkanes

Contact-dependent

Gram-negative and Gram-positive

Facultative

Opportunistic

Prey-independent

Low

Normal

Polyphosphatea

Mostly contact-independent

Gram-negative and Gram-positive

  1. aA polyphosphate accumulation pathway was found in genomes but not determined by experiments