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Identification of a Pseudomonas sp. that Inhibits RHL System of Quorum Sensing

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Abstract

The production of many Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors and secondary metabolites is regulated in concert with cell density by quorum sensing (QS). Therefore, strategies designed to inhibit QS are promising for the control of diseases. Here, we succeeded in isolating soil bacteria (56 out of 7,000 isolates) capable of inhibiting violacein production by Chromobacterium violaceum CV026. We focused on an isolate identified as a Pseudomonas sp. based on its 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence. A partially purified inhibitor factor(s) derived from culture supernatants consisted of at least three major components by HPLC analysis. A more highly purified preparation (16 μg/ml) specifically inhibited rhl-controlled pyocyanin and rhamnolipid production by wild type P. aeruginosa PAO1 (PAO1) and a QS double mutant PAO-MW1, without affecting growth. A significant inhibitory effect on elastase, protease and biofilm was also observed. These results provide compelling evidence that the inhibitor(s) interferes with the QS system. The identities of the inhibitors remain to be established.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful for the funds provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 81273409 and 90813010. Many thanks also to Professor Lianhui Zhang (IMCB, Singapore) and Professor Mark Willcox (UNSW, Australia) for providing the biomonitor strains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, People’s Republic of China

    Yuanyuan Zhang & Lianhui Wang

  2. Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210046, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Yuqian Zhang & Yuxiang Yang

  3. School of Geography and Biological Information, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210046, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Lixing Weng

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  1. Yuanyuan Zhang
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  2. Yuqian Zhang
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  3. Yuxiang Yang
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  4. Lianhui Wang
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Correspondence to Lianhui Wang or Lixing Weng.

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Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Yang, Y. et al. Identification of a Pseudomonas sp. that Inhibits RHL System of Quorum Sensing. Indian J Microbiol 53, 28–35 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0340-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-012-0340-5

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