Comparative analysis of two classes of quorum-sensing signaling systems that control production of extracellular proteins and secondary metabolites in Erwinia carotovora subspecies

Computer-Aided Rational Engineering of Signal Sensitivity of Quorum Sensing Protein LuxR in a Whole-Cell Biosensor

LuxR, a bacterial quorum sensing-related transcription factor that responds to the signaling molecule 3-oxo-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone (3OC6-HSL). In this study, we employed molecular dynamics simulation and the Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GB/SA) method to rationally identify residues in Vibrio fischeri LuxR that are important for its interaction with 3OC6-HSL. Isoleucine-46 was selected for engineering as the key residue for interaction with 3OC6-HSL-LuxR-I46F would have the strongest binding energy to 3OC6-HSL and LuxR-I46R the weakest binding energy. Stable wild-type (WT) LuxR, I46F and I46R variants were produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the absence of 3OC6-HSL by fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP). Dissociation constants for 3OC6-HSL from MBP-fusions of WT-, I46F- and I46R-LuxR determined by surface plasmon resonance confirmed the binding affinity. We designed and constructed a novel whole-cell biosensor on the basis of LuxR-I46F in E. coli host cells with a reporting module that expressed green fluorescent protein. The biosensor had high sensitivity in response to the signaling molecule 3OC6-HSL produced by the target bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis. Our work demonstrates a practical, generalizable framework for the rational design and adjustment of LuxR-family proteins for use in bioengineering and bioelectronics applications.

Interkingdom Signaling Interference: The Effect of Plant-Derived Small Molecules on Quorum Sensing in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

In the battle between bacteria and plants, bacteria often use a population density-dependent regulatory system known as quorum sensing (QS) to coordinate virulence gene expression. In response, plants use innate and induced defense mechanisms that include low-molecular-weight compounds, some of which serve as antivirulence agents by interfering with the QS machinery. The best-characterized QS system is driven by the autoinducer N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), which is produced by AHL synthases (LuxI homologs) and perceived by response regulators (LuxR homologs). Several plant compounds have been shown to directly inhibit LuxI or LuxR. Gaining atomic-level insight into their mode of action and how they interfere with QS enzymes supports the identification and design of novel QS inhibitors.Such information can be gained by combining experimental work with molecular modeling and docking simulations. The summary of these findings shows that plant-derived compounds act as interkingdom cues and that these allomones specifically target bacterial communication systems.

Phloretin, an Apple Phytoalexin, Affects the Virulence and Fitness of Pectobacterium brasiliense by Interfering With Quorum-Sensing

The effects of phloretin a phytoalexin from apple, was tested on Pectobacterium brasiliense (Pb1692), an emerging soft-rot pathogen of potato. Exposure of Pb1692 to 0.2 mM phloretin a concentration that does not affect growth, or to 0.4 mM a 50% growth inhibiting concentration (50% MIC), reduced motility, biofilm formation, secretion of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, production of acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling molecules and infection, phenotypes that are associated with bacterial population density-dependent system known as quorum sensing (QS). To analyze the effect of growth inhibition on QS, the activity of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic that impairs cell division, was compared to that of phloretin at 50% MIC. Unlike phloretin, the antibiotic hardly affected the tested phenotypes. The use of DH5α, a QS-negative Escherichia coli strain, transformed with an AHL synthase (ExpI) from Pb1692, allowed to validate direct inhibition of AHL production by phloretin, as demonstrated by two biosensor strains, Chromobacterium violaceaum (CV026) and E. coli (pSB401). Expression analysis of virulence-related genes revealed downregulation of QS-regulated genes (expI, expR, luxS, rsmB), plant cell wall degrading enzymes genes (pel, peh and prt) and motility genes (motA, fim, fliA, flhC and flhD) following exposure to both phloretin concentrations. The results support the inhibition of ExpI activity by phloretin. Docking simulations were used to predict the molecular associations between phloretin and the active site of ExpI, to suggest a likely mode of action for the compound's inhibition of virulence.

Erwinia carotovora Quorum Sensing System Regulates Host-Specific Virulence Factors and Development Delay in Drosophila melanogaster

Integration of genetic networks allows bacteria to rapidly adapt to changing environments. This is particularly important in bacteria that interact with multiple hosts. Erwinia carotovora is a plant pathogen that uses Drosophila melanogaster as a vector. To interact with these two hosts, Ecc15 uses different sets of virulence factors: plant cell wall-degrading enzymes to infect plants and the Erwinia virulence factor (evf) to infect Drosophila. Our work shows that, despite the virulence factors being specific for each host, both sets are coactivated by homoserine lactone quorum sensing and by the two-component GacS/A system in infected plants. This regulation is essential for Ecc15 loads in the gut of Drosophila and minimizes the developmental delay caused by the bacteria with respect to the insect vector. Our findings provide evidence that coactivation of the host-specific factors in the plant may function as a predictive mechanism to maximize the probability of transit of the bacteria between hosts.

