Autoinduction in Erwinia amylovora: evidence of an acyl-homoserine lactone signal in the fire blight pathogen

Current trends in management of bacterial pathogens infecting plants

Plants are continuously challenged by different pathogenic microbes that reduce the quality and quantity of produce and therefore pose a serious threat to food security. Among them bacterial pathogens are known to cause disease outbreaks with devastating economic losses in temperate, tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Bacteria are structurally simple prokaryotic microorganisms and are diverse from a metabolic standpoint. Bacterial infection process mainly involves successful attachment or penetration by using extracellular enzymes, type secretion systems, toxins, growth regulators and by exploiting different molecules that modulate plant defence resulting in successful colonization. Theses bacterial pathogens are extremely difficult to control as they develop resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, attempts are made to search for innovative methods of disease management by the targeting bacterial virulence and manipulating the genes in host plants by exploiting genome editing methods. Here, we review the recent developments in bacterial disease management including the bioactive antimicrobial compounds, bacteriophage therapy, quorum-quenching mediated control, nanoparticles and CRISPR/Cas based genome editing techniques for bacterial disease management. Future research should focus on implementation of smart delivery systems and consumer acceptance of these innovative methods for sustainable disease management.

Continental scale deciphering of microbiome networks untangles the phyllosphere homeostasis in tea plant

INTRODUCTION

Assembly and co-occurrence of the host co-evolved microbiota are essential ecological and evolutionary processes, which is not only crucial for managing individual plant fitness but also ecological function. However, understanding of the microbiome assembly and co-occurrence in higher plants is not well understood. The tea plant was shown to contribute the forest fitness due to the microbiome assembled in the phyllosphere; the landscape of microbiome assembly in the tea plants and its potential implication on phyllosphere homestasis still remains untangled.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to deciphering of the microbiome networks of the tea plants at a continental scale. It would provide fundamental insights into the factors driving the microbiome assembly, with an extended focus on the resilience towards the potential pathogen in the phyllosphere.

METHODS

We collected 225 samples from 45 locations spanning approximately 2000-km tea growing regions across China. By integration of high-throughput sequencing data, physicochemical properties profiling and bioinformatics analyses, we investigated continental scale microbiome assembly and co-occurrence in the tea plants. Synthetic assemblages, interaction assay and RT-qPCR were further implemented to analyze the microbial interaction indexed in phyllosphere.

RESULTS

A trade-off between stochastic and deterministic processes in microbiomes community assembly was highlighted. Assembly processes were dominated by deterministic processes in bulk and rhizosphere soils, and followed by stochastic processes in roots and leaves with amino acids as critical drivers for environmental selection. Sphingobacteria and Proteobacteria ascended from soils to leaves to sustain a core leaf taxa. The core taxa formed a close association with a prevalent foliar pathogen in the co-occurrence network and significantly attenuated the expression of a set of essential virulence genes in pathogen.

CONCLUSION

Our study unveils the mechanism underpinning microbiome assembly in the tea plants, and a potential implication of the microbiome-mediated resilience framework on the phyllosphere homeostasis.

Quorum-Sensing Inhibition by Gram-Positive Bacteria

The modern paradigm assumes that interspecies communication of microorganisms occurs through precise regulatory mechanisms. In particular, antagonism between bacteria or bacteria and fungi can be achieved by direct destruction of the targeted cells through the regulated production of antimicrobial metabolites or by controlling their adaptive mechanisms, such as the formation of biofilms. The quorum-quenching phenomenon provides such a countermeasure strategy. This review discusses quorum-sensing suppression by Gram-positive microorganisms, the underlying mechanisms of this process, and its molecular intermediates. The main focus will be on Gram-positive bacteria that have practical applications, such as starter cultures for food fermentation, probiotics, and other microorganisms of biotechnological importance. The possible evolutionary role of quorum-quenching mechanisms during the development of interspecies interactions of bacteria is also considered. In addition, the review provides possible practical applications for these mechanisms, such as the control of pathogens, improving the efficiency of probiotics, and plant protection.

Comparative genome analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis strain HD521 and HS18-1

