A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal
ABSTRACT Members of the genus Mesorhizobium, which are core components of the rhizosphere and specific symbionts of legume plants, possess genes for acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS). Here we show Mesorhizobium japonicum MAFF 303099 (formerly M. loti) synthesizes and responds to N-[(...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2023-08-01
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| Series: | mBio |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01010-23 |
| _version_ | 1797730264393187328 |
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| author | Zehui Suo Dale A. Cummings Aaron W. Puri Amy L. Schaefer E. Peter Greenberg |
| author_facet | Zehui Suo Dale A. Cummings Aaron W. Puri Amy L. Schaefer E. Peter Greenberg |
| author_sort | Zehui Suo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Members of the genus Mesorhizobium, which are core components of the rhizosphere and specific symbionts of legume plants, possess genes for acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS). Here we show Mesorhizobium japonicum MAFF 303099 (formerly M. loti) synthesizes and responds to N-[(2E, 4E)-2,4-dodecadienoyl] homoserine lactone (2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL). We show that the 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL QS circuit involves one of four luxR-luxI-type genes found in the sequenced genome of MAFF 303099. We refer to this circuit, which appears to be conserved among Mesorhizobium species, as R1-I1. We show that two other Mesorhizobium strains also produce 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL. The 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL is unique among known AHLs in its arrangement of two trans double bonds. The R1 response to 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL is extremely selective in comparison with other LuxR homologs, and the trans double bonds appear critical for R1 signal recognition. Most well-studied LuxI-like proteins use S-adenosylmethionine and an acyl-acyl carrier protein as substrates for synthesis of AHLs. Others that form a subgroup of LuxI-type proteins use acyl-coenzyme A substrates rather than acyl-acyl carrier proteins. I1 clusters with the acyl-coenzyme A-type AHL synthases. We show that a gene linked to the I1 AHL synthase is involved in the production of the QS signal. The discovery of the unique I1 product enforces the view that further study of acyl-coenzyme A-dependent LuxI homologs will expand our knowledge of AHL diversity. The involvement of an additional enzyme in AHL generation leads us to consider this system a three-component QS circuit. IMPORTANCE We report a Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing (QS) system involving a novel acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal. This system is known to be involved in root nodule symbiosis with host plants. The chemistry of the newly described QS signal indicated that there may be a dedicated cellular enzyme involved in its synthesis in addition to the types known for production of other AHLs. Indeed, we report that an additional gene is required for synthesis of the unique signal, and we propose that this is a three-component QS circuit as opposed to the canonical two-component AHL QS circuits. The signaling system is exquisitely selective. The selectivity may be important when this species resides in the complex microbial communities around host plants and may make this system useful in various synthetic biology applications of QS circuits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:41:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-90157be0ae9d42ad854aaf0c048b453a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-7511 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:41:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mBio |
| spelling | doaj.art-90157be0ae9d42ad854aaf0c048b453a2023-08-31T15:04:20ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymBio2150-75112023-08-0114410.1128/mbio.01010-23A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signalZehui Suo0Dale A. Cummings1Aaron W. Puri2Amy L. Schaefer3E. Peter Greenberg4Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Chemistry and the Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genomes Sciences, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah, USADepartment of Chemistry and the Henry Eyring Center for Cell and Genomes Sciences, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, Utah, USADepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USADepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington, USAABSTRACT Members of the genus Mesorhizobium, which are core components of the rhizosphere and specific symbionts of legume plants, possess genes for acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS). Here we show Mesorhizobium japonicum MAFF 303099 (formerly M. loti) synthesizes and responds to N-[(2E, 4E)-2,4-dodecadienoyl] homoserine lactone (2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL). We show that the 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL QS circuit involves one of four luxR-luxI-type genes found in the sequenced genome of MAFF 303099. We refer to this circuit, which appears to be conserved among Mesorhizobium species, as R1-I1. We show that two other Mesorhizobium strains also produce 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL. The 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL is unique among known AHLs in its arrangement of two trans double bonds. The R1 response to 2E, 4E-C12:2-HSL is extremely selective in comparison with other LuxR homologs, and the trans double bonds appear critical for R1 signal recognition. Most well-studied LuxI-like proteins use S-adenosylmethionine and an acyl-acyl carrier protein as substrates for synthesis of AHLs. Others that form a subgroup of LuxI-type proteins use acyl-coenzyme A substrates rather than acyl-acyl carrier proteins. I1 clusters with the acyl-coenzyme A-type AHL synthases. We show that a gene linked to the I1 AHL synthase is involved in the production of the QS signal. The discovery of the unique I1 product enforces the view that further study of acyl-coenzyme A-dependent LuxI homologs will expand our knowledge of AHL diversity. The involvement of an additional enzyme in AHL generation leads us to consider this system a three-component QS circuit. IMPORTANCE We report a Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing (QS) system involving a novel acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal. This system is known to be involved in root nodule symbiosis with host plants. The chemistry of the newly described QS signal indicated that there may be a dedicated cellular enzyme involved in its synthesis in addition to the types known for production of other AHLs. Indeed, we report that an additional gene is required for synthesis of the unique signal, and we propose that this is a three-component QS circuit as opposed to the canonical two-component AHL QS circuits. The signaling system is exquisitely selective. The selectivity may be important when this species resides in the complex microbial communities around host plants and may make this system useful in various synthetic biology applications of QS circuits.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01010-23bacterial communicationLuxI homologroot nodule bacteriaacyl-CoA-dependent autoinducer synthaseautoinduction |
| spellingShingle | Zehui Suo Dale A. Cummings Aaron W. Puri Amy L. Schaefer E. Peter Greenberg A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal mBio bacterial communication LuxI homolog root nodule bacteria acyl-CoA-dependent autoinducer synthase autoinduction |
| title | A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal |
| title_full | A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal |
| title_fullStr | A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal |
| title_short | A Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl-homoserine lactone signal |
| title_sort | mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing circuit that involves three linked genes and an unusual acyl homoserine lactone signal |
| topic | bacterial communication LuxI homolog root nodule bacteria acyl-CoA-dependent autoinducer synthase autoinduction |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.01010-23 |
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