AHL-lactonase Research Articles

Thematic Issue: Protists

Ulva zoospores preferentially settle on N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) producing marine bacterial biofilms. To investigate whether AHL signal molecules also affect the success and rate of zoospore germination in addition to zoospore attraction, the epiphytic bacteria associated with mature Ulva linza were characterized and bacterial isolates representative of this community tested for the ability to produce AHLs. Two of these AHL-producing isolates, Sulfitobacter spp. 376 and Shewanella spp. 79, were transformed with plasmids expressing the Bacillus spp. AHL lactonase gene aiiA to generate AHL-deficient variants. The germination and growth of U. linza zoospores was studied in the presence of these AHL-deficient strains and their AHL-producing counterparts. This revealed that the AHLs produced by Sulfitobacter spp. and Shewanella spp. or the bacterial products they regulate have a negative impact on both zoospore germination and the early growth of the Ulva germling. Further experiments with Escherichia coli biofilms expressing recombinant AHL synthases and synthetic AHLs provide data to demonstrate that zoospores germinated and grown in the absence of AHLs were significantly longer than those germinated in the presence of AHLs. These results reveal an additional role for AHLs per se in the interactive relationships between marine bacteria and Ulva zoospores.

Interference with the germination and growth ofUlvazoospores by quorum‐sensing molecules fromUlva‐associated epiphytic bacteria

Ulva zoospores preferentially settle on N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) producing marine bacterial biofilms. To investigate whether AHL signal molecules also affect the success and rate of zoospore germination in addition to zoospore attraction, the epiphytic bacteria associated with mature Ulva linza were characterized and bacterial isolates representative of this community tested for the ability to produce AHLs. Two of these AHL-producing isolates, Sulfitobacter spp. 376 and Shewanella spp. 79, were transformed with plasmids expressing the Bacillus spp. AHL lactonase gene aiiA to generate AHL-deficient variants. The germination and growth of U. linza zoospores was studied in the presence of these AHL-deficient strains and their AHL-producing counterparts. This revealed that the AHLs produced by Sulfitobacter spp. and Shewanella spp. or the bacterial products they regulate have a negative impact on both zoospore germination and the early growth of the Ulva germling. Further experiments with Escherichia coli biofilms expressing recombinant AHL synthases and synthetic AHLs provide data to demonstrate that zoospores germinated and grown in the absence of AHLs were significantly longer than those germinated in the presence of AHLs. These results reveal an additional role for AHLs per se in the interactive relationships between marine bacteria and Ulva zoospores.

Biofouling inhibition in MBR by Rhodococcus sp. BH4 isolated from real MBR plant

It has been reported that an indigenous quorum quenching bacterium, Rhodococcus sp. BH4, which was isolated from a real plant of membrane bioreactor (MBR) has promising potential to control biofouling in MBR. However, little is known about quorum quenching mechanisms by the strain BH4. In this study, various characteristics of strain BH4 were investigated to elucidate its behavior in more detail in the mixed liquor of MBR. The N-acyl homoserine lactone hydrolase (AHL-lactonase) gene of strain BH4 showed a high degree of identity to qsdA in Rhodococcus erythropolis W2. The LC-ESI-MS analysis of the degradation product by strain BH4 confirmed that it inactivated AHL activity by hydrolyzing the lactone bond of AHL. It degraded a wide range of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), but there was a large difference in the degradation rate of each AHL compared to other reported AHL-lactonase-producing strains belonging to Rhodococcus genus. Its quorum quenching activity was confirmed not only in the Luria-Bertani medium, but also in the synthetic wastewater. Furthermore, the amount of strain BH4 encapsulated in the vessel as well as the material of the vessel substantially affected the quorum quenching activity of strain BH4, which provides useful information, particularly for the biofouling control in a real MBR plant from an engineering point of view.

