title: Deletion of valR, a homolog of Vibrio harveyiś luxR generates an intermediate colony phenotype between opaque/rugose and translucent/smooth in Vibrio alginolyticus.
abstract: A previous study has shown that Vibrio alginolyticus ZJ-51 undergoes colony phase variation between opaque/rugose (Op) and translucent/smooth (Tr). The AI-2 quorum-sensing master regulator ValR, a homolog to V. harveyi LuxR, was suggested to be involved in the transition. To investigate the role of ValR in the variation and in biofilm formation, an in-frame deletion of valR in both Op and Tr backgrounds was carried out. The mutants in both backgrounds showed an intermediate colony morphotype, where the colonies were less opaque/rugose but not fully translucent/smooth either. They also showed an intermediate level of motility. However, biofilm formation was severely decreased in both mutants and polar flagella were depleted also. Quantitative PCR showed that most of the genes related to flagellar and polysaccharide biosynthesis were upregulated in the mutant of Op background (Delta valR/Op) but downregulated in the mutant of Tr background (Delta valR/Tr) compared with their parental wild-type strains. This suggests that ValR may control biofilm formation by regulating flagellar biosynthesis and affect the expression of the genes involved in colony phase variation in V. alginolyticus.
authors.affiliation: LMB and LAMB of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS, Guangzhou, China. chen.chang@scsio.ac.cn
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jing-Jing
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chun-Hua
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chao-Qun
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*; D044149:Vibrio alginolyticus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C064778:LuxR autoinducer binding proteins