AI-3 synthesis is not dependent on luxS in Escherichia coli

The quorum-sensing (QS) signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2) has been proposed to promote interspecies signaling in a broad range of bacterial species. AI-2 is spontaneously derived from 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione that, along with homocysteine, is produced by cleavage of S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and S-ribosylhomocysteine by the Pfs and LuxS enzymes. Numerous phenotypes have been attributed to AI-2 QS signaling using luxS mutants. We have previously reported that the luxS mutation also affects the synthesis of the AI-3 autoinducer that activates enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli virulence genes. Here we show that several species of bacteria synthesize AI-3, suggesting a possible role in interspecies bacterial communication. The luxS mutation leaves the cell with only one pathway, involving oxaloacetate and l-glutamate, for de novo synthesis of homocysteine. The exclusive use of this pathway for homocysteine production appears to alter metabolism in the luxS mutant, leading to decreased levels of AI-3. The addition of aspartate and expression of an aromatic amino acid transporter, as well as a tyrosine-specific transporter, restored AI-3-dependent phenotypes in an luxS mutant. The defect in AI-3 production, but not in AI-2 production, in the luxS mutant was restored by expressing the Pseudomonas aeruginosa S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase that synthesizes homocysteine directly from SAH. Furthermore, phenotype microarrays revealed that the luxS mutation caused numerous metabolic deficiencies, while AI-3 signaling had little effect on metabolism. This study examines how AI-3 production is affected by the luxS mutation and explores the roles of the LuxS/AI-2 system in metabolism and QS.     

禽致病性大肠杆菌安徽分离株luxS和pfs基因的克隆、表达与细胞外合成AI-2 活性检测

【目的】LuxS/AI-2型密度感应系统存在于革兰氏阴性和阳性菌中,可产生用于细菌种间交流的通用自诱导信号分子AI-2(Autoinducer-2,AI-2),细菌许多生理功能都受此系统的调节。本研究开展对禽致病性大肠杆菌(Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli,APEC)自诱导信号分子AI-2的检测和建立体外合成、定量的方法,为进一步研究APEC的AI-2调控作用奠定基础。【方法】利用哈维弧菌BB170(Vibrio harveyi BB170)开展对APEC AI-2的检测;利用表达、纯化的LuxS和Pfs在体外催化S-腺苷同型半胱氨酸(Sadenosylhomocysteine,SAH),进行AI-2的体外合成。【结果】APEC能产生自诱导信号分子AI-2;成功表达可用于AI-2合成的可溶性重组蛋白LuxS和Pfs;纯化的重组蛋白LuxS和Pfs与SAH同时作用后,合成了浓度为300μmol/L的AI-2;运用哈维弧菌BB170对合成的AI-2活性检测表明,其活性是阴性对照的700倍。【结论】APEC存在LuxS/AI-2型密度感应系统,APEC的LuxS和Pfs可以在体外催化SAH生成有活性的AI-2分子。本研究为进一步研究APEC的AI-2的调控作用奠定基础。     

Autoinducer 2: a concentration-dependent signal for mutualistic bacterial biofilm growth

4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD), a product of the LuxS enzyme in the catabolism of S-ribosylhomocysteine, spontaneously cyclizes to form autoinducer 2 (AI-2). AI-2 is proposed to be a universal signal molecule mediating interspecies communication among bacteria. We show that mutualistic and abundant biofilm growth in flowing saliva of two human oral commensal bacteria, Actinomyces naeslundii T14V and Streptococcus oralis 34, is dependent upon production of AI-2 by S. oralis 34. A luxS mutant of S. oralis 34 was constructed which did not produce AI-2. Unlike wild-type dual-species biofilms, A. naeslundii T14V and an S. oralis 34 luxS mutant did not exhibit mutualism and generated only sparse biofilms which contained a 10-fold lower biomass of each species. Restoration of AI-2 levels by genetic or chemical (synthetic AI-2 in the form of DPD) complementation re-established the mutualistic growth and high biomass characteristic for the wild-type dual-species biofilm. Furthermore, an optimal concentration of DPD was determined, above and below which biofilm formation was suppressed. The optimal concentration was 100-fold lower than the detection limit of the currently accepted AI-2 assay. Thus, AI-2 acts as an interspecies signal and its concentration is critical for mutualism between two species of oral bacteria grown under conditions that are representative of the human oral cavity.     