Structural Evidence of a Productive Active Site Architecture for an Evolved Quorum-Quenching GKL Lactonase

The in vitro evolution and engineering of quorum-quenching lactonases with enhanced reactivities was achieved using a thermostable GKL enzyme as a template, yielding the E101G/R230C GKL mutant with increased catalytic activity and a broadened substrate range [Chow, J. Y., Xue, B., Lee, K. H., Tung, A., Wu, L., Robinson, R. C., and Yew, W. S. (2010) J. Biol. Chem. 285, 40911-40920]. This enzyme possesses the (β/α)8-barrel fold and is a member of the PLL (phosphotriesterase-like lactonase) group of enzymes within the amidohydrolase superfamily that hydrolyze N-acyl-homoserine lactones, which mediate the quorum-sensing pathways of bacteria. The structure of the evolved N-butyryl-l-homoserine lactone (substrate)-bound E101G/R230C GKL enzyme was determined, in the presence of the inactivating D266N mutation, to a resolution of 2.2 Å to provide an explanation for the observed rate enhancements. In addition, the substrate-bound structure of the catalytically inactive E101N/D266N mutant of the manganese-reconstituted enzyme was determined to a resolution of 2.1 Å and the structure of the ligand-free, manganese-reconstituted E101N mutant to a resolution of 2.6 Å, and the structures of ligand-free zinc-reconstituted wild-type, E101N, R230D, and E101G/R230C mutants of GKL were determined to resolutions of 2.1, 2.1, 1.9, and 2.0 Å, respectively. In particular, the structure of the evolved E101G/R230C mutant of GKL provides evidence of a catalytically productive active site architecture that contributes to the observed enhancement of catalysis. At high concentrations, wild-type and mutant GKL enzymes are differentially colored, with absorbance maxima in the range of 512-553 nm. The structures of the wild-type and mutant GKL provide a tractable link between the origins of the coloration and the charge-transfer complex between the α-cation and Tyr99 within the enzyme active site. Taken together, this study provides evidence of the modulability of enzymatic catalysis through subtle changes in enzyme active site architecture.

A Phenylalanine Clamp Controls Substrate Specificity in the Quorum-Quenching Metallo-γ-lactonase from Bacillus thuringiensis

Autoinducer inactivator A (AiiA) is a metal-dependent N-acyl homoserine lactone hydrolase that displays broad substrate specificity but shows a preference for substrates with long N-acyl substitutions. Previously, crystal structures of AiiA in complex with the ring-opened product N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine revealed binding interactions near the metal center but did not identify a binding pocket for the N-acyl chains of longer substrates. Here we report the crystal structure of an AiiA mutant, F107W, determined in the presence and absence of N-decanoyl-l-homoserine. F107 is located in a hydrophobic cavity adjacent to the previously identified ligand binding pocket, and the F107W mutation results in the formation of an unexpected interaction with the ring-opened product. Notably, the structure reveals a previously unidentified hydrophobic binding pocket for the substrate's N-acyl chain. Two aromatic residues, F64 and F68, form a hydrophobic clamp, centered around the seventh carbon in the product-bound structure's decanoyl chain, making an interaction that would also be available for longer substrates, but not for shorter substrates. Steady-state kinetics using substrates of various lengths with AiiA bearing mutations at the hydrophobic clamp, including insertion of a redox-sensitive cysteine pair, confirms the importance of this hydrophobic feature for substrate preference. Identifying the specificity determinants of AiiA will aid the development of more selective quorum-quenching enzymes as tools and as potential therapeutics.

Development of a dry, stable and inhalable acyl–homoserine–lactone–acylase powder formulation for the treatment of pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections

In the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, Pseudomonas aeruginosa commonly causes chronic infections. It has been shown that the P. aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS) system controls the expression of virulence factors during invasion and infection to host cells. PvdQ is an acyl–homoserine lactone (AHL) acylase able to degrade the signal molecule of P. aeruginosa QS. The role of PvdQ in inhibiting the QS and its successive virulence determinants has been established in in vitro as well as in in vivo, the latter in a Caenorabdhitis elegans model. For the treatment of pulmonary P. aeruginosa infections, we propose that PvdQ can be best administered directly to the lungs of the patients as a dry powder because this is expected to give specific advantages in delivery as compared to nebulizing. Therefore in this study we investigated the production of a PvdQ powder by spray-freeze drying using mannitol, trehalose and inulin as excipient. The activity of PvdQ in the powder was determined immediately after production and after subsequent storage during 4weeks at 20°C and 55°C. We found that the enzymatic activity of PvdQ is fully maintained during spray-freeze drying using mannitol, trehalose or inulin as excipient. However, mannitol was not able to stabilize the protein during storage, while PvdQ incorporated in trehalose or inulin was fully stabilized even during storage at 55°C for at least 4weeks. The poor stabilizing capacities of mannitol during storage could be related to its crystalline nature while the excellent stabilizing capacities of trehalose and inulin during storage could be related to their amorphous nature. The trehalose and inulin-based particles consisted of porous spheres with a volume average aerodynamical diameter of ∼1.8μm implying that they are suitable for pulmonary delivery. This is the first study in which an AHL-degrading enzyme is processed into spray-freeze-dried powder suitable for inhalation.

