title: PCR detection of Serratia spp. using primers targeting pfs and luxS genes involved in AI-2-dependent quorum sensing.
abstract: Quorum sensing is the ability of bacteria to communicate and coordinate behavior emitting signaling molecules. A series of primers for PCR detection of Serratia spp. has been designed using as targets the pfs and luxS genes involved in AI-2-dependent quorum sensing. The identities of the PCR products (193 and 102 bp) were confirmed by commercial sequencing. Twenty-seven Serratia strains (representing 10 different species) tested positive for the presence of the pfs and luxS genes, while a total of 7 different species of non-Serratia (25 strains) were tested and gave negative results. The sensitivity and specificity of the pfs- and luxS-based PCR assay were also checked in artificially contaminated bacterial samples. In this study we established a novel method to detect Serratia using quorum-sensing genes as diagnostic markers.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266555, People's Republic of China. zhuh@yahoo.cn
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Shu-Jing
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hong-Yue
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Dang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006714:Homoserine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000235:genetics*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012705:Serratia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D007783:Lactones; C091088:N-octanoylhomoserine lactone; D006714:Homoserine; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C117753:LuxS protein, Bacteria