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LasR Receptor for Detection of Long-Chain Quorum-Sensing Signals: Identification of N-Acyl-homoserine Lactones Encoded by the avsI Locus of Agrobacterium vitis

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Abstract

Bacterial biosensor strains have greatly facilitated the rapid discovery, isolation, and study of quorum-sensing systems. In this study, we determined the relative sensitivity of a LasR-based E. coli bacterial bioluminescence biosensor JM109 (pSB1075) for 13 diverse long-chain N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) including oxygen-substituted and -unsubstituted AHLs containing 14, 16, and 18 carbons and with and without double bonds. Furthermore, we show by bioassay, HPLC, and GC/MS that four long-chain AHLs of the C16-HSL family are encoded by the avsI gene of Agrobacterium vitis strain F2/5, a non-tumorigenic strain that inhibits pathogenic strains of A. vitis from causing crown gall on grape. The four C16-HSLs include: C16-HSL, N-hexadecanoyl homoserine lactone; 3-oxo-C16-HSL, N-(3-oxohexadecanoyl)homoserine lactone; C16:1-HSL, N-(cis-9-octadecenoyl)homoserine lactone; and 3-oxo-C16:1-HSL, N-(3-oxo-cis-11-hexadecenoyl)homoserine lactone. Thus, the LasR-based bioluminescent biosensor tested in this study should serve as a useful tool for the detection of various long-chain AHLs with and without double bonds as well as those oxylated at the third carbon from uninvestigated species.

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Acknowledgments

M. A. Savka thanks Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for a sabbatical leave of absence. This study was supported by the NRI Competitive Grants Program/USDA award numbers 2002-35319-12577 to M. A. Savka and 2006-35319-16558 to T. J .Burr.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Medical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, 85 Lomb Memorial Dr., A350 Gosnell Bldg, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA

    Michael A. Savka & Phuong T. Le

  2. Department of Microbial Biology and Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA

    Thomas J. Burr

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  1. Michael A. Savka
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Correspondence to Michael A. Savka.

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Savka, M.A., Le, P.T. & Burr, T.J. LasR Receptor for Detection of Long-Chain Quorum-Sensing Signals: Identification of N-Acyl-homoserine Lactones Encoded by the avsI Locus of Agrobacterium vitis . Curr Microbiol 62, 101–110 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-010-9679-1

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