Journal of Bacteriology, June 2001, p. 3537-3547, Vol. 183, No. 12
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Umeå University,
S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden,1 and School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park,
Nottingham NG7 2RD,2 and Institute of
Infections and Immunity, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical
Center, Nottingham NG7 2UH,3 United Kingdom
Received 14 February 2001/Accepted 12 March 2001
Vibrio anguillarum, which causes terminal hemorrhagic
septicemia in fish, was previously shown to possess a LuxRI-type
quorum-sensing system (vanRI) and to produce
N-(3-oxodecanoyl)homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C10-HSL).
However, a vanI null mutant still activated
N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) biosensors, indicating the
presence of an additional quorum-sensing circuit in V. anguillarum. In this study, we have characterized this second
system. Using high-pressure liquid chromatography in conjunction with
mass spectrometry and chemical analysis, we identified two additional
AHLs as N-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (C6-HSL) and
N-(3-hydroxyhexanoyl)homoserine lactone (3-hydroxy-C6-HSL). Quantification of each AHL present in stationary-phase V. anguillarum spent culture supernatants indicated that
3-oxo-C10-HSL, 3-hydroxy-C6-HSL, and C6-HSL are present at
approximately 8.5, 9.5, and 0.3 nM, respectively. Furthermore,
vanM, the gene responsible for the synthesis of these AHLs,
was characterized and shown to be homologous to the luxL
and luxM genes, which are required for the production of
N-(3-hydroxybutanoyl)homoserine lactone in Vibrio
harveyi. However, resequencing of the V. harveyi
luxL/luxM junction revealed a sequencing error present in the
published sequence, which when corrected resulted in a single open
reading frame (termed luxM). Downstream of
vanM, we identified a homologue of luxN
(vanN) that encodes a hybrid sensor kinase which forms part
of a phosphorelay cascade involved in the regulation of bioluminescence
in V. harveyi. A mutation in vanM abolished the
production of C6-HSL and 3-hydroxy-C6-HSL. In addition, production of
3-oxo-C10-HSL was abolished in the vanM mutant, suggesting
that 3-hydroxy-C6-HSL and C6-HSL regulate the production of
3-oxo-C10-HSL via vanRI. However, a vanN mutant displayed a wild-type AHL profile. Neither mutation affected either the
production of proteases or virulence in a fish infection model. These
data indicate that V. anguillarum possesses a hierarchical quorum sensing system consisting of regulatory elements homologous to
those found in both V. fischeri (the LuxRI homologues
VanRI) and V. harveyi (the LuxMN homologues, VanMN).
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.12.3537-3547.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
The LuxM Homologue VanM from Vibrio anguillarum
Directs the Synthesis of N-(3-Hydroxyhexanoyl)homoserine
Lactone and N-Hexanoylhomoserine Lactone
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Cell and Molecular Biology, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
Phone: 46-90-785-3782. Fax: 46-90-771420. E-mail:
Debra.Milton{at}cmb.umu.se.
Present address: Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases,
Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms AL9 7TA, United Kingdom.
Journal of Bacteriology, June 2001, p. 3537-3547, Vol. 183, No. 12
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.12.3537-3547.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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