Multihost bacteria have to rapidly adapt to drastic environmental changes, relying on a fine integration of multiple stimuli for an optimal genetic response. Erwinia carotovora spp. are phytopathogens that cause soft-rot disease. Strain Ecc15 in particular is a model for bacterial oral-route infection in Drosophila melanogaster as it harbors a unique gene, evf, that encodes the Erwinia virulence factor (Evf), which is a major determinant for infection of the D. melanogaster gut. However, the factors involved in the regulation of evf expression are poorly understood. We investigated whether evf could be controlled by quorum sensing as, in the Erwinia genus, quorum sensing regulates pectolytic enzymes, the major virulence factors needed to infect plants. Here, we show that transcription of evf is positively regulated by quorum sensing in Ecc15 via acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal synthase ExpI and AHL receptors ExpR1 and ExpR2. We also show that the load of Ecc15 in the gut depends upon the quorum sensing-mediated regulation of evf. Furthermore, we demonstrate that larvae infected with Ecc15 suffer a developmental delay as a direct consequence of the regulation of evf via quorum sensing. Finally, we demonstrate that evf is coexpressed with plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDE) during plant infection in a quorum sensing-dependent manner. Overall, our results show that Ecc15 relies on quorum sensing to control production of both pectolytic enzymes and Evf. This regulation influences the interaction of Ecc15 with its two known hosts, indicating that quorum sensing signaling may impact bacterial dissemination via insect vectors that feed on rotting plants.

The Presence of Plant-Associated Bacteria Alters Responses to N-acyl Homoserine Lactone Quorum Sensing Signals that Modulate Nodulation in Medicago Truncatula

Bacteria use quorum sensing signaling for cell-to-cell communication, which is also important for their interactions with plant hosts. Quorum sensing via N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) is important for successful symbioses between legumes and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. Previous studies have shown that plant hosts can recognize and respond to AHLs. Here, we tested whether the response of the model legume Medicago truncatula to AHLs from its symbiont and other bacteria could be modulated by the abundance and composition of plant-associated microbial communities. Temporary antibiotic treatment of the seeds removed the majority of bacterial taxa associated with M. truncatula roots and significantly altered the effect of AHLs on nodule numbers, but lateral root density, biomass, and root length responses were much less affected. The AHL 3-oxo-C₁₄-HSL (homoserine lactone) specifically increased nodule numbers but only after the treatment of seeds with antibiotics. This increase was associated with increased expression of the early nodulation genes RIP1 and ENOD11 at 24 h after infection. A 454 pyrosequencing analysis of the plant-associated bacteria showed that antibiotic treatment had the biggest effect on bacterial community composition. However, we also found distinct effects of 3-oxo-C₁₄-HSL on the abundance of specific bacterial taxa. Our results revealed a complex interaction between plants and their associated microbiome that could modify plant responses to AHLs.

Genetic and Biochemical Diversity for N-acylhomoserine Lactone Biosynthesis in the Plant Pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum

The plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) regulates the expression of virulence factors by N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated quorum sensing. The LuxI family protein, ExpI, catalyzes AHL biosynthesis in Pcc. The structure of the predominant AHL produced by ExpI differs among Pcc strains, which may be divided into two quorum-sensing classes (QS classes) based on the AHL produced. In the present study, AHL produced by 282 Pcc strains were extracted and identified by LC-MS/MS. Seventy Pcc strains produced N-(3-oxooctanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C8-HSL) as the predominant AHL and were categorized into QS class I. Two hundred Pcc strains produced N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) as the predominant AHL, and were categorized into QS class II-1. Twelve Pcc strains produced only small amounts of 3-oxo-C6-HSL, and were categorized into QS class II-2. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the amino acid sequences of ExpI may be divided into two major clades (I and II). The Pcc strains categorized into ExpI clades I and II entirely matched QS classes I and II, respectively. A multiple alignment analysis demonstrated that only 6 amino acid substitutions were observed among ExpI from QS classes II-1 and II-2. Furthermore, many amino acid substitutions between QS classes I and II were concentrated at the C-terminal region. These amino acid substitutions are assumed to cause significant reductions in 3-oxo-C6-HSL in QS class II-2 or affect the substrate specificity of ExpI between QS classes I and II.

Comparative genomic analysis of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliense SX309 provides novel insights into its genetic and phenotypic features

Background

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. brasiliense is a broad host range bacterial pathogen, which causes blackleg of potatoes and bacterial soft rot of vegetables worldwide. Production of plant cell wall degrading enzymes is usually critical for Pectobacterium infection. However, other virulence factors and the mechanisms of genetic adaptation still need to be studied in detail.