High-resolution structures of AidH complexes provide insights into a novel catalytic mechanism for N-acyl homoserine lactonase.

Many pathogenic bacteria that infect humans, animals and plants rely on a quorum-sensing (QS) system to produce virulence factors. N-Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) are the best-characterized cell-cell communication signals in QS. The concentration of AHL plays a key role in regulating the virulence-gene expression and essential biological functions of pathogenic bacteria. N-Acyl homoserine lactonases (AHL-lactonases) have important functions in decreasing pathogenicity by degrading AHLs. Here, structures of the AHL-lactonase from Ochrobactrum sp. (AidH) in complex with N-hexanoyl homoserine lactone, N-hexanoyl homoserine and N-butanoyl homoserine are reported. The high-resolution structures together with biochemical analyses reveal convincing details of AHL degradation. No metal ion is bound in the active site, which is different from other AHL-lactonases, which have a dual Lewis acid catalysis mechanism. AidH contains a substrate-binding tunnel between the core domain and the cap domain. The conformation of the tunnel entrance varies with the AHL acyl-chain length, which contributes to the binding promiscuity of AHL molecules in the active site. It also supports the biochemical result that AidH is a broad catalytic spectrum AHL-lactonase. Taken together, the present results reveal the catalytic mechanism of the metal-independent AHL-lactonase, which is a typical acid-base covalent catalysis.

Quorum sensing blockade in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: biodegrading of N-Acyl homoserine lactone by Bacillus cereus UT26 and its consequent effects on their interaction

Bacteria use a chemical language to communicate with each other which enables them to synchronize gene expression as a result of cell density. This special language which is called quorum sensing (QS) is based on producing and sensing the small signals and eventually leads them to perceive when a minimum population unit is reached. On the contrary, quorum sensing blockade (quorum quenching) has been recently grabbed scientists attention as a promising tool in controlling bacterial pathogens which utilize N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) to regulate their virulence factor production. Biodegradation of AHL molecules is an efficient way in QS interrupting which normally happens in the natural environment. In this survey, the effect of Bacillus cereus UT26 strain as an efficient quorum quencher on degrading both signal molecules (C4-HSL and 3oxoC12-HSL) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. The strain strongly degraded both AHLs and hereby inhibited pyocyanin production in the lab condition. Moreover, co-culture experiments revealed that quorum quenching activity has an important role in interaction between different bacterial species; since the wild type (wt) strain of B. cereus UT26 reached 1000 fold higher growth yield comparing aiiA mutant strain of which has lost quorum quenching activity by a site directed mutation in AiiA lactonase gene.

Quorum-sensing regulates biofilm formation in Vibrio scophthalmi

BackgroundIn a previous study, we demonstrated that Vibrio scophthalmi, the most abundant Vibrio species among the marine aerobic or facultatively anaerobic bacteria inhabiting the intestinal tract of healthy cultured turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), contains at least two quorum-sensing circuits involving two types of signal molecules (a 3-hydroxy-dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone and the universal autoinducer 2 encoded by luxS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions regulated by these quorum sensing circuits in this vibrio by constructing mutants for the genes involved in these circuits.ResultsThe presence of a homologue to the Vibrio harveyi luxR gene encoding a main transcriptional regulator, whose expression is modulated by quorum–sensing signal molecules in other vibrios, was detected and sequenced. The V. scophthalmi LuxR protein displayed a maximum amino acid identity of 82% with SmcR, the LuxR homologue found in Vibrio vulnificus. luxR and luxS null mutants were constructed and their phenotype analysed. Both mutants displayed reduced biofilm formation in vitro as well as differences in membrane protein expression by mass-spectrometry analysis. Additionally, a recombinant strain of V. scophthalmi carrying the lactonase AiiA from Bacillus cereus, which causes hydrolysis of acyl homoserine lactones, was included in the study.ConclusionsV. scophthalmi shares two quorum sensing circuits, including the main transcriptional regulator luxR, with some pathogenic vibrios such as V. harveyi and V. anguillarum. However, contrary to these pathogenic vibrios no virulence factors (such as protease production) were found to be quorum sensing regulated in this bacterium. Noteworthy, biofilm formation was altered in luxS and luxR mutants. In these mutants a different expression profile of membrane proteins were observed with respect to the wild type strain suggesting that quorum sensing could play a role in the regulation of the adhesion mechanisms of this bacterium.

