Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism adopted by bacteria to regulate expression of genes according to population density. N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are a type of QS signalling molecules commonly found in Gram-negative bacteria which have been reported to play a role in microbial spoilage of foods and pathogenesis. In this study, we isolated an AHL-producing Hafnia alvei strain (FB1) from spherical fish pastes. Analysis via high resolution triple quadrupole liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) on extracts from the spent supernatant of H. alvei FB1 revealed the existence of two short chain AHLs: N-(3-oxohexanoyl) homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL) and N-(3-oxo- octanoyl) homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C8-HSL). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the production of AHLs, especially 3-oxo-C8-HSL, by H. alvei.
Highlights
Quorum sensing (QS) is a means of cell-to-cell communication adopted by a number of bacterial species that is based on the release and detection of signalling molecules called autoinducers (AIs) [1].N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) are one type of these molecules commonly produced byGram-negative bacteria
In this study we present the mass spectrometry profiling of AHLs produced by H. alvei strain FB1 isolated from vacuum-packed, refrigerated spherical fish paste, a common Malaysian food popular in Southern China and South East Asia
Whether 3-oxo-C8-HSL has a role in pathogenesis of H. alvei FB1, and it contributes to the survival or colonization of the strain in its environment of origin, remain questions to be solved in more in-depth studies
Summary
Quorum sensing (QS) is a means of cell-to-cell communication adopted by a number of bacterial species that is based on the release and detection of signalling molecules called autoinducers (AIs) [1]. A Gram-negative, motile, flagellated, facultative anaerobic bacillus, is known to be among the AHL-producing Enterobacteriaceae species most commonly isolated from vacuum-packed chilled meat samples [7], and an opportunistic pathogen [8]. The production of fish paste meatballs involves mashing and mixing of the ingredients, which brings them into frequent contact with food processing surfaces. This food sample was chosen in order to study the food-associated, AHL-producing bacterial cells from the contaminated surface of the food matrices, a unique microenvironment in which the signalling molecules could accumulate with high density, making the resulting QS-modulated traits such as spoilage and biofilm formation more prominent
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