Impact of Quorum Sensing on the Virulence and Survival Traits of Burkholderia plantarii

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 18; p. 2657
• Main Authors: Kang, Minhee, Lee, Duyoung, Mannaa, Mohamed, Han, Gil, Choi, Haeun, Lee, Seungchul, Lim, Gah-Hyun, Kim, Sang-Woo, Kim, Tae-Jin, Seo, Young-Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-09-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Adaptability; Antibacterial activity; Antibacterial agents; Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Aquatic plants; Bacteria; Biofilms; Burkholderia; Burkholderia plantarii; Cell density; Defective mutant; E coli; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic transcription; Genomes; Genomic analysis; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; Metabolism; Motility; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Quorum sensing; Seedling blight; Seedlings; Solubilization; Survival; Swarming; Virulence; Virulence (Microbiology); South Korea; pathogenicity; quorum sensing; Burkholderia plantarii; survival
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants13182657

Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism by which bacteria detect and respond to cell density, regulating collective behaviors.
, the causal agent of rice seedling blight, employs the LuxIR-type QS system, common among Gram-negative bacteria, where LuxI-type synthase produces QS signals recognized by LuxR-type regulators to control gene expression. This study aimed to elucidate the QS mechanism in
KACC18965. Through whole-genome analysis and autoinducer assays, the
gene, responsible for QS signal production, was identified. Motility assays confirmed that C8-homoserine lactone (C8-HSL) serves as the QS signal. Physiological experiments revealed that the QS-defective mutant exhibited reduced virulence, impaired swarming motility, and delayed biofilm formation compared to the wild type. Additionally, the QS mutant demonstrated weakened antibacterial activity against
and decreased phosphate solubilization. These findings indicate that QS in
significantly influences various pathogenicity and survival traits, including motility, biofilm formation, antibacterial activity, and nutrient acquisition, highlighting the critical role of QS in pathogen virulence and adaptability.