Effect of Homocysteine on Biofilm Formation by Mycobacteria

Mycobacteria show peculiar aggregated outgrowth like biofilm on the surface of solid or liquid media. Biofilms harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria in a self-produced extracellular matrix that signifies the bacterial fate to sedentary existence. Despite years of research, very little is known about the mechanisms that contribute to biofilm formation. LuxS has been previously known to play a role in biofilm formation in Autoinducer-2 dependent manner. We here show the effect of LuxS product-homocysteine, on the biofilm forming ability of non-tuberculous mycobacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG showing AI-2 independent phenotypic effect of LuxS. Exogenous supplementation of homocysteine in the culture media leads to aberrant cording, pellicle outgrowth, and biofilm formation. Thus, our study contributes to the better understanding of the mechanism of mycobacterial biofilm formation and sheds light on the role of LuxS product homocysteine. In addition, we highlight the contribution of activated methyl cycle in bacterial quorum sensing.     

嗜水气单胞菌群体感应信号分子AI-2的细胞外生物 合成及活性检测

【目的】对嗜水气单胞菌群体感应信号分子AI-2进行细胞外生物合成及活性检测。【方法】对LuxS、MtnN-1、MtnN-2蛋白进行氨基酸序列分析、表达及纯化。以S-腺苷同型半胱氨酸(SAH)为底物,利用纯化的LuxS分别与MtnN-1及MtnN-2蛋白共同作用合成AI-2,并利用哈维氏弧菌报告菌株BB170检测AI-2活性。【结果】嗜水气单胞菌培养液上清中AI-2活性在8 h达到空白对照的16.96倍。氨基酸序列分析表明,嗜水气单胞菌与水生病原菌哈维式弧菌和迟钝爱德华氏LuxS一致性达到76%以上,MtnN-1与MtnN-2氨基酸序列一致性为26.37%,其中MtnN-2与哈维氏弧菌和迟钝爱德华氏菌Pfs一致性达到53%以上。成功表达及纯化了LuxS、MtnN-1和MtnN-2蛋白,细胞外LuxS和MtnN-1共同作用合成的AI-2活性是空白对照的45.04倍,LuxS和MtnN-2共同作用合成的AI-2活性是空白对照的63.62倍。【结论】嗜水气单胞菌能够合成信号分子AI-2。MtnN-1和MtnN-2氨基酸序列尽管存在较大差异,但两者均能与LuxS共同催化AI-2的细胞外生物合成。     

乳酸菌群体感应与其肠道生物膜形成的研究进展

肠道内栖息着数量庞大且复杂的微生物菌群,是一个具有生物多样性的微环境,菌群在调节宿主肠道健康中发挥着重要作用。群体感应(quorumsensing,QS)是细菌间通过化学信号分子进行信息传递的重要方式。本文综述了QS系统组成、信号转导机制及AI-2/LuxS系统对肠道生物膜形成的调控,介绍了乳酸菌AI-2/LuxSQS系统及其在调控生物膜形成上的作用。通过肠道乳酸菌QS与生物膜形成综述分析,旨在为肠道屏障功能和健康调控提供新思路。     

The LuxS family of bacterial autoinducers: biosynthesis of a novel quorum-sensing signal molecule

