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Detection of Homoserine Lactone-Like Quorum Sensing Molecules in Bradyrhizobium Strains

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Abstract

One hundred and forty-two Bradyrhizobium strains were screened for their ability to produce N-acyl homoserine lactone-like molecules (AHLs) by using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens biosensor strain containing a traI-lacZ fusion. Approximately 22% (31 of 142) of the tested strains produced AHLs that induced moderate to elevated β-galactosidase activity levels in the biosensor strain. Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium elkanii strains were both shown to produce AHLs. Age of culture, and media composition were each shown to influence production of AHL(s), with greater production occurring in 2 day-old cultures grown in rich media. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography analyses indicated that the B. japonicum strain USDA 290 produced at least two types of AHLs. Our results indicate that the production AHL-like autoinducers is widespread among both B. japonicum and B. elkanii strains.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported, in part, by funding from the Thailand Research Fund, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Asian Partnership fund, and The University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. We would like to thank Clay Fuqua for providing the A. tumefaciens NTL4 and KYC6 strains, Peter van Berkum for providing the USDA strain, R. Stewart Smith for Nitragin strains, Jennifer Seffernick for her help with HPLC analyses, and Carl Rosen for help with Statistics.

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Author notes

  1. Neelawan Pongsilp

    Present address: Department of Microbiology, University of SanamChandra Palace Campus, Nakhon Pathom, 73000, Thailand

  2. Eric W. Triplett

    Present address: Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0700, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA

    Neelawan Pongsilp & Eric W. Triplett

  2. Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, and BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA

    Neelawan Pongsilp & Michael J. Sadowsky

Authors
  1. Neelawan Pongsilp
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  2. Eric W. Triplett
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  3. Michael J. Sadowsky
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Correspondence to Michael J. Sadowsky.

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Pongsilp, N., Triplett, E.W. & Sadowsky, M.J. Detection of Homoserine Lactone-Like Quorum Sensing Molecules in Bradyrhizobium Strains. Curr Microbiol 51, 250–254 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-005-4550-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-005-4550-5

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