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Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7253-7259, Vol. 191, No. 23
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00727-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

LuxS-Based Quorum Sensing Does Not Affect the Ability of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium To Express the SPI-1 Type 3 Secretion System, Induce Membrane Ruffles, or Invade Epithelial Cells {triangledown}

Charlotte A. Perrett,1 Michail H. Karavolos,2 Suzanne Humphrey,1,{dagger} Pietro Mastroeni,3,{dagger} Isabel Martinez-Argudo,1 Hannah Spencer,2 David Bulmer,2 Klaus Winzer,4 Emma McGhie,5 Vassilis Koronakis,5 Paul Williams,4 C. M. Anjam Khan,2 and Mark A. Jepson1*

Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom,1 Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, The Medical School, University of Newcastle, Newcastle NE2 4HH, United Kingdom,2 Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, United Kingdom,3 School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom,4 Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, United Kingdom5

Received 4 June 2009/ Accepted 17 September 2009

Bacterial species can communicate by producing and sensing small autoinducer molecules by a process known as quorum sensing. Salmonella enterica produces autoinducer 2 (AI-2) via the luxS synthase gene, which is used by some bacterial pathogens to coordinate virulence gene expression with population density. We investigated whether the luxS gene might affect the ability of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to invade epithelial cells. No differences were found between the wild-type strain of S. Typhimurium, SL1344, and its isogenic luxS mutant with respect to the number and morphology of the membrane ruffles induced or their ability to invade epithelial cells. The dynamics of the ruffling process were also similar in the wild-type strain (SL1344) and the luxS mutant. Furthermore, comparing the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) type 3 secretion profiles of wild-type SL1344 and the luxS mutant by Western blotting and measuring the expression of a single-copy green fluorescent protein fusion to the prgH (an essential SPI-1 gene) promoter indicated that SPI-1 expression and activity are similar in the wild-type SL1344 and luxS mutant. Genetic deletion of luxS did not alter the virulence of S. Typhimurium in the mouse model, and therefore, it appears that luxS does not play a significant role in regulating invasion of Salmonella in vitro or in vivo.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom. Phone: (44) 117 331 2143. Fax: (44) 117 331 2168. E-mail: M.A.Jepson{at}bristol.ac.uk

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 25 September 2009.

{dagger} These authors contributed equally.

Journal of Bacteriology, December 2009, p. 7253-7259, Vol. 191, No. 23
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00727-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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