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an important biological insecticide used to management of different agricultural pests by producing toxic parasporal crystals proteins. Strain HD521 has an antagonistic effect against Rhizoctonia solani AG1IA, the causal agent of rice sheath blight. This strain with three cry7 genes can the formation of bipyramidal parasporal crystals (BPCs). BPCs are used for insecticidal activities against Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata larva (Coleoptera). Strain HS18-1 contains different types of BPCs encoding genes and has effective toxicity for Lepidoptera and Diptera insects. Here we report the whole genome sequencing and assembly of HD521 and HS18-1 strains and analyzed the genome constitution covering virulence factors, types of plasmid, insertion sequences, and prophage sequences. The results showed that the genome of strain HD521 contains a circular chromosome and six circular plasmids, encoding eight types of virulence protein factors [Immune Inhibitor A, Hemolytic Enterotoxin, S-layer protein, Phospholipase C, Zwittermicin A-resistance protein, Metalloprotease, Chitinase, and N-acyl homoserine lactonase (AiiA)], four families of insertion sequence, and comprises six pro-phage sequences. The genome of strain HS18-1 contains one circular chromosome and nine circular plasmids, encoding five types of virulence protein factors [Hemolytic Enterotoxin, S-layer protein, Phospholipase C, Chitinase, and N-acyl homoserine lactonase (AiiA)] and four families of insertion sequence, and comprises of three pro-phage sequences. The obtained results will contribute to deeply understand the B. thuringiensis strain HD521 and HS18-1 at the genomic level.

Comparative genome analysis reveals the presence of multiple quorum-sensing systems in plant pathogenic bacterium, Erwinia rhapontici

We present the complete genome sequences of 3 Erwinia rhapontici strains, MAFF 311153, 311154, and 311155. These chromosome sequences contained variety types of luxI/luxR gene pair involved in acylhomoserine lactone biosynthesis and reception. Large-scale insertion sequence was observed in the indigenous plasmid of MAFF 311154 and contained eraI3/eraR3 gene pair that make possible to produce acylhomoserine lactone.

Identification and Characterization of a New Quorum-Quenching N-acyl Homoserine Lactonase in the Plant Pathogen Erwinia amylovora

Quorum quenching (QQ) is the ability to interfere with bacterial cell to cell communication, known as quorum sensing (QS). QQ enzymes that degrade or modify acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) have been attracting increasing interest as promising agents for inhibiting QS-mediated bacterial pathogenicity. Plant pathogens from the genus Erwinia cause diseases in several economically important crops. Fire blight is a devastating plant disease caused by Erwinia amylovora, affecting a wide range of host species within the Rosaceae and posing a major global threat for commercial apple and pear production. While QS has been described in Erwinia species, no AHL-degrading enzymes were identified and characterized. Here, phylogenetic analysis and structural modeling were applied to identify an AHL lactonase in E. amylovora (dubbed EaAiiA). Following recombinant expression and purification, the enzyme was biochemically characterized. EaAiiA lactonase activity was dependent on metal ions and effectively degraded AHLs with high catalytic efficiency. Its highest specific activity (k_cat/K_M value) was observed against one of the AHLs (3-oxo-C6-homoserine lactone) secreted from E. amylovora. Exogenous addition of the purified enzyme to cultures of E. amylovora reduced the formation of levan, a QS-regulated virulence factor, by 40% and the transcription level of the levansucrase-encoding gene by 55%. Furthermore, preincubation of E. amylovora cultures with EaAiiA inhibited the progress of fire blight symptoms in immature Pyrus communis fruits. These results demonstrate the ability of the identified enzyme from E. amylovora to act as a quorum-quenching lactonase.

Role of the Type VI Secretion System in the Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the Causative Agent of Kiwifruit Bacterial Canker

The type VI secretion system (T6SS), a macromolecular machine, plays an important role in the pathogenicity of many Gram-negative bacteria. However, the role of T6SS in the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the pathogen of kiwifruit bacterial canker, is yet to be studied. Here, we found a T6SS gene cluster consisting of 13 core genes (A-J) in the genome of Psa M228 based on a genome-wide analysis. To determine whether the T6SS gene cluster affects the pathogenicity of Psa M228, T6SS and its 13 core gene deletion mutants were constructed and their pathogenicity was determined. The deletion mutants showed different degrees of reduction in pathogenicity compared with the wild-type strain M228; in tssM and tssJ mutants, pathogenicity was significantly reduced by 78.7 and 71.3%, respectively. The pathogenicity results were also confirmed by electron microscopy. To further confirm that the reduction in pathogenicity is related to the function of T6SS, we selected the T6SS gene cluster, comprising tssM and tssJ, for further analyses. Western blot results revealed that tssM and tssJ were necessary for hemolytic co-regulatory protein secretion, indicating that they encode a functional T6SS. Further, we explored the mechanism by which T6SS affects the pathogenicity of Psa M228. The ability of bacterial competition, biofilm formation, hydrogen peroxide tolerance, and proteolytic activity were all weakened in the deletion mutants M228ΔT6SS, M228ΔtssM, and M228ΔtssJ. All these properties of the two gene complementation mutants were restored to the same levels as those of the wild-type strain, M228. Quantitative real-time results showed that during the interaction between the deletion mutant M228ΔT6SS and the host, expression levels of T3SS transcriptional regulatory gene hrpR, structural genes hrpZ, hrcC, hopP1, and effector genes hopH1 and hopM1 were down-regulated at different levels. Taken together, our data provide evidence for the first time that the T6SS plays an important role in the pathogenicity of Psa, probably via effects on bacterial competition, biofilm formation, and environmental adaptability. Moreover, a complicated relationship exists between T6SS and T3SS.

