scholarly journals Conjugative Transfer of p42a from Rhizobium etli CFN42, Which Is Required for Mobilization of the Symbiotic Plasmid, Is Regulated by Quorum Sensing

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (5) ◽  
pp. 1681-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Tun-Garrido ◽  
Patricia Bustos ◽  
Víctor González ◽  
Susana Brom
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Regulatory Genes ◽  
Conjugal Transfer ◽  
Conjugative Transfer ◽  
Rhizobium Etli ◽  
Regulation Scheme ◽  
Symbiotic Plasmid ◽  
Transfer Region

ABSTRACT Rhizobium etli CFN42 contains six plasmids. Only one of them, p42a, is self-conjugative at high frequency. This plasmid is strictly required for mobilization of the symbiotic plasmid (pSym). To study the transfer mechanism of p42a, a self-transmissible cosmid clone containing its transfer region was isolated. Its sequence showed that most of the tra genes are highly similar to genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens pTiC58 and other related plasmids. Four putative regulatory genes were identified; three of these (traI, traR, and cinR) belong to the LuxR-LuxI family. Mutagenesis of these genes confirmed their requirement for p42a transfer. We found that the conjugative transfer of p42a is dependent on quorum sensing, and consequently pSym transfer also was found to be similarly regulated, establishing a complex link between environmental conditions and pSym transfer. Although R. etli has been shown to produce different N-acyl-homoserine lactones, only one of them, a 3-oxo-C8-homoserine lactone encoded by the traI gene described here, was involved in transfer. Mutagenesis of the fourth regulatory gene, traM, had no effect on transfer. Analysis of transcriptional fusions of the regulatory genes to a reporter gene suggests a complex regulation scheme for p42a conjugative transfer. Conjugal transfer gene expression was found to be directly upregulated by TraR and the 3-oxo-C8-homoserine lactone synthesized by TraI. The traI gene was autoregulated by these elements and positively regulated by CinR, while cinR expression required traI. Finally, we did not detect expression of traM, indicating that in p42a TraM may be expressed so weakly that it cannot inhibit conjugal transfer, leading to the unrepressed transfer of p42a.

scholarly journals Dissemination of Genetic Acquisition/Loss Provides a Variety of Quorum Sensing Regulatory Properties in Pseudoalteromonas

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiliang Yu ◽  
Yajuan Ding ◽  
Jianhua Yin ◽  
Dongliang Yu ◽  
Jiadi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Transposon Mutagenesis ◽  
Regulatory Genes ◽  
Network Architectures ◽  
Remarkable Feature ◽  
Origin Binding Protein ◽  
Protein Encoding ◽  
Regulatory Properties

A bstract: Quorum sensing (QS) enables single-celled bacteria to communicate with chemical signals in order to synchronize group-level bacterial behavior. Pseudoalteromonas are marine bacteria found in versatile environments, of which QS regulation for their habitat adaptation is extremely fragmentary. To distinguish genes required for QS regulation in Pseudoalteromonas, comparative genomics was deployed to define the pan-genomics for twelve isolates and previously-sequenced genomes, of which acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based QS traits were characterized. Additionally, transposon mutagenesis was used to identify the essential QS regulatory genes in the selected Pseudoalteromonas isolate. A remarkable feature showed that AHL-based colorization intensity of biosensors induced by Pseudoalteromonas most likely correlates with QS regulators genetic heterogeneity within the genus. This is supported by the relative expression levels of two of the main QS regulatory genes (luxO and rpoN) analyzed in representative Pseudoalteromonas isolates. Notably, comprehensive QS regulatory schema and the working model proposed in Pseudoalteromonas seem to phylogenetically include the network architectures derived from Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio. Several associated genes were mapped by transposon mutagenesis. Among them, a right origin-binding protein-encoding gene (robp) was functionally identified as a positive QS regulatory gene. This gene lies on a genomic instable region and exists in the aforementioned bioinformatically recruited QS regulatory schema. The obtained data emphasize that the distinctly- and hierarchically-organized mechanisms probably target QS association in Pseudoalteromonas dynamic genomes, thus leading to bacterial ability to accommodate their adaption fitness and survival advantages.

scholarly journals Identification of Functional mob Regions in Rhizobium etli: Evidence for Self-Transmissibility of the Symbiotic Plasmid pRetCFN42d

