Mechanistic explanation of time-dependent cross-phenomenon based on quorum sensing: A case study of the mixture of sulfonamide and quorum sensing inhibitor to bioluminescence of Aliivibrio fischeri

Abstract

Cross-phenomenon in which the concentration-response curve (CRC) for a mixture crosses the CRC for the reference model has been identified in many studies, expressed as a heterogeneous pattern of joint toxic action. However, a mechanistic explanation of the cross-phenomenon has thus far been extremely insufficient. In this study, a time-dependent cross-phenomenon was observed, in which the cross-concentration range between the CRC for the mixture of sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP) and (Z-)-4-Bromo-5-(bromomethylene)-2(5H)-furanone (C30) to the bioluminescence of Aliivibrio fischeri (A. fischeri) and the CRC for independent action model with 95% confidence bands varied from low-concentration to higher-concentration regions in a timely manner expressed the joint toxic action of the mixture changing with an increase of both concentration and time. Through investigating the time-dependent hormetic effects of SMP and C30 (by measuring the expression of protein mRNA, simulating the bioluminescent reaction and analyzing the toxic action), the underlying mechanism was as follows: SMP and C30 acted on the quorum sensing (QS) system of A. fischeri, which induced low-concentration stimulatory effects and high-concentration inhibitory effects; in the low-concentration region, the stimulatory effects of SMP and C30 made the mixture produce a synergistic stimulation on the bioluminescence; thus, the joint toxic action exhibited antagonism. In the high-concentration region, the inhibitory effects of SMP and C30 in the mixture caused a double block in the loop circuit of the QS system; thus, the joint toxic action exhibited synergism. With the increase of time, these stimulatory and inhibitory effects of SMP and C30 were changed by the variation of the QS system at different growth phases, resulting in the time-dependent cross-phenomenon. This study proposes an induced mechanism for time-dependent cross-phenomenon based on QS, which may provide new insight into the mechanistic investigation of time-dependent cross-phenomenon, benefitting the environmental risk assessment of mixtures.