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Quorum sensing-disrupting coumarin suppressing virulence phenotypes in Vibrio splendidus

  • Environmental biotechnology
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Abstract

In the present study, the effects of an environmental friendly natural reagent coumarin, on the growth and potential virulence factors, as well as its ability to interfere the infection of Vibrio splendidus (Vs), were determined. Coumarin showed no effects on the maximal growth of Vs, and biofilm formation of Vs, while it significantly decreased protease activity and hemolytic activity by 43 and 80%, respectively. Correspondingly, coumarin exhibited an obviously protective effect, with a relative percent survival of 60% upon Apostichopus japonicus from infection by Vs. To preliminarily investigate the mechanism underlining the inhibitory effects, regulation of genes Vsm and Vsh respectively related to protease activity and hemolytic activity by supernatant and supernatant extract containing acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) and coumarin was determined. Cell-free supernatant from higher density and its ethyl acetate extract containing AHL signal molecules could respectively upregulate the mRNA level of Vsm by 17.4- and 2.3-fold and Vsh by 7.2- and 5.0-fold, when Vs was at lower cell density. However, coumarin could reduce the stimulatory effects of both the supernatant and its ethyl acetate extract. Combining all the results in our study, it was suggested that coumarin could be considered as an alternative to be used for controlling infection of Vs, downregulating the expression of potential virulence factors through interfering the AHL-mediated pathways.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Road, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, 315211, People’s Republic of China

    Shanshan Zhang, Ningning Liu, Weikang Liang, Qingxi Han, Weiwei Zhang & Chenghua Li

Authors
  1. Shanshan Zhang
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  2. Ningning Liu
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  3. Weikang Liang
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  4. Qingxi Han
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  5. Weiwei Zhang
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  6. Chenghua Li
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Weiwei Zhang or Chenghua Li.

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Funding

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41676141 and 41276120), the Zhejiang Open Foundation of The Most Important Subjects (XKZSC1407 and XKZSC1408), the Natural Science foundation of Ningbo (2015C50057), the public welfare Technology Application Research Project of Zhejiang (2016C33022), and the K.C. Wong Magna Fund at Ningbo University.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

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Zhang, S., Liu, N., Liang, W. et al. Quorum sensing-disrupting coumarin suppressing virulence phenotypes in Vibrio splendidus . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 101, 3371–3378 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-8009-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-016-8009-3

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