Results

In this study, the complete genome of P. carotovorum subsp. brasiliense strain SX309 isolated from cucumber was compared with eight other pathogenic bacteria belonging to the Pectobacterium genus, which were isolated from various host plants. Genome comparison revealed that most virulence genes are highly conserved in the Pectobacterium strains, especially for the key virulence determinants involved in the biosynthesis of extracellular enzymes and others including the type II and III secretion systems, quorum sensing system, flagellar and chemotactic genes. Nevertheless, some variable regions of the T6SS and the CRISP-Cas immune system are unique for P. carotovorum subsp. brasiliense.

Conclusions

The extensive comparative genomics analysis revealed highly conserved virulence genes in the Pectobacterium strains. However, several variable regions of type VI secretion system and two subtype Cas mechanism-Cas immune systems possibly contribute to the process of Pectobacterium infection and adaptive immunity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5831-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Signal Integration in Quorum Sensing Enables Cross-Species Induction of Virulence in Pectobacterium wasabiae

Bacterial communities can sense their neighbors, regulating group behaviors in response to cell density and environmental changes. The diversity of signaling networks in a single species has been postulated to allow custom responses to different stimuli; however, little is known about how multiple signals are integrated and the implications of this integration in different ecological contexts. In the plant pathogen Pectobacterium wasabiae (formerly Erwinia carotovora), two signaling networks-the N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum-sensing system and the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway-control the expression of secreted plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, its major virulence determinants. We show that the AHL system controls the Gac/Rsm system by affecting the expression of the regulatory RNA RsmB. This regulation is mediated by ExpR2, the quorum-sensing receptor that responds to the P. wasabiae cognate AHL but also to AHLs produced by other bacterial species. As a consequence, this level of regulation allows P. wasabiae to bypass the Gac-dependent regulation of RsmB in the presence of exogenous AHLs or AHL-producing bacteria. We provide in vivo evidence that this pivotal role of RsmB in signal transduction is important for the ability of P. wasabiae to induce virulence in response to other AHL-producing bacteria in multispecies plant lesions. Our results suggest that the signaling architecture in P. wasabiae was coopted to prime the bacteria to eavesdrop on other bacteria and quickly join the efforts of other species, which are already exploiting host resources.IMPORTANCE Quorum-sensing mechanisms enable bacteria to communicate through small signal molecules and coordinate group behaviors. Often, bacteria have various quorum-sensing receptors and integrate information with other signal transduction pathways, presumably allowing them to respond to different ecological contexts. The plant pathogen Pectobacterium wasabiae has two N-acyl homoserine lactone receptors with apparently the same regulatory functions. Our work revealed that the receptor with the broadest signal specificity is also responsible for establishing the link between the main signaling pathways regulating virulence in P. wasabiae This link is essential to provide P. wasabiae with the ability to induce virulence earlier in response to higher densities of other bacterial species. We further present in vivo evidence that this novel regulatory link enables P. wasabiae to join related bacteria in the effort to degrade host tissue in multispecies plant lesions. Our work provides support for the hypothesis that interspecies interactions are among the major factors influencing the network architectures observed in bacterial quorum-sensing pathways.

A quorum sensing-defective mutant of Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. brasiliense 1692 is attenuated in virulence and unable to occlude xylem tissue of susceptible potato plant stems

Pectobacterium carotovorum ssp. brasiliense 1692 (Pcb1692) is an important emerging pathogen of potatoes causing blackleg in the field and soft rot during post-harvest storage. Blackleg diseases involve the bacterial colonization of vascular tissue and the formation of aggregates, also known as biofilms. To understand the role of quorum sensing in vascular colonization by Pcb1692, we generated a Pcb1692ΔexpI mutant strain. Inactivation of expI led to the reduced production of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), the inability to produce acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) and reduced virulence in potato tubers and stems. Complementation of the mutant strain with the wild-type expI gene in trans successfully restored AHL and PCWDE production as well as virulence. Transmission electron microscopy and in vitro motility assays demonstrated hyperpiliation and loss of flagella and swimming motility in the mutant strain compared with the wild-type Pcb1692. Furthermore, we noted that, in the early stages of infection, Pcb1692 wild-type cells had intact flagella which were shed at the later stages of infection. Confocal laser microscopy of PcbΔexpI-inoculated plants showed that the mutant strain tended to aggregate in intercellular spaces, but was unable to transit to xylem tissue. On the contrary, the wild-type strain was often observed forming aggregates within xylem tissue of potato stems. Gene expression analyses confirmed that flagella are part of the quorum sensing regulon, whereas fimbriae and pili appear to be negatively regulated by quorum sensing. The relative expression levels of other important putative virulence genes, such as those encoding different groups of PCWDEs, were down-regulated in the mutant compared with the wild-type strain.

