title: A versatile plasmid biosensor useful to identify quorum sensing LuxR-family orphans in bacterial strains.
abstract: Eight luxI-family gene promoters (luxI, cviI, ahlI, rhlI, cepI, phzI, traI and ppuI) were cloned in tandem, upstream a promoterless lacZ gene in a promoter probe vector yielding pMULTIAHLPROM. This unique construct is useful in determining whether a bacterial strain not producing N-acyl homoserine lactone signal molecules (AHLs) possesses orphan LuxR type proteins able to respond to AHLs and activate transcription from quorum sensing target genes. Using pMULTIAHLPROM, it was demonstrated that Enterobacter aerogenes possibly contains a LuxR-family orphan able to activate luxI-family promoters independently from AHLs.
authors.affiliation: Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steindler
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Devescovi
authors.forename: Sujatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subramoni
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venturi
mesh_terms: D054742:Acyl-Butyrolactones / Q000378:metabolism; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021902:Enterobacter aerogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D054742:Acyl-Butyrolactones; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001616:beta-Galactosidase