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (17) ◽  
pp. 5753-5761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Pérez-Mendoza ◽  
Ana Domínguez-Ferreras ◽  
Socorro Muñoz ◽  
María José Soto ◽  
José Olivares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Genome ◽  
Donor Cell ◽  
Conjugal Transfer ◽  
Rhizobium Etli ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Reading Frame ◽  
Laboratory Conditions ◽  
Symbiotic Plasmid ◽  
Transfer Region ◽  
Multiple Copies

ABSTRACT An approach originally designed to identify functional origins of conjugative transfer (oriT or mob) in a bacterial genome (J. A. Herrera-Cervera, J. M. Sanjuán-Pinilla, J. Olivares, and J. Sanjuán, J. Bacteriol. 180:4583-4590, 1998) was modified to improve its reliability and prevent selection of undesired false mob clones. By following this modified approach, we were able to identify two functional mob regions in the genome of Rhizobium etli CFN42. One corresponds to the recently characterized transfer region of the nonsymbiotic, self-transmissible plasmid pRetCFN42a (C. Tun-Garrido, P. Bustos, V. González, and S. Brom, J. Bacteriol. 185:1681-1692, 2003), whereas the second mob region belongs to the symbiotic plasmid pRetCFN42d. The new transfer region identified contains a putative oriT and a typical conjugative (tra) gene cluster organization. Although pRetCFN42d had not previously been shown to be self-transmissible, mobilization of cosmids containing this tra region required the presence of a wild-type pRetCFN42d in the donor cell; the presence of multiple copies of this mob region in CFN42 also promoted conjugal transfer of the Sym plasmid pRetCFN42d. The overexpression of a small open reading frame, named yp028, located downstream of the putative relaxase gene traA, appeared to be responsible for promoting the conjugal transfer of the R. etli pSym under laboratory conditions. This yp028-dependent conjugal transfer required a wild-type pRetCFN42d traA gene. Our results suggest for the first time that the R. etli symbiotic plasmid is self-transmissible and that its transfer is subject to regulation. In wild-type CFN42, pRetCFN42d tra gene expression appears to be insufficient to promote plasmid transfer under standard laboratory conditions; gene yp028 may play some role in the activation of conjugal transfer in response to as-yet-unknown environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Differential Regulation of fixN-Reiterated Genes in Rhizobium etli by a Novel fixL—fixK Cascade

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1283-1292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lourdes Girard ◽  
Susana Brom ◽  
Araceli Dávalos ◽  
Oswaldo López ◽  
Mario Soberón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Regulatory Element ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Differential Regulation ◽  
Rhizobium Etli ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Symbiotic Plasmid ◽  
Independent Mechanism ◽  
Fusion Analysis

Among the complexities in the regulation of nitrogen fixation in the Rhizobiaceae are reiteration of regulatory components as well as variant roles for each component between species. For Rhizobium etli CFN42, we reported that the symbiotic plasmid (pCFN42d) contains a key regulatory gene (fixKd) and genes for a symbiotic cytochrome oxidase (fixNOQPd). Here we discuss the occurrence of reiteration of these genes (fixKf and fixNOQPf) and the finding of an unusual fixL homolog on a plasmid previously considered cryptic (pCFN42f). The structure of the deduced FixL polypeptide is suggestive of a fusion of the receiver and transmitter modules of a two-component regulatory system as described in R. leguminosarum bv. viciae VF39. Gene fusion analysis, coupled with mutation of each regulatory element, revealed that free-living expression of FixKf was dependent fully on FixL. In contrast, synthesis of FixKd was not detected under the conditions tested. The FixKf protein is needed for microaerobic expression of both fixN reiterations, whereas the FixKd protein appears to be dispensable. Interestingly, expression of the fixN reiterations exhibits a differential dependence for FixL, where transcription of fixNf was suppressed in the absence of FixL but expression of fixNd still showed significant levels. This suggests the existence of a FixL-independent mechanism for expression of the fixNd reiteration. Surprisingly, mutations in fixL, fixKd, or fixKf (either singly or in combination) did not alter symbiotic effectiveness. A mutation in fixNd (but not in fixNf) was, however, severely affected, indicating a differential role for these reiterations in nitrogen fixation.

scholarly journals The Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 Sigma Regulator psrA Represses the Production of the Antifungal Metabolite Phenazine-1-Carboxamide

2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. C. Chin-A-Woeng ◽  
Daan van den Broek ◽  
Ben J. J. Lugtenberg ◽  
Guido V. Bloemberg
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Biosynthetic Gene Cluster ◽  
Phytopathogenic Fungus ◽  
Pseudomonas Chlororaphis ◽  
Antifungal Metabolite ◽  
Expression Studies ◽  
Multiple Copies

