Disrupting the luxS quorum sensing gene does not significantly affect Bacillus anthracis virulence in mice or guinea pigs.
Many bacterial species use secreted quorum-sensing autoinducer molecules to regulate cell density- and growth phase-dependent gene expression, including virulence factor production, as sufficient environmental autoinducer concentrations are achieved. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, contains a functional autoinducer (AI-2) system, which appears to regulate virulence gene expression. To determine if the AI-2 system is necessary for disease, we constructed a LuxS AI-2 synthase-deficient mutant in the virulent Ames strain of B. anthracis. We found that growth of the LuxS-deficient mutant was inhibited and sporulation was delayed when compared with the parental strain. However, spores of the Ames luxS mutant remained fully virulent in both mice and guinea pigs.
The United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, USA. joel.a.bozue@us.army.mil
Joel
J
Bozue
Bradford S
BS
Powell
Christopher K
CK
Cote
Krishna L
KL
Moody
H Carl
HC
Gelhaus
Nicholas J
NJ
Vietri
David A
DA
Rozak
D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006714:Homoserine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007783:Lactones / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000235:genetics; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007783:Lactones; C091088:N-octanoylhomoserine lactone; D037521:Virulence Factors; D006714:Homoserine; D013437:Carbon-Sulfur Lyases; C117753:LuxS protein, Bacteria