Transcriptome Analysis Revealed That a Quorum Sensing System Regulates the Transfer of the PAt Megaplasmid in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens

Overview

Journal BMC Genomics

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Genetics

Date 2016 Aug 21

PMID 27543103

Citations 2

Authors

Nadia Mhedbi-Hajri

Noura Yahiaoui

Samuel Mondy

Nathalie Hue

Franck Pelissier

Denis Faure

Yves Dessaux

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain P4 is atypical, as the strain is not pathogenic and produces a for this species unusual quorum sensing signal, identified as N-(3-hydroxy-octanoyl)-homoserine lactone (3OH,C8-HSL).

Results: By sequence analysis and cloning, a functional luxI-like gene, named cinI, has been identified on the At plasmid of A. tumefaciens strain P4. Insertion mutagenesis in the cinI gene and transcriptome analyses permitted the identification of 32 cinI-regulated genes in this strain, most of them encoding proteins responsible for the conjugative transfer of pAtP4. Among these genes were the avhB genes that encode a type 4 secretion system (T4SS) involved in the formation of the conjugation apparatus, the tra genes that encode the DNA transfer and replication (Dtr) machinery and cinI and two luxR orthologs. These last two genes, cinR and cinX, exhibit an unusual organization, with the cinI gene surrounded by the two luxR orthologs. Conjugation experiments confirmed that the conjugative transfer of pAtP4 is regulated by 3OH,C8-HSL. Root colonization experiments indicated that the quorum sensing regulation of the conjugation of the pAtP4 does not confer a gain or a loss of fitness to the bacterial host in the tomato plant rhizosphere.

Conclusion: This work is the first identification of the occurrence of a quorum sensing regulation of the pAt conjugation phenomenon in Agrobacterium.

Citing Articles

Saline Environments as a Source of Potential Quorum Sensing Disruptors to Control Bacterial Infections: A Review.

Torres M, Dessaux Y, Llamas I Mar Drugs. 2019; 17(3).

PMID: 30934619 PMC: 6471967. DOI: 10.3390/md17030191.

Transcriptome Profiling Reveals the EanI/R Quorum Sensing Regulon in Pantoea Ananatis LMG 2665.

Sibanda S, Kwenda S, Tanui C, Shyntum D, Coutinho T, Moleleki L Genes (Basel). 2018; 9(3).

PMID: 29518982 PMC: 5867869. DOI: 10.3390/genes9030148.

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