N-(3-hydroxyhexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone is the biologically relevant quormone that regulates the phz operon of Pseudomonas chlororaphis strain 30-84

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Nov;73(22):7443-55. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01354-07. Epub 2007 Oct 5.

Abstract

Phenazine production by Pseudomonas fluorescens 2-79 and P. chlororaphis isolates 30-84 and PCL1391 is regulated by quorum sensing through the activator PhzR and acyl-homoserine lactones (acyl-HSLs) synthesized by PhzI. PhzI from P. fluorescens 2-79 produces five acyl-HSLs that include four 3-hydroxy species. Of these, N-(3-hydroxyhexanoyl)-HSL is the biologically relevant ligand for PhzR. The quorum-sensing systems of P. chlororaphis strains 30-84 and PCL1391 have been reported to produce and respond to N-(hexanoyl)-HSL. These differences were of interest since PhzI and PhzR of strain 2-79 share almost 90% sequence identity with orthologs from strains 30-84 and PCL1391. In this study, as assessed by thin-layer chromatography, the three strains produce almost identical complements of acyl-HSLs. The major species produced by P. chlororaphis 30-84 were identified by mass spectrometry as 3-OH-acyl-HSLs with chain lengths of 6, 8, and 10 carbons. Heterologous bacteria expressing cloned phzI from strain 30-84 produced the four 3-OH acyl-HSLs in amounts similar to those seen for the wild type. Strain 30-84, but not strain 2-79, also produced N-(butanoyl)-HSL. A second acyl-HSL synthase of strain 30-84, CsaI, is responsible for the synthesis of this short-chain signal. Strain 30-84 accumulated N-(3-OH-hexanoyl)-HSL to the highest levels, more than 100-fold greater than that of N-(hexanoyl)-HSL. In titration assays, PhzR(30-84) responded to both N-(3-OH-hexanoyl)- and N-(hexanoyl)-HSL with equal sensitivities. However, only the 3-OH-hexanoyl signal is produced by strain 30-84 at levels high enough to activate PhzR. We conclude that strains 2-79, 30-84, and PCL1391 use N-(3-OH-hexanoyl)-HSL to activate PhzR.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives*
  • 4-Butyrolactone / chemistry
  • 4-Butyrolactone / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Chromatography, Thin Layer
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • Operon*
  • Phenazines / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Pseudomonas / genetics*
  • Pseudomonas / metabolism*
  • Quorum Sensing*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Trans-Activators / chemistry
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Phenazines
  • PhzI protein, Pseudomonas sp.
  • PhzR protein, Pseudomonas
  • Trans-Activators
  • homoserine lactone
  • 4-Butyrolactone

Associated data

  • GENBANK/EF626944