Quorum Sensing Regulation in Phytopathogenic Bacteria

Quorum sensing is a type of chemical communication by which bacterial populations control expression of their genes in a coordinated manner. This regulatory mechanism is commonly used by pathogens to control the expression of genes encoding virulence factors and that of genes involved in the bacterial adaptation to variations in environmental conditions. In phytopathogenic bacteria, several mechanisms of quorum sensing have been characterized. In this review, we describe the different quorum sensing systems present in phytopathogenic bacteria, such as those using the signal molecules named N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), diffusible signal factor (DSF), and the unknown signal molecule of the virulence factor modulating (VFM) system. We focus on studies performed on phytopathogenic bacteria of major importance, including Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Agrobacterium, Xanthomonas, Erwinia, Xylella,Dickeya, and Pectobacterium spp. For each system, we present the mechanism of regulation, the functions targeted by the quorum sensing system, and the mechanisms by which quorum sensing is regulated.

Directed Enzyme Evolution and Encapsulation in Peptide Nanospheres of Quorum Quenching Lactonase as an Antibacterial Treatment against Plant Pathogen

The need to increase agricultural yield has led to an extensive use of antibiotics against plant pathogens, which has resulted in the emergence of resistant strains. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for new methods, preferably with lower chances of developing resistant strains and a lower risk to the environment or public health. Many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens use quorum sensing, a population-density-dependent regulatory mechanism, to monitor the secretion of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) and pathogenicity. Therefore, quorum sensing represents an attractive antivirulence target. AHL lactonases hydrolyze AHLs and have potential antibacterial properties; however, their use is limited by thermal instability and durability, or low activity. Here, we demonstrate that an AHL lactonase from the phosphotriesterase-like lactonase family exhibits high activity with the AHL secreted from the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora and attenuates infection in planta. Using directed enzyme evolution, we were able to increase the enzyme's temperature resistance (T₅₀, the temperature at which 50% of the activity is retained) by 8 °C. Then, by performing enzyme encapsulation in nanospherical capsules composed of tertbutoxycarbonyl-Phe-Phe-OH peptide, the shelf life was extended for more than 5 weeks. Furthermore, the encapsulated and free mutant were able to significantly inhibit up to 70% blossom's infection in the field, achieving the same efficacy as seen with antibiotics commonly used today to treat the plant pathogen. We conclude that specific AHL lactonase can inhibit E. amylovora infection in the field, as it degrades the AHL secreted by this plant pathogen. The combination of directed enzyme evolution and peptide nanostructure encapsulation significantly improved the thermal resistance and shelf life of the enzyme, respectively, increasing its potential in future development as antibacterial treatment.

Exploring the transcriptome of luxI- and ΔainS mutants and the impact of N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-L- and N-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-L-homoserine lactones on biofilm formation in Aliivibrio salmonicida

Background

Bacterial communication through quorum sensing (QS) systems has been reported to be important in coordinating several traits such as biofilm formation. In Aliivibrio salmonicida two QS systems the LuxI/R and AinS/R, have been shown to be responsible for the production of eight acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) in a cell density dependent manner. We have previously demonstrated that inactivation of LitR, the master regulator of the QS system resulted in biofilm formation, similar to the biofilm formed by the AHL deficient mutant ΔainSluxI⁻. In this study, we aimed to investigate the global gene expression patterns of luxI and ainS autoinducer synthases mutants using transcriptomic profiling. In addition, we examined the influence of the different AHLs on biofilm formation.

Results

The transcriptome profiling of ΔainS and luxI⁻ mutants allowed us to identify genes and gene clusters regulated by QS in A. salmonicida. Relative to the wild type, the ΔainS and luxI⁻ mutants revealed 29 and 500 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively. The functional analysis demonstrated that the most pronounced DEGs were involved in bacterial motility and chemotaxis, exopolysaccharide production, and surface structures related to adhesion. Inactivation of luxI, but not ainS genes resulted in wrinkled colony morphology. While inactivation of both genes (ΔainSluxI⁻) resulted in strains able to form wrinkled colonies and mushroom structured biofilm. Moreover, when the ΔainSluxI⁻ mutant was supplemented with N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (3OC6-HSL) or N-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (3OHC10-HSL), the biofilm did not develop. We also show that LuxI is needed for motility and for repression of EPS production, where repression of EPS is likely operated through the RpoQ-sigma factor.

Conclusion

These findings imply that the LuxI and AinS autoinducer synthases play a critical role in the regulation of biofilm formation, EPS production, and motility.

