title: Inhibition of quorum sensing in Chromobacterium violaceum by pigments extracted from Auricularia auricular.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to search for a novel quorum-sensing inhibitor from some fungi and analyse its inhibitory activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, a double mini-Tn5 mutant, was used as an indicator to monitor quorum-sensing inhibition. Auricularia auricular pigments from fruiting bodies were extracted using hydrochloric acid as an infusion, dissolved in alkaline dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sterilized by filtration through a 0·22-μm membrane filter and added to C. violaceum CV026 cultures. Inhibitory activity was measured by quantifying violacein production using a microplate reader. The results have revealed that the alkaline DMSO-soluble pigments significantly reduced violacein production in a concentration-dependent manner, a quorum-sensing-regulated behaviour in C. violaceum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auricularia auricular pigments can inhibit bacterial quorum sensing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest the bioactive constituents from edible and medicinal fungi could interfere with bacterial quorum-sensing system, regulate its associate functions and prevent bacterial pathogenesis. Further studies were in process in our laboratory to isolate specific compounds from A. auricular pigments, evaluate them as quorum-sensing inhibitors and analyse the exact mechanism of action.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Dongying, China. hzhu@live.cn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Q-H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000737:chemistry*; D002861:Chromobacterium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D048690:Fruiting Bodies, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry; D007211:Indoles / Q000378:metabolism; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007211:Indoles; D010860:Pigments, Biological; C063155:violacein