This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, A.
Right arrow Articles by Dunlap, P. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kuo, A.
Right arrow Articles by Dunlap, P. V.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., 02 1996, 971-976, Vol 178, No. 4
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Modulation of luminescence operon expression by N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone in ainS mutants of Vibrio fischeri

A Kuo, SM Callahan and PV Dunlap
Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts 02543, USA.

Population density-dependent expression of luminescence in Vibrio fischeri is controlled by the autoinducer N-3-oxohexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (autoinducer 1 [AI-1]), which via LuxR activates transcription of the lux operon (luxICDABEG, encoding the putative autoinducer synthase [LuxI] and the luminescence enzymes). We recently identified a novel V. fischeri locus, ainS, necessary for the synthesis of a second autoinducer, N-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (AI-2), which via LuxR can activate lux operon transcription in the absence of AI-1. To define the regulatory role of AI-2, a luxI ainS double mutant was constructed; in contrast to the parental strain and a luxI mutant, the luxI ainS mutant exhibited no induction of luminescence and produced no detectable luminescence autoinducer, demonstrating that V. fischeri makes no luminescence autoinducers other than those whose synthesis is directed by luxI and ainS. A mutant defective only in ainS exhibited accelerated luminescence induction compared with that of the parental strain, indicating that AI-2 functions in V. fischeri to delay luminescence induction. Consistent with that observation, the exogenous addition of AI-2 inhibited induction in a dose-dependent manner in V. fischeri and Escherichia coli carrying the lux genes. AI-2 did not mediate luxR negative autoregulation, alone or in the presence of AI-1, and inhibited luminescence induction in E. coli regardless of whether luxR was under the control of its native promoter or a foreign one. Increasing amounts of AI-1 overcame the inhibitory effect of AI-2, and equal activation of luminescence required 25- to 45-fold-more AI-2 than AI-1. We conclude that AI-2 inhibits lux operon transcription. The data are consistent with a model in which AI-2 competitively inhibits the association of AI-1 with LuxR, forming a complex with LuxR which has a markedly lower lux operon-inducing specific activity than that of AI-1- LuxR. AI-2 apparently functions in V. fischeri to suppress or delay induction at low and intermediate population densities.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Krin, E., Chakroun, N., Turlin, E., Givaudan, A., Gaboriau, F., Bonne, I., Rousselle, J.-C., Frangeul, L., Lacroix, C., Hullo, M.-F., Marisa, L., Danchin, A., Derzelle, S. (2006). Pleiotropic Role of Quorum-Sensing Autoinducer 2 in Photorhabdus luminescens.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6439-6451 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lupp, C., Ruby, E. G. (2004). Vibrio fischeri LuxS and AinS: Comparative Study of Two Signal Synthases. J. Bacteriol. 186: 3873-3881 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Marketon, M. M., Gronquist, M. R., Eberhard, A., Gonzalez, J. E. (2002). Characterization of the Sinorhizobium meliloti sinR/sinI Locus and the Production of Novel N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones. J. Bacteriol. 184: 5686-5695 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pearson, J. P. (2002). Early Activation of Quorum Sensing. J. Bacteriol. 184: 2569-2571 [Full Text]  
  • Reimmann, C., Ginet, N., Michel, L., Keel, C., Michaux, P., Krishnapillai, V., Zala, M., Heurlier, K., Triandafillu, K., Harms, H., Defago, G., Haas, D. (2002). Genetically programmed autoinducer destruction reduces virulence gene expression and swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Microbiology 148: 923-932 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • de Kievit, T. R., Iglewski, B. H. (2000). Bacterial Quorum Sensing in Pathogenic Relationships. Infect. Immun. 68: 4839-4849 [Full Text]  
  • Visick, K. L., Foster, J., Doino, J., McFall-Ngai, M., Ruby, E. G. (2000). Vibrio fischeri lux Genes Play an Important Role in Colonization and Development of the Host Light Organ. J. Bacteriol. 182: 4578-4586 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Callahan, S. M., Dunlap, P. V. (2000). LuxR- and Acyl-Homoserine-Lactone-Controlled Non-lux Genes Define a Quorum-Sensing Regulon in Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 182: 2811-2822 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhu, J., Beaber, J. W., Moré, M. I., Fuqua, C., Eberhard, A., Winans, S. C. (1998). Analogs of the Autoinducer 3-Oxooctanoyl-Homoserine Lactone Strongly Inhibit Activity of the TraR Protein of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J. Bacteriol. 180: 5398-5405 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Shaw, P. D., Ping, G., Daly, S. L., Cha, C., Cronan, J. E. Jr., Rinehart, K. L., Farrand, S. K. (1997). Detecting and characterizing N-acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules by thin-layer chromatography. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 6036-6041 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Werthen, M., Lundgren, T. (2001). Intracellular Ca2+ Mobilization and Kinase Activity during Acylated Homoserine Lactone-dependent Quorum Sensing in Serratia liquefaciens. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 6468-6472 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»