Differential gene expression shows natural brominated furanones interfere with the autoinducer-2 bacterial signaling system of Escherichia coli.
The quorum sensing disrupter (5Z)-4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)-3-butyl-2(5H)-furanone (furanone) of the alga Delisea pulchra was previously found by us (Environ Microbiol 3:731-736, 2001) to inhibit quorum sensing in Escherichia coli via autoinducer-2 (AI-2, produced by LuxS). In this study, DNA microarrays were used to study the genetic basis of this natural furanone inhibition of AI-2 signaling (significant values with p < 0.05 are reported). Using DNA microarrays, the AI-2 mutant Escherichia coli DH5alpha was compared with the AI-2 wild-type strain, E. coli K12, to determine how AI-2 influenced gene expression. Escherichia coli K12 was also grown with 0 and 60 microg/mL furanone to study the inhibition of quorum sensing gene expression. It was found that 166 genes were differentially expressed by AI-2 (67 were induced and 99 were repressed) and 90 genes were differentially expressed by furanone (34 were induced and 56 were repressed). Importantly, 79% (44 out of 56) of the genes repressed by furanone were induced by AI-2, which indicated that furanone inhibited AI-2 signaling and influenced the same suite of genes as a regulon. Most of these genes have functions of chemotaxis, motility, and flagellar synthesis. Interestingly, the aerotaxis genes aer and tsr were discovered to be induced by AI-2 and repressed by furanone. Representative microarray results were confirmed by RNA dot blotting. Furthermore, the E. coli air-liquid interface biofilm formation was repressed by furanone, supporting the results that taxis and flagellar genes were repressed by furanone. The autoinducer bioassay indicated that 100 microg/mL furanone decreased the extracellular concentration of AI-2 2-fold, yet luxS and pfs transcription were not significantly altered. Hence, furanone appeared to alter AI-2 signaling post-transcriptionally.
Department of Chemical Engineering and Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 191 Auditorium Road, U-3222, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3222, USA.
Dacheng
D
Ren
Laura A
LA
Bedzyk
Rick W
RW
Ye
Stuart M
SM
Thomas
Thomas K
TK
Wood
D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005663:Furans / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006714:Homoserine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005663:Furans; D007783:Lactones; C091088:N-octanoylhomoserine lactone; D006714:Homoserine