The biological effect of metal ions on the granulation of aerobic granular activated sludge

As a special biofilm structure, microbial attachment is believed to play an important role in the granulation of aerobic granular activated sludge (AGAS). This experiment was to investigate the biological effect of Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(2+), Zn(2+), and K(+) which are the most common ions present in biological wastewater treatment systems, on the microbial attachment of AGAS and flocculent activated sludge (FAS), from which AGAS is always derived, in order to provide a new strategy for the rapid cultivation and stability control of AGAS. The result showed that attachment biomass of AGAS was about 300% higher than that of FAS without the addition of metal ions. Different metal ions had different effects on the process of microbial attachment. FAS and AGAS reacted differently to the metal ions as well, and in fact, AGAS was more sensitive to the metal ions. Specifically, Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and K(+) could increase the microbial attachment ability of both AGAS and FAS under appropriate concentrations, Cu(2+), Fe(2+), and Zn(2+) were also beneficial to the microbial attachment of FAS at low concentrations, but Cu(2+), Fe(2+), and Zn(2+) greatly inhibited the attachment process of AGAS even at extremely low concentrations. In addition, the acylated homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing system, the content of extracellular polymeric substances and the relative hydrophobicity of the sludges were greatly influenced by metal ions. As all these parameters had close relationships with the microbial attachment process, the microbial attachment may be affected by changes of these parameters.

Plant phenolic acids affect the virulence of Pectobacterium aroidearum and P. carotovorum ssp. brasiliense via quorum sensing regulation

Several studies have reported effects of the plant phenolic acids cinnamic acid (CA) and salicylic acid (SA) on the virulence of soft rot enterobacteria. However, the mechanisms involved in these processes are not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated whether CA and SA interfere with the quorum sensing (QS) system of two Pectobacterium species, P. aroidearum and P. carotovorum ssp. brasiliense, which are known to produce N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) QS signals. Our results clearly indicate that both phenolic compounds affect the QS machinery of the two species, consequently altering the expression of bacterial virulence factors. Although, in control treatments, the expression of QS-related genes increased over time, the exposure of bacteria to non-lethal concentrations of CA or SA inhibited the expression of QS genes, including expI, expR, PC1_1442 (luxR transcriptional regulator) and luxS (a component of the AI-2 system). Other virulence genes known to be regulated by the QS system, such as pecS, pel, peh and yheO, were also down-regulated relative to the control. In agreement with the low levels of expression of expI and expR, CA and SA also reduced the level of the AHL signal. The effects of CA and SA on AHL signalling were confirmed in compensation assays, in which exogenous application of N-(β-ketocaproyl)-l-homoserine lactone (eAHL) led to the recovery of the reduction in virulence caused by the two phenolic acids. Collectively, the results of gene expression studies, bioluminescence assays, virulence assays and compensation assays with eAHL clearly support a mechanism by which CA and SA interfere with Pectobacterium virulence via the QS machinery.

Regulation of bacterial virulence by Csr (Rsm) systems

Most bacterial pathogens have the remarkable ability to flourish in the external environment and in specialized host niches. This ability requires their metabolism, physiology, and virulence factors to be responsive to changes in their surroundings. It is no surprise that the underlying genetic circuitry that supports this adaptability is multilayered and exceedingly complex. Studies over the past 2 decades have established that the CsrA/RsmA proteins, global regulators of posttranscriptional gene expression, play important roles in the expression of virulence factors of numerous proteobacterial pathogens. To accomplish these tasks, CsrA binds to the 5' untranslated and/or early coding regions of mRNAs and alters translation, mRNA turnover, and/or transcript elongation. CsrA activity is regulated by noncoding small RNAs (sRNAs) that contain multiple CsrA binding sites, which permit them to sequester multiple CsrA homodimers away from mRNA targets. Environmental cues sensed by two-component signal transduction systems and other regulatory factors govern the expression of the CsrA-binding sRNAs and, ultimately, the effects of CsrA on secretion systems, surface molecules and biofilm formation, quorum sensing, motility, pigmentation, siderophore production, and phagocytic avoidance. This review presents the workings of the Csr system, the paradigm shift that it generated for understanding posttranscriptional regulation, and its roles in virulence networks of animal and plant pathogens.

Genome Sequence of the Pectobacterium atrosepticum Strain CFBP6276, Causing Blackleg and Soft Rot Diseases on Potato Plants and Tubers

Pectobacterium atrosepticum strain CFBP6276 is a pectinolytic enterobacterium causing blackleg and soft rot of the stem and tuber of Solanum tuberosum. Its virulence is under the control of quorum sensing, with N-acylhomoserine lactones as communication signals. Here, we report the genome sequence of P. atrosepticum strain CFBP6276.

Quorum sensing signaling molecules produced by reference and emerging soft-rot bacteria (Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp.)