QsdH, a Novel AHL Lactonase in the RND-Type Inner Membrane of Marine Pseudoalteromonas byunsanensis Strain 1A01261

N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are the main quorum-sensing (QS) signals in gram-negative bacteria. AHLs trigger the expression of genes for particular biological functions when their density reaches a threshold. In this study, we identified and cloned the qsdH gene by screening a genomic library of Pseudoalteromonas byunsanensis strain 1A01261, which has AHL-degrading activity. The qsdH gene encoded a GDSL hydrolase found to be located in the N-terminus of a multidrug efflux transporter protein of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) family. We further confirmed that the GDSL hydrolase, QsdH, exhibited similar AHL-degrading activity to the full-length ORF protein. QsdH was expressed and purified to process the N-terminal signal peptide yielding a 27-kDa mature protein. QsdH was capable of inactivating AHLs with an acyl chain ranging from C4 to C14 with or without 3-oxo substitution. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analyses showed that QsdH functioned as an AHL lactonase to hydrolyze the ester bond of the homoserine lactone ring of AHLs. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that QsdH contained oxyanion holes (Ser-Gly-Asn) in conserved blocks (I, II, and III), which had important roles in its AHL-degrading activity. Furthermore, the lactonase activity of QsdH was slightly promoted by several divalent ions. Using in silico prediction, we concluded that QsdH was located at the first periplasmic loop of the multidrug efflux transporter protein, which is essential to substrate selectivity for these efflux pumps. These findings led us to assume that the QsdH lactonase and C-terminal efflux pump might be effective in quenching QS of the P. byunsanensis strain 1A01261. Moreover, it was observed that recombinant Escherichia coli producing QsdH proteins attenuated the plant pathogenicity of Erwinia carotovora, which might have potential to control of gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

AidC, a Novel N -Acylhomoserine Lactonase from the Potato Root-Associated Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-Bacteroides (CFB) Group Bacterium Chryseobacterium sp. Strain StRB126

N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are used as quorum-sensing (QS) signal molecules by many gram-negative bacteria. We have reported that Chryseobacterium sp. strain StRB126, which was isolated from the root surface of potato, has AHL-degrading activity. In this study, we cloned and characterized the aidC gene from the genomic library of StRB126. AidC has AHL-degrading activity and shows homology to several metallo-β-lactamase proteins from Bacteroidetes, although not to any known AHL-degrading enzymes. Purified AidC, as a maltose-binding fusion protein, showed high degrading activity against all tested AHLs, whether short- or long-chain forms, with or without substitution at carbon 3. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed that AidC functions as an AHL lactonase catalyzing AHL ring opening by hydrolyzing lactones. An assay to determine the effects of covalent and ionic bonding showed that Zn(2+) is important to AidC activity both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the aidC gene could also be PCR amplified from several other Chryseobacterium strains. In conclusion, this study indicated that the aidC gene, encoding a novel AHL lactonase, may be widespread throughout the genus Chryseobacterium. Our results extend the diversity and known bacterial hosts of AHL-degrading enzymes.