Many bacteria control gene expression in response to cell population density, and this phenomenon is called quorum sensing. In Gram-negative bacteria, quorum sensing typically involves the production, release and detection of acylated homoserine lactone signalling molecules called autoinducers. Vibrio harveyi, a Gram-negative bioluminescent marine bacterium, regulates light production in response to two distinct autoinducers (AI-1 and AI-2). AI-1 is a homoserine lactone. The structure of AI-2 is not known. We have suggested previously that V. harveyi uses AI-1 for intraspecies communication and AI-2 for interspecies communication. Consistent with this idea, we have shown that many species of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria produce AI-2 and, in every case, production of AI-2 is dependent on the function encoded by the luxS gene. We show here that LuxS is the AI-2 synthase and that AI-2 is produced from S-adenosylmethionine in three enzymatic steps. The substrate for LuxS is S-ribosylhomocysteine, which is cleaved to form two products, one of which is homocysteine, and the other is AI-2. In this report, we also provide evidence that the biosynthetic pathway and biochemical intermediates in AI-2 biosynthesis are identical in Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, V. harveyi, Vibrio cholerae and Enterococcus faecalis. This result suggests that, unlike quorum sensing via the family of related homoserine lactone autoinducers, AI-2 is a unique, 'universal' signal that could be used by a variety of bacteria for communication among and between species.     

Type 2 Quorum Sensing Monitoring,Inhibition and Biofilm Formation in Marine Microrganisms

The quorum sensing (QS) dependent behaviour of micro-organisms, in particular expression of virulence genes, biofilm formation and dispersal, have provided impetus for investigating practical approaches to interfere with microbial QS. This study tests Halomonas pacifica and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus, two halophilic marine micro-organism, for their AI-2 dependent QS signalling and the effect of two well-known quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs), patulin and penicillic acid, on biofilm formation. We report, for the first time, the successful amplification of a putative luxS gene in H. pacifica using degenerated primers and AI-2 dependent QS as well as inhibition using QSIs. Penicillic acid had a strong inhibitory effect on AI-2 induction of H. pacifica at non-growth inhibitory concentrations, while patulin has an adverse effect only at the highest concentration (25 μM). QSIs effect on biofilm forming capability was isolate specific, with maximum inhibition at 25 μM of patulin in H. pacifica. In M. hydrocarbonoclasticus, no adverse effects were noted at any tested concentration of either QSIs. Detection of bioluminescence and the presence of a putative luxS gene provide biochemical and genetic evidence for the production of a signalling molecule(s) which is the essential first step in characterizing H. pacifica QS. This study highlights the importance of AI-2 dependent QS in a marine setting, not previously reported. It further suggests that QSI compounds must be selected in the specific system in which they are to function, and they cannot easily be transferred from one QS system to another.     

Involvement of luxS in Biofilm Formation by Capnocytophaga ochracea

Capnocytophaga ochracea is present in the dental plaque biofilm of patients with periodontitis. Biofilm cells change their phenotype through quorum sensing in response to fluctuations in cell-population density. Quorum sensing is mediated by auto-inducers (AIs). AI-2 is involved in intercellular signaling, and production of its distant precursor is catalyzed by LuxS, an enzyme involved in the activated methyl cycle. Our aim was to clarify the role of LuxS in biofilm formation by C. ochracea. Two luxS-deficient mutants, TmAI2 and LKT7, were constructed from C. ochracea ATCC 27872 by homologous recombination. The mutants produced significantly less AI-2 than the wild type. The growth rates of these mutants were similar to that of the wild-type in both undiluted Tryptic soy broth and 0.5 × Tryptic soy broth. However, according to crystal violet staining, they produced significantly less biofilm than the wild type. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that the biofilm of the TmAI2 strain had a rougher structure than that of the wild type. Complementation of TmAI-2 with extrinsic AI-2 from the culture supernatant of wild-type strain did not restore biofilm formation by the TmAI2 strain, but complementation of LKT7 strain with luxS partially restored biofilm formation. These results indicate that LuxS is involved in biofilm formation by C. ochracea, and that the attenuation of biofilm formation by the mutants is likely caused by a defect in the activated methyl cycle rather than by a loss of AI-2.     