Background

Several small diffusible molecules are involved in bacterial quorum sensing and virulence. The production of autoinducers-1 and -2, quinolone, indole and γ-amino butyrate signaling molecules was investigated in a set of soft-rot bacteria belonging to six Dickeya or Pectobacterium species including recent or emerging potato isolates.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Using bacterial biosensors, immunoassay, and chromatographic analysis, we showed that soft-rot bacteria have the common ability to produce transiently during their exponential phase of growth the N-3-oxo-hexanoyl- or the N-3-oxo-octanoyl-l-homoserine lactones and a molecule of the autoinducer-2 family. Dickeya spp. produced in addition the indole-3-acetic acid in tryptophan-rich conditions. All these signaling molecules have been identified for the first time in the novel Dickeya solani species. In contrast, quinolone and γ-amino butyrate signals were not identified and the corresponding synthases are not present in the available genomes of soft-rot bacteria. To determine if the variations of signal production according to growth phase could result from expression modifications of the corresponding synthase gene, the respective mRNA levels were estimated by reverse transcriptase-PCR. While the N-acyl-homoserine lactone production is systematically correlated to the synthase expression, that of the autoinducer-2 follows the expression of an enzyme upstream in the activated methyl cycle and providing its precursor, rather than the expression of its own synthase.

Conclusions/Significance

Despite sharing the S-adenosylmethionine precursor, no strong link was detected between the production kinetics or metabolic pathways of autoinducers-1 and -2. In contrast, the signaling pathway of autoinducer-2 seems to be switched off by the indole-3-acetic acid pathway under tryptophan control. It therefore appears that the two genera of soft-rot bacteria have similarities but also differences in the mechanisms of communication via the diffusible molecules. Our results designate autoinducer-1 lactones as the main targets for a global biocontrol of soft-rot bacteria communications, including those of emerging isolates.

N-acyl homoserine lactones in diverse Pectobacterium and Dickeya plant pathogens: diversity, abundance, and involvement in virulence

Soft-rot bacteria Pectobacterium and Dickeya use N-acyl homoserine lactones (NAHSLs) as diffusible signals for coordinating quorum sensing communication. The production of NAHSLs was investigated in a set of reference strains and recently-collected isolates, which belong to six species and share the ability to infect the potato host plant. All the pathogens produced different NAHSLs, among which the 3-oxo-hexanoyl- and the 3-oxo-octanoyl-l-homoserine lactones represent at least 90% of total produced NAHSL-amounts. The level of NAHSLs varied from 0.6 to 2 pg/cfu. The involvement of NAHSLs in tuber maceration was investigated by electroporating a quorum quenching vector in each of the bacterial pathogen strains. All the NAHSL-lactonase expressing strains produced a lower amount of NAHSLs as compared to those harboring the empty vector. Moreover, all except Dickeya dadantii 3937 induced a lower level of symptoms in potato tuber assay. Noticeably, aggressiveness appeared to be independent of both nature and amount of produced signals. This work highlights that quorum sensing similarly contributed to virulence in most of the tested Pectobacterium and Dickeya, even the strains had been isolated recently or during the past decades. Thus, these key regulatory-molecules appear as credible targets for developing anti-virulence strategies against these plant pathogens.

Quorum sensing and expression of virulence in pectobacteria

Quorum sensing (QS) is a population density-dependent regulatory mechanism in which gene expression is coupled to the accumulation of a chemical signaling molecule. QS systems are widespread among the plant soft-rotting bacteria. In Pectobacterium carotovorum, at least two QS systems exist being specified by the nature of chemical signals involved. QS in Pectobacterium carotovorum uses N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) based, as well as autoinducer-2 (AI-2) dependent signaling systems. This review will address the importance of the QS in production of virulence factors and interaction of QS with other regulatory systems in Pectobacterium carotovorum.

Attenuation of virulence in pathogenic bacteria using synthetic quorum-sensing modulators under native conditions on plant hosts

Quorum sensing (QS) is often critical in both pathogenic and mutualistic relationships between bacteria and their eukaryotic hosts. Gram-negative bacteria typically use N-acylated l-homoserine lactone (AHL) signals for QS. We have identified a number of synthetic AHL analogues that are able to strongly modulate QS in culture-based, reporter gene assays. While informative, these assays represent idealized systems, and their relevance to QS under native conditions is often unclear. As one of our goals is to utilize synthetic QS modulators to study bacterial communication under native conditions, identifying robust host-bacteria model systems for their evaluation is crucial. We reasoned that the host-pathogen interaction between Solanum tuberosum (potato) and the Gram-negative pathogen Pectobacterium carotovora would be ideal for such studies as we have identified several potent, synthetic QS modulators for this pathogen, and infection assays in potato are facile. Herein, we report on our development of this host-pathogen system, and another in Phaseolus vulgaris (green bean), as a means for monitoring the ability of abiotic AHLs to modulate QS-regulated virulence in host infection assays. Our assays confirmed that QS modulators previously identified through culture-based assays largely retained their activity profiles when introduced into the plant host. However, inhibition of virulence in wild-type infections was highly dependent on the timing of compound dosing. This study is the first to demonstrate that our AHL analogues are active in wild-type bacteria in their native eukaryotic hosts and provides compelling evidence for the application of these molecules as probes to study QS in a range of organisms and environments.