Saline Environments as a Source of Potential Quorum Sensing Disruptors to Control Bacterial Infections: A Review

Saline environments, such as marine and hypersaline habitats, are widely distributed around the world. They include sea waters, saline lakes, solar salterns, or hypersaline soils. The bacteria that live in these habitats produce and develop unique bioactive molecules and physiological pathways to cope with the stress conditions generated by these environments. They have been described to produce compounds with properties that differ from those found in non-saline habitats. In the last decades, the ability to disrupt quorum-sensing (QS) intercellular communication systems has been identified in many marine organisms, including bacteria. The two main mechanisms of QS interference, i.e., quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) and quorum quenching (QQ), appear to be a more frequent phenomenon in marine aquatic environments than in soils. However, data concerning bacteria from hypersaline habitats is scarce. Salt-tolerant QSI compounds and QQ enzymes may be of interest to interfere with QS-regulated bacterial functions, including virulence, in sectors such as aquaculture or agriculture where salinity is a serious environmental issue. This review provides a global overview of the main works related to QS interruption in saline environments as well as the derived biotechnological applications.

Quorum sensing inhibitors as antipathogens: biotechnological applications

The mechanisms through which microbes communicate using signal molecules has inspired a great deal of research. Microbes use this exchange of information, known as quorum sensing (QS), to initiate and perpetuate infectious diseases in eukaryotic organisms, evading the eukaryotic defense system by multiplying and expressing their pathogenicity through QS regulation. The major issue to arise from such networks is increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics, resulting from QS-dependent mediation of the formation of biofilm, the induction of efflux pumps, and the production of antibiotics. QS inhibitors (QSIs) of diverse origins have been shown to act as potential antipathogens. In this review, we focus on the use of QSIs to counter diseases in humans as well as plants and animals of economic importance. We also discuss the challenges encountered in the potential applications of QSIs.

Erwinia amylovora psychrotrophic adaptations: evidence of pathogenic potential and survival at temperate and low environmental temperatures

The fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora can be considered a psychrotrophic bacterial species since it can grow at temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 37 °C, with an optimum of 28 °C. In many plant pathogens the expression of virulence determinants is restricted to a certain range of temperatures. In the case of E. amylovora, temperatures above 18 °C are required for blossom blight epidemics under field conditions. Moreover, this bacterium is able to infect a variety of host tissues/organs apart from flowers, but it is still unknown how environmental temperatures, especially those below 18 °C, affect the pathogen ability to cause fire blight disease symptoms in such tissues/organs. There is also scarce information on how temperatures below 18 °C affect the E. amylovora starvation-survival responses, which might determine its persistence in the environment and probably contribute to the seasonal development of fire blight disease, as occurs in other pathogens. To characterize the virulence and survival of E. amylovora at temperate and low temperatures, we evaluated the effect of three temperatures (4 °C, 14 °C, 28 °C) on symptom development, and on different parameters linked to starvation and virulence. E. amylovora was pathogenic at the three assayed temperatures, with a slow-down of symptom development correlating with colder temperatures and slower growth rates. Siderophore secretion and motility also decreased in parallel to incubation temperatures. However, production of the exopolysaccharides amylovoran and levan was enhanced at 4 °C and 14 °C, respectively. Similarly, biofilm formation, and oxidative stress resistance were improved at 14 °C, with this temperature also favoring the maintenance of culturability, together with a reduction in cell size and the acquisition of rounded shapes in E. amylovora cells subjected to long-term starvation. However, starvation at 28 °C and 4 °C induced an enhanced viable but nonculturable (VBNC) response (to a lesser extent at 4 °C). This work reveals E. amylovora as a highly adaptable pathogen that retains its pathogenic potential even at the minimal growth temperatures, with an improved exopolysaccharide synthesis, biofilm formation or oxidative stress resistance at 14 °C, with respect to the optimal growth temperature (28 °C). Finally, our results also demonstrate the thermal modulation of starvation responses in E. amylovora, suggesting that the starvation-survival and the VBNC states are part of its life cycle. These results confirm the particular psychrotrophic adaptations of E. amylovora, revealing its pathogenic potential and survival at temperate and low environmental temperatures, which have probably contributed to its successful spread to countries with different climates. This knowledge might improve integrated control measures against fire blight.

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.

Efficacies of quorum sensing inhibitors, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A, produced by Streptomyces xanthocidicus KPP01532 for the control of potato soft rot caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica

To discover potential inhibitors of the quorum sensing (QS) system, a library of microbial culture extracts was screened with Chromobacterium violaceumCV026 strain. The culture extract of Streptomyces xanthocidicus KPP01532 contained quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs) of the CV026 strain. The active constituents of the culture extract of strain KPP01532 were purified using a series of chromatographic procedures, and based on data from NMR and mass spectroscopy, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A were identified. Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica (Eca) is a plant pathogen that causes blackleg and soft rot diseases on potato stems and tubers. The virulence factors of Eca are regulated by QS. The expression of virulence genes (pelC, pehA, celV and nip) under the control of QS was monitored using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The transcription levels of the four genes were significantly lower when Eca was exposed to piericidin A or glucopiericidin A. These two compounds displayed similar control efficacies against soft rot caused by Eca in potato slices as furanone C-30. Therefore, piericidin A and glucopiericidin A are potential QSIs that suppress the expression of the virulence genes of Eca, suggesting that they could have potential use as control agents of soft rot disease on potato tubers.

