title: PqsR-dependent and PqsR-independent regulation of motility and biofilm formation by PQS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen capable of group behaviors including swarming motility and biofilm formation. Swarming motility plays an important role in the bacterium's spread to new environments, attachment to surfaces, and biofilm formation. Bacterial biofilm is associated with many persistent infections and increased resistance to antibiotics. In this study, we tested the effect of a 2-alkyl-4(1H)-quinolone (AHQ) signal, the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) on P. aeruginosa swarming and biofilm formation. Our results show that PQS repressed the swarming motility of P. aeruginosa PAO1. Such repression was independent of its cognate receptor PqsR and was not related to changes in the flagellae, type IV pili or the production of the surface-wetting agent rhamnolipid surfactant. While PQS did not affect twitching motility in PAO1, a pqsR deletion abolished twitching motility, indicating that pqsR is required for twitching motility. Our results also indicate that the enhancement of biofilm formation by PQS is at least partially dependent on the GacAS-Rsm regulatory pathway but does not involve the las or rhl QS systems.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Faculty of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Weina
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yangyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Kangmin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duan
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D005407:Flagella / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015363:Quinolones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: C407944:2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4-quinolone; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006017:Glycolipids; D015363:Quinolones; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C418382:rhamnolipid
keywords: Biofilm; Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Swarming