Pyrones as bacterial signaling molecules.
Nat Chem Biol
; 9(9): 573-8, 2013 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23851573
ABSTRACT
Bacteria communicate via small diffusible molecules and thereby mediate group-coordinated behavior, a process referred to as quorum sensing. The prototypical quorum sensing system found in Gram-negative bacteria consists of a LuxI-type autoinducer synthase that produces N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) as signals and a LuxR-type receptor that detects the AHLs to control expression of specific genes. However, many proteobacteria have proteins with homology to LuxR receptors yet lack any cognate LuxI-like AHL synthase. Here we show that in the insect pathogen Photorhabdus luminescens the orphan LuxR-type receptor PluR detects endogenously produced α-pyrones that serve as signaling molecules at low nanomolar concentrations. Additionally, the ketosynthase PpyS was identified as pyrone synthase. Reconstitution of the entire system containing PluR, the PluR-target operon we termed pcf and PpyS in Escherichia coli demonstrated that the cell-cell communication circuit is portable. Our research thus deorphanizes a signaling system and suggests that additional modes of bacterial communication may await discovery.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pyrones
/
Photorhabdus
/
Quorum Sensing
Language:
En
Journal:
Nat Chem Biol
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
QUIMICA
Year:
2013
Type:
Article