AiiA lactonase disrupts N-acylhomoserine lactone and attenuates quorum-sensing-related virulence in Pectobacterium carotovorum EMPCC

Enzymatic degradation of N-acyl homoserine lactone (NAHL) was found to interfere with the quorum sensing (QS) system and related functions in several soil bacteria. In this research, the NAHL lactonase gene aiiA was amplified using aiiA-7F/aiiA7R PCR primers from the quorum sensing inhibitor rhizobacterium Bacillus sp. strain DMS133, and cloned. The plasmid pME7075, carrying the DMS133 aiiA gene under the constitutive lac promoter, was introduced into the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum EMPCC, creating strain EMPCC/aiiA. Heterologous expression of the DMS133 aiiA gene in EMPCC severely reduced the accumulation of the NAHL throughout growth, and completely prevented pigmentation of the CV026 bioreporter strain. Virulence analysis revealed that the P. carotovorum strain EMPCC/aiiA expressing AiiA lactonase had drastically reduced tissue maceration activity compared with the wild type EMPCC strain. These results provide evidence that AiiA plays an important role in the quorum quenching ability of Bacillus sp. DMS133 whose AHL degradation capacity was investigated previously. In addition, the communication signal-inactivation approach represents a promising strategy for the prevention of diseases in which virulence is regulated by QS signal molecules.

Control of Membrane Biofouling in MBR for Wastewater Treatment by Quorum Quenching Bacteria Encapsulated in Microporous Membrane

Recently, enzymatic quorum quenching has proven its potential as an innovative approach for biofouling control in the membrane bioreactor (MBR) for advanced wastewater treatment. However, practical issues on the cost and stability of enzymes are yet to be solved, which requires more effective quorum quenching methods. In this study, a novel quorum quenching strategy, interspecies quorum quenching by bacterial cell, was elaborated and proved to be efficient and economically feasible biofouling control in MBR. A recombinant Escherichia coli which producing N-acyl homoserine lactonase or quorum quenching Rhodococcus sp. isolated from a real MBR plant was encapsulated inside the lumen of microporous hollow fiber membrane, respectively. The porous membrane containing these functional bacteria (i.e., "microbial-vessel") was put into the submerged MBR to alleviate biofouling on the surface of filtration membrane. The effect of biofouling inhibition by the microbial-vessel was evaluated over 80 days of MBR operation. Successful control of biofouling in a laboratory scale MBR suggests that the biofouling control through the interspecies quorum quenching could be expanded to the plant scale of MBR and various environmental engineering systems with economic feasibility.

Suppressing Erwinia carotovora Pathogenicity by Projecting N-Acyl Homoserine Lactonase onto the Surface of Pseudomonas putida Cells

N-Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) serve as the vital quorum-sensing signals that regulate the virulence of the pathogenic bacterium Erwinia carotovora. In the present study, an approach to efficiently restrain the pathogenicity of E. carotovora-induced soft rot disease is described. Bacillus thuringiensis-derived N-acyl homoserine lactonase (AiiA) was projected onto the surface of Pseudomonas putida cells, and inoculation with both strains was challenged. The previously identified N-terminal moiety of the ice nucleation protein, InaQ-N, was applied as the anchoring motif. A surface display cassette with inaQ-N/ aiiA was constructed and expressed under the control of a constitutive promoter in P. putida AB92019. Surface localization of the fusion protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence microscopy. The antagonistic activity of P. putida MB116 expressing InaQ-N/AiiA toward E. carotovora ATCC25270 was evaluated by challenge inoculation in potato slices at different ratios. The results revealed a remarkable suppressing effect on E. carotovora infection. The active component was further analyzed using different cell fractions, and the cell surface-projected fusion protein was found to correspond to the suppressing effect.

Complete genome sequence and characterization of the N-acylhomoserine lactone-degrading gene of the potato leaf-associated Solibacillus silvestris

N-Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are used as quorum-sensing signal molecules by many gram-negative bacteria. We have reported that Solibacillus silvestris, which was isolated from the potato leaf, has AHL-degrading activity. To identify the AHL-degrading gene, whole genome sequencing of S. silvestris StLB046 was performed by using pyrosequencing technology. As the result of the BLAST search, one predicted ORF (ahlS) showed slight similarity to AiiA-like AHL lactonase from Bacillus cereus group. Escherichia coli harboring the ahlS-expressing plasmid showed high AHL-degrading activity. The ahlS-cording region was also amplified by PCR from the other potato leaf-associated and AHL-degrading S. silvestris strains. Purified AhlS as a maltose binding fusion protein showed high AHL-degrading activity and catalyzes AHL ring opening by hydrolyzing lactones. In addition, expression of ahlS in plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum attenuated maceration of the potato slices. Our results suggest that AHL-degrading activity of ahlS might perform useful functions such as useful biocontrol agents.