Virulence Factors of Erwinia amylovora: A Review

Erwinia amylovora, a Gram negative bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family, is the causal agent of fire blight, a devastating plant disease affecting a wide range of host species within Rosaceae and a major global threat to commercial apple and pear production. Among the limited number of control options currently available, prophylactic application of antibiotics during the bloom period appears the most effective. Pathogen cells enter plants through the nectarthodes of flowers and other natural openings, such as wounds, and are capable of rapid movement within plants and the establishment of systemic infections. Many virulence determinants of E. amylovora have been characterized, including the Type III secretion system (T3SS), the exopolysaccharide (EPS) amylovoran, biofilm formation, and motility. To successfully establish an infection, E. amylovora uses a complex regulatory network to sense the relevant environmental signals and coordinate the expression of early and late stage virulence factors involving two component signal transduction systems, bis-(3'-5')-cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and quorum sensing. The LPS biosynthetic gene cluster is one of the relatively few genetic differences observed between Rubus- and Spiraeoideae-infecting genotypes of E. amylovora. Other differential factors, such as the presence and composition of an integrative conjugative element associated with the Hrp T3SS (hrp genes encoding the T3SS apparatus), have been recently described. In the present review, we present the recent findings on virulence factors research, focusing on their role in bacterial pathogenesis and indicating other virulence factors that deserve future research to characterize them.

Exploiting quorum sensing to confuse bacterial pathogens

Cell-cell communication, or quorum sensing, is a widespread phenomenon in bacteria that is used to coordinate gene expression among local populations. Its use by bacterial pathogens to regulate genes that promote invasion, defense, and spread has been particularly well documented. With the ongoing emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, there is a current need for development of alternative therapeutic strategies. An antivirulence approach by which quorum sensing is impeded has caught on as a viable means to manipulate bacterial processes, especially pathogenic traits that are harmful to human and animal health and agricultural productivity. The identification and development of chemical compounds and enzymes that facilitate quorum-sensing inhibition (QSI) by targeting signaling molecules, signal biogenesis, or signal detection are reviewed here. Overall, the evidence suggests that QSI therapy may be efficacious against some, but not necessarily all, bacterial pathogens, and several failures and ongoing concerns that may steer future studies in productive directions are discussed. Nevertheless, various QSI successes have rightfully perpetuated excitement surrounding new potential therapies, and this review highlights promising QSI leads in disrupting pathogenesis in both plants and animals.

Quorum quenching enzymes and their application in degrading signal molecules to block quorum sensing-dependent infection

With the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, the available options for treating bacterial infections have become very limited, and the search for a novel general antibacterial therapy has received much greater attention. Quorum quenching can be used to control disease in a quorum sensing system by triggering the pathogenic phenotype. The interference with the quorum sensing system by the quorum quenching enzyme is a potential strategy for replacing traditional antibiotics because the quorum quenching strategy does not aim to kill the pathogen or limit cell growth but to shut down the expression of the pathogenic gene. Quorum quenching enzymes have been identified in quorum sensing and non-quorum sensing microbes, including lactonase, acylase, oxidoreductase and paraoxonase. Lactonase is widely conserved in a range of bacterial species and has variable substrate spectra. The existence of quorum quenching enzymes in the quorum sensing microbes can attenuate their quorum sensing, leading to blocking unnecessary gene expression and pathogenic phenotypes. In this review, we discuss the physiological function of quorum quenching enzymes in bacterial infection and elucidate the enzymatic protection in quorum sensing systems for host diseases and their application in resistance against microbial diseases.

Orally administered thermostable N-acyl homoserine lactonase from Bacillus sp. strain AI96 attenuates Aeromonas hydrophila infection in zebrafish

N-Acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) lactonases are capable of degrading signal molecules involved in bacterial quorum sensing and therefore represent a new approach to control bacterial infection. Here a gene responsible for the AHL lactonase activity of Bacillus sp. strain AI96, 753 bp in length, was cloned and then expressed in Escherichia coli. The deduced amino acid sequence of Bacillus sp. AI96 AiiA (AiiA(AI96)) is most similar to those of other Bacillus sp. AHL lactonases (~80% sequence identity) and was consequently categorized as a member of the metallo-β-lactamase superfamily. AiiA(AI96) maintains ~100% of its activity at 10°C to 40°C at pH 8.0, and it is very stable at 70°C at pH 8.0 for at least 1 h; no other Bacillus AHL lactonase has been found to be stable under these conditions. AiiA(AI96) resists digestion by proteases and carp intestinal juice, and it has broad-spectrum substrate specificity. The supplementation of AiiA(AI96) into fish feed by oral administration significantly attenuated Aeromonas hydrophila infection in zebrafish. This is the first report of the oral administration of an AHL lactonase for the efficient control of A. hydrophila.

