The two‐component response regulator PprB modulates quorum‐sensing signal production and global gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

Dong, Y.-H., Zhang, X.-F., Soo, H.-M.L., Greenberg, E.P., and Zhang, L.-H. (2005). The two-component response regulator PprB modulates quorum-sensing signal production and global gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Molecular Microbiology56 (5), 1287–1301. The above article, first published online on 30 March 2005, has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the Journal Editor-in-Chief, Anthony Pugsley, and Blackwell Publishing Ltd. The retraction has been agreed as in this article, the authors reported that mutation of the response regulator gene pprB abolished the production of AHL-type quorum sensing signals in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 at body temperature (37oC). Recently they found there is an additional spontaneous point mutation that causes an amino acid substitution (Pro74Ser) in the QS regulator LasR of the mutant (M97) in which the pprB gene was disrupted by transposon. The point mutation in lasR renders the mutant M97 temperature sensitive for AHL signal production. M97 and the engineered strain expressing the same LasR with the Pro74Ser mutation are able to produce AHL signal at levels similar to wild type strain PAO1 at 28oC but not at 37oC. In addition, deletion of pprB in P. aeruginosa strain PAO1, which contains a wild type LasR, has no effect on AHL signal production. Although subsequent repeats confirmed that wild type pprB could partially restore the AHL-deficient phenotype of the mutant M97 under stringent 37oC culture conditions, the above lines of evidence indicate that the authors' main conclusion on the regulatory role of PprB on AHL signal production in wild type P. aeruginosa is not correct. The authors sincerely regret any confusion that this article may have caused for the readers of Molecular Microbiology. Anthony Pugsley Editor-in-Chief Molecular Microbiology