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Doxycycline interferes with quorum sensing-mediated virulence factors and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria

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Abstract

Inhibition of quorum sensing (QS)-regulated virulence factors including biofilm is a recognized anti-pathogenic drug target. The search for safe and effective anti-QS agents is expected to be useful to combat diseases caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, effect of a commonly used antibiotic, doxycycline on QS was evaluated using sensor strains of Chromobacterium violaceum (ATCC 12472 and CVO26) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. Sub-MICs of doxycycline reduced QS-controlled violacein production in C. violaceum to a significant degree (70 %) and showed a significant reduction of LasB elastase (67.2 %), pyocyanin (69.1 %), chitinase (69.8 %) and protease (65 %) production and swarming motility (74 %) in P. aeruginosa PAO1 over untreated controls. Similar results were also recorded against a clinical strain of P. aeruginosa (PAF-79). Interestingly, doxycycline at respective sub-MICs (4 and 32 μg ml−1) significantly reduced the biofilm-forming capability and exopolysaccharide production in both the strains of P. aeruginosa (PAO1 and PAF-79) over untreated controls. The results of this study highlight the multiple actions of doxycycline against QS-linked traits/virulence factors and its potential to attenuate virulence of P. aeruginosa.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the University Grants Commission (Grant No. F. 33-208/2007) and Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, India for awarding an INSPIRE fellowship to Fohad M Husain. We are also thankful to Professor Robert JC McLean, Texas State University, USA, for providing QS bioreporter strains.

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  1. Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, UP, India

    Fohad Mabood Husain & Iqbal Ahmad

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  1. Fohad Mabood Husain
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  2. Iqbal Ahmad
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Correspondence to Iqbal Ahmad.

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Husain, F.M., Ahmad, I. Doxycycline interferes with quorum sensing-mediated virulence factors and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 29, 949–957 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-013-1252-1

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