Exopolysaccharide production is influenced by sugars, N-acylhomoserine lactone, and transcriptional regulators RcsA and RcsB, but does not affect pathogenicity in the plant pathogen Pantoea ananatis

Pantoea ananatis SK-1 produced EPS by AHL-mediated quorum sensing on an LB agar plate containing glucose, fructose, and sucrose. rcsA and rcsB mutants did not produce EPS with or without AHLs and with or without sugars, but they induced necrotic symptoms in onion leaves. These results indicate that EPS production does not relate to the pathogenicity of SK-1.

Characterisation of two quorum sensing systems in the endophytic Serratia plymuthica strain G3: differential control of motility and biofilm formation according to life-style

BACKGROUND

N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) systems have been described in many plant-associated Gram-negative bacteria to control certain beneficial phenotypic traits, such as production of biocontrol factors and plant growth promotion. However, the role of AHL-mediated signalling in the endophytic strains of plant-associated Serratia is still poorly understood. An endophytic Serratia sp. G3 with biocontrol potential and high levels of AHL signal production was isolated from the stems of wheat and the role of QS in this isolate was determined.

RESULTS

Strain G3 classified as Serratia plymuthica based on 16S rRNA was subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Using primers to conserved sequences of luxIR homologues from the Serratia genus, splIR and spsIR from the chromosome of strain G3 were cloned and sequenced. AHL profiles from strain G3 and Escherichia coli DH5α expressing splI or spsI from recombinant plasmids were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This revealed that the most abundant AHL signals produced by SplI in E. coli were N-3-oxo-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL), N-3-oxo-heptanoylhomoserine lactone (3-oxo-C7-HSL), N-3-hydroxy-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (3-hydroxy-C6-HSL), N-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (C6-HSL), and N-heptanoyl homoserine lactone (C7-HSL); whereas SpsI was primarily responsible for the synthesis of N-butyrylhomoserine lactone (C4-HSL) and N-pentanoylhomoserine lactone (C5-HSL). Furthermore, a quorum quenching analysis by heterologous expression of the Bacillus A24 AiiA lactonase in strain G3 enabled the identification of the AHL-regulated biocontrol-related traits. Depletion of AHLs with this lactonase resulted in altered adhesion and biofilm formation using a microtiter plate assay and flow cells coupled with confocal laser scanning microscopy respectively. This was different from the closely related S. plymuthica strains HRO-C48 and RVH1, where biofilm formation for both strains is AHL-independent. In addition, QS in G3 positively regulated antifungal activity, production of exoenzymes, but negatively regulated production of indol-3-acetic acid (IAA), which is in agreement with previous reports in strain HRO-C48. However, in contrast to HRO-C48, swimming motility was not controlled by AHL-mediated QS.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report of the characterisation of two AHL-based quorum sensing systems in the same isolate of the genus Serratia. Our results show that the QS network is involved in the global regulation of biocontrol-related traits in the endophytic strain G3. However, although free-living and endophytic S. plymuthica share some conservation on QS phenotypic regulation, the control of motility and biofilm formation seems to be strain-specific and possible linked to the life-style of this organism.

Inhibition of quorum-sensing signals by essential oils

The role of quorum sensing (QS) is well known in microbial pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance. QS is responsible for motility, swarming, and biofilm production based on the signal molecules, e.g., acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by micro-organisms above certain population density. The inhibition of QS may reduce pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation in systemic and local infections. The homoserine lactones and other transmitters contribute to antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity of several bacteria; consequently the inhibition of QS signals reduces the problem of resistance and virulence. Due to the increasing number of persistent non-treatable infections, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies to combat infections that destabilize bacterial communities in the host. The effect of essential oils on bacterial growth and QS were evaluated using the sensor strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 and N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) producing Escherichia coli ATTC 31298 and the grapevine colonizing Ezf 10-17 strains. Of the tested oils, rose, geranium, lavender and rosemary oils were the most potent QS inhibitors. Eucalyptus and citrus oils moderately reduced pigment production by CV026, whereas the chamomile, orange and juniper oils were ineffective.