Transgenic plants expressing the quorum quenching lactonase AttM do not significantly alter root-associated bacterial populations

The possible impact of genetically engineered plants that degrade the quorum sensing (QS) signal of the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum was evaluated on non-target plant-associated bacterial populations and communities using Nicotiana tabacum lines expressing the lactonase AttM that degrades QS signals (AttM), and the wild type (WT) parent line. Cell densities of total culturable bacteria and those of selected populations (pseudomonads, agrobacteria) isolated from plant rhizospheres and rhizoplanes were comparable whatever the genotype of the plants (AttM or WT). Similarly, cell densities of members of the bacterial communities relying upon acyl-homoserine-lactones (AHLs) to communicate, or naturally degrading AHL signals, were identical and independent of plant genotype. Bacterial populations isolated from the two plant genotypes were also analyzed irrespective of their culturability status. DGGE analyses targeting the rrs gene (16S rRNA gene) did not reveal any significant differences within these populations. All these data indicate that bacterial population changes that could have resulted from the genetic modification of the plants are non-existent or very limited, as no changes linked to the plant genotype were observed.

Social conflict drives the evolutionary divergence of quorum sensing

In microbial "quorum sensing" (QS) communication systems, microbes produce and respond to a signaling molecule, enabling a cooperative response at high cell densities. Many species of bacteria show fast, intraspecific, evolutionary divergence of their QS pathway specificity--signaling molecules activate cognate receptors in the same strain but fail to activate, and sometimes inhibit, those of other strains. Despite many molecular studies, it has remained unclear how a signaling molecule and receptor can coevolve, what maintains diversity, and what drives the evolution of cross-inhibition. Here I use mathematical analysis to show that when QS controls the production of extracellular enzymes--"public goods"--diversification can readily evolve. Coevolution is positively selected by cycles of alternating "cheating" receptor mutations and "cheating immunity" signaling mutations. The maintenance of diversity and the evolution of cross-inhibition between strains are facilitated by facultative cheating between the competing strains. My results suggest a role for complex social strategies in the long-term evolution of QS systems. More generally, my model of QS divergence suggests a form of kin recognition where different kin types coexist in unstructured populations.

Quorum sensing in bacterial species that use degenerate autoinducers can be tuned by using structurally identical non-native ligands

Many bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to regulate cell-density dependent phenotypes that play critical roles in the maintenance of their associations with eukaryotic hosts. In Gram-negative bacteria, QS is primarily controlled by N-acylated L-homoserine lactone (AHL) signals and their cognate LuxR-type receptors. AHL-LuxR-type receptor binding regulates the expression of target genes necessary for QS phenotypes. We recently identified a series of non-native AHLs capable of intercepting AHL-LuxR binding in the marine symbiont Vibrio fischeri, and thereby strongly promoting or inhibiting QS in this organism. V. fischeri utilizes N-(3-oxo)-hexanoyl L-HL (OHHL) as its primary QS signal, and OHHL is also used by several other bacterial species for QS. Such signal degeneracy is common among bacteria, and we sought to determine if our non-native LuxR agonists and antagonists, which are active in V. fischeri, would also modulate QS phenotypes in other bacteria that use OHHL. Herein, we report investigations into the activity of a set of synthetic LuxR modulators in the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovora subsp. carotovora Ecc71. This pathogen uses OHHL and two closely related LuxR-type receptors, ExpR1 and ExpR2, to control virulence, and we evaluated their responses to synthetic ligands by quantifying virulence factor production. Our results suggest an overall conservation in the activity trends of the ligands between the ExpR receptors in P. carotovora Ecc71 and LuxR in V. fischeri, and indicate that these compounds could be used as tools to study QS in an expanded set of bacteria. Notable differences in activity were apparent for certain compounds, however, and suggest that it might be possible to selectively regulate QS in bacteria that utilize degenerate AHLs.

LuxR-type quorum-sensing regulators that are detached from common scents

The ability of LuxR-type proteins to regulate transcription is controlled by bacterial pheromones, N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs). Most LuxR-family proteins require their cognate AHLs for activity, and at least some of them require AHLs for folding and protease resistance. However, a few members of this family are able to fold, dimerize, bind DNA, and regulate transcription in the absence of AHLs; moreover, these proteins are antagonized by their cognate AHLs. Complexes between some of these proteins and their DNA binding sites are disrupted by AHLs in vitro. All such proteins are fairly closely related within the larger LuxR family, indicating that they share a relatively recent common ancestor. The 3' ends of the genes encoding these receptors invariably overlap with the 3' ends of the cognate AHL synthase genes, suggesting additional antagonism at the level of mRNA synthesis, stability or translation.