Interaction between Streptococcus spp. and Veillonella tobetsuensis in the Early Stages of Oral Biofilm Formation

Dental plaque is a multispecies oral biofilm, the development of which is initiated by adherence of the pioneer Streptococcus spp. Oral Veillonella spp., including V. atypica, V. denticariosi, V. dispar, V. parvula, V. rogosae, and V. tobetsuensis, are known as early colonizers in oral biofilm formation. These species have been reported to coaggregate with Streptococcus spp. in a metabolic cooperation-dependent manner to form biofilms in human oral cavities, especially in the early stages of biofilm formation. However, in our previous study, Streptococcus gordonii showed biofilm formation to the greatest extent in the presence of V. tobetsuensis, without coaggregation between species. These results suggest that V. tobetsuensis produces signaling molecules that promote the proliferation of S. gordonii in biofilm formation. It is well known in many bacterial species that the quorum-sensing (QS) system regulates diverse functions such as biofilm formation. However, little is known about the QS system with autoinducers (AIs) with respect to Veillonella and Streptococcus spp. Recently, autoinducer 1 (AI-1) and AI-2 were detected and identified in the culture supernatants of V. tobetsuensis as strong signaling molecules in biofilm formation with S. gordonii. In particular, the supernatant from V. tobetsuensis showed the highest AI-2 activity among 6 oral Veillonella species, indicating that AIs, mainly AI-2, produced by V. tobetsuensis may be important factors and may facilitate biofilm formation of S. gordonii. Clarifying the mechanism that underlies the QS system between S. gordonii and V. tobetsuensis may lead to the development of novel methods for the prevention of oral infectious diseases caused by oral biofilms.     

信号分子AI-2合成关键基因luxS对副溶血性弧菌生物学特性的影响

[背景]副溶血性弧菌是全球范围重要的食源性病原菌,能引起急性肠胃炎。群体感应系统LuxS/AI-2影响细菌的生物学特性,为研究副溶血性弧菌的传播机制和控制技术提供了新的途径。[目的]探讨群体感应信号分子AI-2合成关键基因luxS对海产品中分离的副溶血性弧菌Vp2009027生物学特性的影响。[方法]利用自杀质粒同源重组技术敲除信号分子AI-2合成关键基因luxS,构建副溶血性弧菌Vp2009027的luxS基因缺失株,通过比较野生株与luxS基因缺失株的生长曲线、AI-2活性、运动能力、生物膜形成能力和耐药性,分析LuxS/AI-2系统对副溶血性弧菌生物学特性的影响。[结果]构建了副溶血性弧菌Vp2009027的luxS基因缺失株,野生株和luxS基因缺失株的生长无明显差异,luxS基因的缺失导致AI-2合成受阻、运动能力和生物膜形成能力增强、四环素耐药性降低。[结论]luxS基因对副溶血性弧菌的生物学特性具有重要的调控作用,为进一步研究副溶血性弧菌的传播机制和研发控制技术提供基础。     

Crystal Structure and Identification of Two Key Amino Acids Involved in AI-2 Production and Biofilm Formation in Streptococcus suis LuxS

Streptococcus suis has emerged as an important zoonotic pathogen that causes meningitis, arthritis, septicemia and even sudden death in pigs and humans. Quorum sensing is the signaling network for cell-to-cell communication that bacterial cells can use to monitor their own population density through production and exchange of signal molecules. S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) is the key enzyme involved in the activated methyl cycle. Autoinducer 2 (AI-2) is the adduct of borate and a ribose derivative and is produced from S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). AI-2 can mediate interspecies communication and in some species facilitate the bacterial behavior regulation such as biofilm formation and virulence in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we reported the overexpression, purification and crystallographic structure of LuxS from S. suis. Our results showed the catalytically active LuxS exists as a homodimer in solution. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) revealed the presence of Zn²⁺ in LuxS. Although the core structure shares the similar topology with LuxS proteins from other bacterial species, structural analyses and comparative amino acid sequence alignments identified two key amino acid differences in S. suis LuxS, Phe80 and His87, which are located near the substrate binding site. The results of site-directed mutagenesis and enzymology studies confirmed that these two residues affect the catalytic activity of the enzyme. These in vitro results were corroborated in vivo by expression of the LuxS variants in a S. suis ΔluxS strain. The single and two amino acid of LuxS variant decreased AI-2 production and biofilm formation significantly compared to that of the parent strain. Our findings highlight the importance of key LuxS residues that influence the AI-2 production and biofilm formation in S.suis.