Complete genome sequence of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora CFBP 1430 and comparison to other Erwinia spp

Fire blight, caused by the enterobacterium Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating disease of rosaceous plants that has global economic importance for apple and pear production and trade. The complete genome of E. amylovora CFBP 1430 was sequenced, annotated, and compared with the genomes of other Erwinia spp. Several singleton and shared features of the E. amylovora CFBP 1430 genome were identified that offer a first view into evolutionary aspects within the genus Erwinia. Comparative genomics identified or clarified virulence and fitness determinants and secretion systems. Novel insights revealed in the genome of E. amylovora CFBP 1430 hold potential for exploitation to improve the design of more effective fire blight control strategies.

Hypersensitive response and acyl-homoserine lactone production of the fire blight antagonists Erwinia tasmaniensis and Erwinia billingiae

Fire blight caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Erwinia amylovora can be controlled by antagonistic microorganisms. We characterized epiphytic bacteria isolated from healthy apple and pear trees in Australia, named Erwinia tasmaniensis, and the epiphytic bacterium Erwinia billingiae from England for physiological properties, interaction with plants and interference with growth of E. amylovora. They reduced symptom formation by the fire blight pathogen on immature pears and the colonization of apple flowers. In contrast to E. billingiae, E. tasmaniensis strains induced a hypersensitive response in tobacco leaves and synthesized levan in the presence of sucrose. With consensus primers deduced from lsc as well as hrpL, hrcC and hrcR of the hrp region of E. amylovora and of related bacteria, these genes were successfully amplified from E. tasmaniensis DNA and alignment of the encoded proteins to other Erwinia species supported a role for environmental fitness of the epiphytic bacterium. Unlike E. tasmaniensis, the epiphytic bacterium E. billingiae produced an acyl-homoserine lactone for bacterial cell-to-cell communication. Their competition with the growth of E. amylovora may be involved in controlling fire blight.

The plant pathogen Pantoea ananatis produces N-acylhomoserine lactone and causes center rot disease of onion by quorum sensing

A number of gram-negative bacteria have a quorum-sensing system and produce N-acyl-l-homoserine lactone (AHL) that they use them as a quorum-sensing signal molecule. Pantoea ananatis is reported as a common colonist of wheat heads at ripening and causes center rot of onion. In this study, we demonstrated that P. ananatis SK-1 produced two AHLs, N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL). We cloned the AHL-synthase gene (eanI) and AHL-receptor gene (eanR) and revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of EanI/EanR showed high identity to those of EsaI/EsaR from P. stewartii. EanR repressed the ean box sequence and the addition of AHLs resulted in derepression of ean box. Inactivation of the chromosomal eanI gene in SK-1 caused disruption of exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis, biofilm formation, and infection of onion leaves, which were recovered by adding exogenous 3-oxo-C6-HSL. These results demonstrated that the quorum-sensing system involved the biosynthesis of EPS, biofilm formation, and infection of onion leaves in P. ananatis SK-1.

The role of luxS in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora is limited to metabolism and does not involve quorum sensing

Erwinia amylovora is a gram-negative phytopathogen that causes fire blight of pome fruit and related members of the family Rosaceae. We sequenced the putative autoinducer-2 (AI-2) synthase gene luxS from E. amylovora. Diversity analysis indicated that this gene is extremely conserved among E. amylovora strains. Quorum sensing mediated by LuxS has been implicated in coordinated gene expression, growth, and virulence in other enterobacteria; however, our evidence suggests this is not the function in E. amylovora. Mutational analysis pointed to a role in colonization of apple blossoms, the primary infection court for fire blight, although little if any role in virulence on apple shoots and pear fruit was observed. Expression of key virulence genes hrpL and dspA/E was reduced in mutants of two E. amylovora strains. Stronger effects on gene expression were observed for metabolic genes involved in the activated methyl cycle with mutants having greater levels of expression. No quorum-sensing effect was observed in coculture experiments with wild-type and mutant strains either in vitro or in apple blossoms. Known receptors essential for AI-2 quorum sensing, the LuxPQ sensor kinase or the Lsr ABC-transporter, are absent in E. amylovora, further suggesting a primarily metabolic role for luxS in this bacterium.

Quorum-quenching microbial infections: mechanisms and implications

The discovery of antibiotics early in the past century marked the beginning of active control and prevention of infectious microbial diseases. However, extensive use of antibiotics has also unavoidably resulted in the emergence of ‘superbugs’ that resist conventional antibiotics. The finding that many pathogens rely on cell-to-cell communication mechanisms, known as quorum sensing, to synchronize microbial activities essential for infection and survival in the host suggests a promising disease control strategy, i.e. quenching microbial quorum sensing or in short, quorum quenching. Work over the past few years has demonstrated that quorum-quenching mechanisms are widely conserved in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. These naturally occurring quorum-quenching mechanisms appear to play important roles in microbe–microbe and pathogen–host interactions and have been used, or served as lead compounds, in developing and formulating a new generation of antimicrobials. Characterization of the crystal structures of several types of quorum-quenching enzymes has provided valuable information to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms, as well as clues for future protein tailoring and molecular improvement. The discovery of quorum-sensing signal degradation enzymes in mammalian species represents a new milestone in quorum sensing and quorum quenching research. The finding highlights the importance of investigating their roles in host innate defence against infectious diseases and to determine the factors influencing their in vivo concentrations and catalytic activities.