Isolation and Characterization ofN-Acylhomoserine Lactonase from the Thermophilic Bacterium,Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticusYS-8

Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus YS-8, which was isolated from volcanic soil in Indonesia, was found to degrade various N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) with different lengths and acyl side-chain substitutions over a wide temperature range of 30-70 °C. The purified AHL-degrading enzyme showed a single band of 32 kDa, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined to be ANVIKARPKLYVMDN, tentatively suggesting that the AHL-degrading enzyme was AHL lactonase. The AHL-degrading activity of the purified enzyme was maximized at pH 7.5 and 50 °C, and it retained about 50% of its activity even after a heat treatment at 60 °C for 3 h, exhibiting properties consistent with a thermostable enzyme. The mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that the AHL-degrading enzyme catalyzed lactone ring opening of N-3-oxohexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone and N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone by hydrolyzing the lactones and working as an AHL lactonase.

N-ACYL HOMOSERINE LACTONe LACTONASE, AiiA, INACTIVATION OF QUORUM-SENSING AGONISTS PRODUCED BY CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDTII (CHLOROPHYTA) AND CHARACTERIZATION OF aiiA TRANSGENIC ALGAE(1).

Eukaryotes such as plants and the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii P. A. Dang. produce and secrete compounds that mimic N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) bacterial quorum-sensing (QS) signals and alter QS-regulated gene expression in the associated bacteria. Here, we show that the set of C. reinhardtii signal-mimic compounds that activate the CepR AHL receptor of Burkholderia cepacia are susceptible to inactivation by AiiA, an AHL lactonase enzyme of Bacillus. Inactivation of these algal mimics by AiiA suggests that the CepR-stimulatory class of mimics produced by C. reinhardtii may have a conserved lactone ring structure in common with AHL QS signals. To examine the role of AHL mimic compounds in the interactions of C. reinhardtii with bacteria, the aiiA gene codon optimized for Chlamydomonas was generated for the expression of AiiA as a chimeric fusion with cyan fluorescent protein (AimC). Culture filtrates of transgenic strains expressing the fusion protein AimC had significantly reduced levels of CepR signal-mimic activities. When parental and transgenic algae were cultured with a natural pond water bacterial community, a morphologically distinct, AHL-producing isolate of Aeromonas veronii was observed to colonize the transgenic algal cultures and form biofilms more readily than the parental algal cultures, indicating that secretion of the CepR signal mimics by the alga can significantly affect its interactions with bacteria it encounters in natural environments. The parental alga was also able to sequester and/or destroy AHLs in its growth media to further disrupt or manipulate bacterial QS.

Biofilm Development on Caenorhabditis elegans by Yersinia Is Facilitated by Quorum Sensing-Dependent Repression of Type III Secretion

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis forms biofilms on Caenorhabditis elegans which block nematode feeding. This genetically amenable host-pathogen model has important implications for biofilm development on living, motile surfaces. Here we show that Y. pseudotuberculosis biofilm development on C. elegans is governed by N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated quorum sensing (QS) since (i) AHLs are produced in nematode associated biofilms and (ii) Y. pseudotuberculosis strains expressing an AHL-degrading enzyme or in which the AHL synthase (ypsI and ytbI) or response regulator (ypsR and ytbR) genes have been mutated, are attenuated. Although biofilm formation is also attenuated in Y. pseudotuberculosis strains carrying mutations in the QS-controlled motility regulator genes, flhDC and fliA, and the flagellin export gene, flhA, flagella are not required since fliC mutants form normal biofilms. However, in contrast to the parent and fliC mutant, Yop virulon proteins are up-regulated in flhDC, fliA and flhA mutants in a temperature and calcium independent manner. Similar observations were found for the Y. pseudotuberculosis QS mutants, indicating that the Yop virulon is repressed by QS via the master motility regulator, flhDC. By curing the pYV virulence plasmid from the ypsI/ytbI mutant, by growing YpIII under conditions permissive for type III needle formation but not Yop secretion and by mutating the type III secretion apparatus gene, yscJ, we show that biofilm formation can be restored in flhDC and ypsI/ytbI mutants. These data demonstrate that type III secretion blocks biofilm formation and is reciprocally regulated with motility via QS.