Quorum sensing and bacterial biofilms

This review describes the chemistry of the bacterial biofilms including the chemistry of their constituents and signalling compounds that mediate or inhibit the formation of biofilms. Systems are described with special emphasis, in which quorum sensing molecules (autoinducers) trigger the formation of biofilms. In the first instance, N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are the focus of this review, whereas the inter-species signal known as furanosyl borate diester and peptide autoinducers used by Gram-positive bacteria are not discussed in detail. Since the first discovery of an AHL autoinducer from Vibrio fischeri a large and further increasing number of different AHL structures from Gram-negative bacteria have been identified. This review gives a summary of all known AHL autoinducers and producing bacterial species. A few systems are discussed, where biofilm formation is suppressed by enzymatic degradation of AHL molecules or interference of secondary metabolites from other species with the quorum sensing systems of communicating bacteria. Finally, the multi-channel quorum sensing system, the intracellular downstream processing of the signal, and the resulting response of whole populations including biofilm formation are discussed for the Vibrio genus that has been extensively investigated.

Orphan LuxR regulators of quorum sensing

Bacteria can modulate their behavior by releasing and responding to the accumulation of signal molecules. This population co-ordination, referred to as quorum sensing, is prevalent in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The essential constituents of quorum-sensing systems include a signal producer, or synthase, and a cognate transcriptional regulator that responds to the accumulated signal molecules. With the availability of bacterial genome sequences and an increased elucidation of quorum-sensing circuits, genes that code for additional transcriptional regulators, usually in excess of the synthase, have been identified. These additional regulators are referred to as 'orphan' regulators, because they are not directly associated with a synthase. Here, we review orphan regulators characterized in various Gram-negative bacteria and their role in expanding the bacterial regulatory network.

A novel plant ferredoxin-like protein and the regulator Hor are quorum-sensing targets in the plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora

Quorum sensing (QS), a population-density-sensing mechanism, controls the production of the main virulence determinants, the plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) of the soft-rot phytopathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. In this study, we used random transposon mutagenesis with a gusA reporter construct to identify two new QS-controlled genes encoding the regulator Hor and a plant ferredoxin-like protein, FerE. The QS control of the identified genes was executed by the QS regulators ExpR1 and ExpR2 and mediated by the global repressor RsmA. Hor was shown to contribute to bacterial virulence at least partly through its control of PCWDE production. Our results showed that FerE contributes to oxidative stress tolerance and in planta fitness of the bacteria and suggest that QS could be central to control of oxidative stress tolerance. The presence of the FerE protein appears to be rather unique in heterotrophic bacteria and suggests an acquisition of the corresponding gene from plant host by horizontal gene transfer.

Quorum sensing, virulence and secondary metabolite production in plant soft-rotting bacteria

Quorum sensing describes the ability of bacteria to sense their population density and respond by modulating gene expression. In the plant soft-rotting bacteria, such as Erwinia, an arsenal of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes is produced in a cell density-dependent manner, which causes maceration of plant tissue. However, quorum sensing is central not only to controlling the production of such destructive enzymes, but also to the control of a number of other virulence determinants and secondary metabolites. Erwinia synthesizes both N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) and autoinducer-2 types of quorum sensing signal, which both play a role in regulating gene expression in the phytopathogen. We review the models for AHL-based regulation of carbapenem antibiotic production in Erwinia. We also discuss the importance of quorum sensing in the production and secretion of virulence determinants by Erwinia, and its interplay with other regulatory systems.

Thermoregulation of N-acyl homoserine lactone-based quorum sensing in the soft rot bacterium Pectobacterium atrosepticum

The psychrotolerant bacterium Pectobacterium atrosepticum produces four N-acyl homoserine lactones under a wide range of temperatures. Their thermoregulation differs from that of the exoenzyme production, described as being under quorum-sensing control. A mechanism involved in this thermoregulation consists of controlling N-acyl homoserine lactones synthase production at a transcriptional level.

Detection and characterization of bacteria from the potato rhizosphere degrading N-acyl-homoserine lactone

Quorum sensing plays a role in the regulation of soft rot diseases caused by the plant pathogenic bacterium Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. The signal molecules involved in quorum sensing in P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum belong to the group of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). In our study, we screened bacteria isolated from the potato rhizosphere for the ability to degrade AHLs produced by P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Six isolates able to degrade AHLs were selected for further studies. According to 16S rDNA sequence analysis and fatty acid methyl ester profiling, the isolates belonged to the genera Ochrobactrum, Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and Delftia. For the genera Ochrobactrum and Delftia, for the first time AHL-degrading isolates were found. Data presented in this study revealed for the first time that Ochrobactrum sp. strain A44 showed the capacity to inactivate various synthetic AHL molecules; the substituted AHLs were inactivated with a lower efficiency than the unsubstituted AHLs. Compared with the other isolates, A44 was very effective in the degradation of AHLs produced by P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. It was verified by polymerase chain reaction, DNA-DNA hybridization, and a lactone ring reconstruction assay that Ochrobactrum sp. strain A44 did not possess AHL lactonase activity. AHL degradation in Ochrobactrum sp. strain A44 occurred intracellularly; it was not found in the culture supernatant. AHL-degrading activity of A44 was thermo sensitive. Experiments in planta revealed that Ochrobactrum sp. strain A44 significantly inhibited the maceration of potato tuber tissue. Since A44 did not produce antibiotics, the attenuation of the decay might be due to the quenching of quorum- sensing-regulated production of pectinolytic enzymes. The strain can potentially serve to control P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in potato.