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.

Effects of AiiA-mediated quorum quenching in Sinorhizobium meliloti on quorum-sensing signals, proteome patterns, and symbiotic interactions

Many behaviors in bacteria, including behaviors important to pathogenic and symbiotic interactions with eukaryotic hosts, are regulated by a mechanism called quorum sensing (QS). A "quorum-quenching" approach was used here to identify QS-regulated behaviors in the N-fixing bacterial symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. The AiiA lactonase from Bacillus produced in S. meliloti was shown to enzymatically inactivate S. meliloti's N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) QS signals, thereby disrupting normal QS regulation. Sixty proteins were differentially accumulated in the AiiA-producing strain versus the control in early log or early stationary phase cultures. Fifty-two of these QS-regulated proteins, with putative functions that include cell division, protein processing and translation, metabolite transport, oxidative stress, and amino acid metabolism, were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. Transcription of representative genes was reduced significantly in the AiiA-producing strain, although the effects of AiiA on protein accumulation did not always correspond to effects on transcription. The QS signal-deficient strain was reduced significantly in nodule initiation during the first 12 h after inoculation onto Medicago truncatula host plants. The AiiA lactonase also was found to substantially inactivate two of the AHL mimic compounds secreted by M. truncatula. This suggests some structural similarity between bacterial AHLs and these mimic compounds. It also indicates that quorum quenching could be useful in identifying Sinorhizobium genes that are affected by such host QS mimics in planta.

Autoinducer-2 of the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora and other plant-associated bacteria

Autoinducers are important for cellular communication of bacteria. The luxS gene has a central role in the synthesis of autoinducer-2 (AI-2). The gene was identified in a shotgun library of Erwinia amylovora and primers designed for PCR amplification from bacterial DNA. Supernatants of several Erwinia amylovora strains were assayed for AI-2 activity with a Vibrio harveyi mutant and were positive. Many other plant-associated bacteria also showed AI-2 activity such as Erwinia pyrifoliae and Erwinia tasmaniensis. The luxS genes of several bacteria were cloned, sequenced, and complemented Escherichia coli strain DH5alpha and a Salmonella typhimurium mutant, both defective in luxS, for synthesis of AI-2. Assays to detect AI-2 activity in culture supernatants of several Pseudomonas syringae pathovars failed, which may indicate the absence of AI-2 or synthesis of another type. Several reporter strains did not detect synthesis of an acyl homoserine lactone (AHL, AI-1) by Erwinia amylovora, but confirmed AHL-synthesis for Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica and Pantoea stewartii.

Type II quorum sensing regulates virulence in Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora

Quorum sensing is a process by which bacteria communicate using secreted chemical signaling molecules called autoinducers. In this study, the opportunistic plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora was observed to secrete type II signaling molecules. A homolog of luxS, the gene required for AI-2 synthesis in Vibrio harveyi, was isolated from the genome of the pathogen. To determine the potential role of AI-2 in virulence, an isogenic luxS- (ECC) mutant was constructed and tested for its ability to cause tissue maceration. The findings reported here demonstrate that the LuxS-dependent signaling affects the progression of disease symptoms during the early stages of infection by modulating the expression of pectinolytic enzymes.

The molecular structure and catalytic mechanism of a quorum-quenching N-acyl-L-homoserine lactone hydrolase

In many Gram-negative bacteria, including a number of pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Erwinia carotovora, virulence factor production and biofilm formation are linked to the quorum-sensing systems that use diffusible N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs) as intercellular messenger molecules. A number of organisms also contain genes coding for lactonases that hydrolyze AHLs into inactive products, thereby blocking the quorum-sensing systems. Consequently, these enzymes attract intense interest for the development of antiinfection therapies. However, the catalytic mechanism of AHL-lactonase is poorly understood and subject to controversy. We here report a 2.0-angstroms resolution structure of the AHL-lactonase from Bacillus thuringiensis and a 1.7-angstroms crystal structure of its complex with L-homoserine lactone. Despite limited sequence similarity, the enzyme shows remarkable structural similarities to glyoxalase II and RNase Z proteins, members of the metallo-beta-lactamase superfamily. We present experimental evidence that AHL-lactonase is a metalloenzyme containing two zinc ions involved in catalysis, and we propose a catalytic mechanism for bacterial metallo-AHL-lactonases.