Characterisation of two quorum sensing systems in the endophytic Serratia plymuthica strain G3: differential control of motility and biofilm formation according to life-style.

BackgroundN-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) systems have been described in many plant-associated Gram-negative bacteria to control certain beneficial phenotypic traits, such as production of biocontrol factors and plant growth promotion. However, the role of AHL-mediated signalling in the endophytic strains of plant-associated Serratia is still poorly understood. An endophytic Serratia sp. G3 with biocontrol potential and high levels of AHL signal production was isolated from the stems of wheat and the role of QS in this isolate was determined.ResultsStrain G3 classified as Serratia plymuthica based on 16S rRNA was subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Using primers to conserved sequences of luxIR homologues from the Serratia genus, splIR and spsIR from the chromosome of strain G3 were cloned and sequenced. AHL profiles from strain G3 and Escherichia coli DH5α expressing splI or spsI from recombinant plasmids were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This revealed that the most abundant AHL signals produced by SplI in E. coli were N-3-oxo-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (3-oxo-C6-HSL), N-3-oxo-heptanoylhomoserine lactone (3-oxo-C7-HSL), N-3-hydroxy-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (3-hydroxy-C6-HSL), N-hexanoylhomoserine lactone (C6-HSL), and N-heptanoyl homoserine lactone (C7-HSL); whereas SpsI was primarily responsible for the synthesis of N-butyrylhomoserine lactone (C4-HSL) and N-pentanoylhomoserine lactone (C5-HSL). Furthermore, a quorum quenching analysis by heterologous expression of the Bacillus A24 AiiA lactonase in strain G3 enabled the identification of the AHL-regulated biocontrol-related traits. Depletion of AHLs with this lactonase resulted in altered adhesion and biofilm formation using a microtiter plate assay and flow cells coupled with confocal laser scanning microscopy respectively. This was different from the closely related S. plymuthica strains HRO-C48 and RVH1, where biofilm formation for both strains is AHL-independent. In addition, QS in G3 positively regulated antifungal activity, production of exoenzymes, but negatively regulated production of indol-3-acetic acid (IAA), which is in agreement with previous reports in strain HRO-C48. However, in contrast to HRO-C48, swimming motility was not controlled by AHL-mediated QS.ConclusionsThis is the first report of the characterisation of two AHL-based quorum sensing systems in the same isolate of the genus Serratia. Our results show that the QS network is involved in the global regulation of biocontrol-related traits in the endophytic strain G3. However, although free-living and endophytic S. plymuthica share some conservation on QS phenotypic regulation, the control of motility and biofilm formation seems to be strain-specific and possible linked to the life-style of this organism.

Directed Evolution of a Thermostable Quorum-quenching Lactonase from the Amidohydrolase Superfamily

A thermostable quorum-quenching lactonase from Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 (GI: 56420041) was used as an initial template for in vitro directed evolution experiments. This enzyme belongs to the phosphotriesterase-like lactonase (PLL) group of enzymes within the amidohydrolase superfamily that hydrolyze N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) that are involved in virulence pathways of quorum-sensing pathogenic bacteria. Here we have determined the N-butyryl-L-homoserine lactone-liganded structure of the catalytically inactive D266N mutant of this enzyme to a resolution of 1.6 Å. Using a tunable, bioluminescence-based quorum-quenching molecular circuit, the catalytic efficiency was enhanced, and the AHL substrate range increased through two point mutations on the loops at the C-terminal ends of the third and seventh β-strands. This E101N/R230I mutant had an increased value of k(cat)/K(m) of 72-fold toward 3-oxo-N-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone. The evolved mutant also exhibited lactonase activity toward N-butyryl-L-homoserine lactone, an AHL that was previously not hydrolyzed by the wild-type enzyme. Both the purified wild-type and mutant enzymes contain a mixture of zinc and iron and are colored purple and brown, respectively, at high concentrations. The origin of this coloration is suggested to be because of a charge transfer complex involving the β-cation and Tyr-99 within the enzyme active site. Modulation of the charge transfer complex alters the lactonase activity of the mutant enzymes and is reflected in enzyme coloration changes. We attribute the observed enhancement in catalytic reactivity of the evolved enzyme to favorable modulations of the active site architecture toward productive geometries required for chemical catalysis.