Quorum sensing in Erwinia species

The term quorum sensing (QS) refers to the ability of bacteria to regulate gene expression according to the accumulation of signalling molecules that are made by every cell in the population. The erwiniae group of bacteria are often phytopathogens and the expression of a number of their important virulence determinants and secondary metabolites is under QS control. The erwiniae utilise two types of QS signalling molecules: N-acyl homoserine lactones and AI-2-type signalling molecules. Here, we review the regulatory networks involving QS in the soft rot erwiniae.

Cooperation of two distinct ExpR regulators controls quorum sensing specificity and virulence in the plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora

Quorum sensing, the population density-dependent regulation mediated by N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHSL), is essential for the control of virulence in the plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora (Ecc). In Erwinia carotovora ssp. the AHSL signal with an acyl chain of either 6 or 8 carbons is generated by an AHSL synthase, the expI gene product. This work demonstrates that the AHSL receptor, ExpR1, of Ecc strain SCC3193 has strict specificity for the cognate AHSL 3-oxo-C8-HSL. We have also identified a second AHSL receptor (ExpR2) and demonstrate a novel quorum sensing mechanism, where ExpR2 acts synergistically with the previously described ExpR1 to repress virulence gene expression in Ecc. We show that this repression is released by addition of AHSLs and appears to be largely mediated via the negative regulator RsmA. Additionally we show that ExpR2 has the novel property to sense AHSLs with different acyl chain lengths. The expI expR1 double mutant is able to act in response to a number of different AHSLs, while the expI expR2 double mutant can only respond to the cognate signal of Ecc strain SCC3193. These results suggest that Ecc is able to react both to the cognate AHSL signal and the signals produced by other bacterial species.

Erwinia carotovora subspecies produce duplicate variants of ExpR, LuxR homologs that activate rsmA transcription but differ in their interactions with N-acylhomoserine lactone signals

The N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) signaling system comprises a producing system that includes acylhomoserine synthase (AhlI, a LuxI homolog) and a receptor, generally a LuxR homolog. AHL controls exoprotein production in Erwinia carotovora and consequently the virulence for plants. In previous studies we showed that ExpR, a LuxR homolog, is an AHL receptor and that it activates transcription of rsmA, the gene encoding an RNA binding protein which is a global negative regulator of exoproteins and secondary metabolites. An unusual finding was that the transcriptional activity of ExpR was neutralized by AHL. We subsequently determined that the genomes of most strains of E. carotovora subspecies tested possess two copies of the expR gene: expR1, which was previously studied, and expR2, which was the focus of this study. Comparative analysis of the two ExpR variants of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora showed that while both variants activated rsmA transcription, there were significant differences in the patterns of their AHL interactions, the rsmA sequences to which they bound, and their relative efficiencies of activation of rsmA transcription. An ExpR2- mutant produced high levels of exoproteins and reduced levels of RsmA in the absence of AHL. This contrasts with the almost complete inhibition of exoprotein production and the high levels of RsmA production in an AhlI- mutant that was ExpR1-. Our results suggest that ExpR2 activity is responsible for regulating exoprotein production primarily by modulating the levels of an RNA binding protein.

Variations on a theme: diverse N-acyl homoserine lactone-mediated quorum sensing mechanisms in gram-negative bacteria

Many Gram-negative bacteria employ a mechanism of cell-cell communication known as quorum sensing (QS). The role of QS is to enable the cells in a culture to coordinate their gene expression profile with changes in the population cell density. The best characterized mechanisms of QS employ N-acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) as signalling molecules. These AHLs are made by enzymes known as LuxI homologs, and accumulate in the culture supernatant at a rate proportional to the increase in cell density. Once the AHL concentration exceeds a certain threshold value, these ligands bind to intracellular receptors known as LuxR homologs. The latter are transcriptional regulators, whose activity alters upon binding the AHL ligand, thereby eliciting a change in gene transcription. Over the last five years, it has become increasingly obvious that this is a rather simplistic view of AHL-dependent QS, and that in fact, there is considerable diversity in the way in which LuxI-R homologs operate. The aim of the current review is to describe these variations on the basic theme, and to show how functional genomics is revolutionizing our understanding of QS-controlled regulons.