The rhizobacterium Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 produces the antifungal metabolite phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN), which is a crucial trait in its competition with the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici in the rhizosphere. The expression of the PCN biosynthetic gene cluster in PCL1391 is population density-dependent and is regulated by the quorum-sensing genes phzI and phzR via synthesis of the autoinducer Nhexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL). Here, we describe the identification of an additional regulatory gene of PCN biosynthesis in PCL1391. A mutation in the psrA gene (Pseudomonas sigma regulator), the gene product of which is a member of the TetR/AcrR family of transcriptional regulators, resulted in increased production of autoinducer molecules and PCN. Expression studies showed that inactivation of psrA resulted in increased expression of the phzI and phzR genes and the phz biosynthetic operon and that introduction of functional copies of psrA represses the expression of these genes, resulting in reduced production of autoinducer signal and PCN. Surprisingly, inactivation of psrA in the phzI or phzR quorum-sensing mutants, which do not produce detectable amounts of PCN and autoinducers by themselves, restored PCN biosynthesis. This phenomenon was accompanied by the appearance of compounds with autoinducer activities migrating at the positions of C4-HSL and C6-HSL on C18 reverse phase-thin-layer chromatography. These observations indicate that PsrA also represses at least one silent, yet unidentified, quorum-sensing system or autoinducer biosynthetic pathway in PCL1391. The expression of psrA declines at the onset of the stationary phase at the same moment at which quorum-sensing (-regulated) genes are activated. In addition, expression studies in a psrA- and a multicopy psrA background showed that psrA is autoregulated. Multiple copies of psrA repress its own expression. Mutation of gacS, encoding the sensor kinase member of a two-component global regulatory system significantly reduced production of autoinducers and PCN. We show a novel link between global regulation and quorum sensing via the PsrA regulator.

scholarly journals Co-Dependent and Interdigitated: Dual Quorum Sensing Systems Regulate Conjugative Transfer of the Ti Plasmid and the At Megaplasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens 15955

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian S Barton ◽  
Justin L Eagan ◽  
Priscila A Nieves-Otero ◽  
Ian P Reynolds ◽  
Thomas G Patt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agrobacterium Tumefaciens ◽  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Ti Plasmid ◽  
Conjugative Transfer ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Conjugation System ◽  
Direct Production ◽  
Sensing Systems

Members of the Rhizobiaceae, often carry multiple secondary replicons in addition to the primary chromosome with compatible repABC-based replication systems. Unlike secondary chromosomes and chromids, repABC-based megaplasmids and plasmids can undergo copy number fluctuations and are capable of conjugative transfer in response to environmental signals. Several Agrobacterium tumefaciens lineages harbor three secondary repABC-based replicons, including a secondary chromosome (often linear), the Ti (tumor-inducing) plasmid and the At megaplasmid. The Ti plasmid is required for virulence and encodes a conjugative transfer (tra) system that is strictly regulated by a subset of plant-tumor released opines and a well-described acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum-sensing mechanism. At plasmids are generally not required for virulence, but carry genes that enhance rhizosphere survival, and these plasmids are often conjugatively proficient. We report that the At megaplasmid of the octopine-type strain A. tumefaciens 15955 encodes a quorum-controlled conjugation system that directly interacts with the paralogous quorum sensing system on the co-resident Ti plasmid. Both the pAt15955 and pTi15955 plasmids carry homologues of a TraI-type AHL synthase, a TraR-type AHL-responsive transcription activator, and a TraM-type anti-activator. The traI genes from both pTi15955 and pAt15955 can direct production of the inducing AHL (3-octanoyl-L-homoserine lactone) and together contribute to the overall AHL pool. The TraR protein encoded on each plasmid activates AHL-responsive transcription of target tra gene promoters. The pAt15955 TraR can cross-activate tra genes on the Ti plasmid as strongly as its cognate tra genes, whereas the pTi15955 TraR preferentially biased towards its own tra genes. Putative tra box elements are located upstream of target promoters, and comparing between plasmids, they are in similar locations and share an inverted repeat structure, but have distinct consensus sequences. The two AHL quorum sensing systems have a combinatorial effect on conjugative transfer of both plasmids. Overall, the interactions described here have implications for the horizontal transfer and evolutionary stability of both plasmids and, in a broad sense, are consistent with other repABC systems that often have multiple quorum-sensing controlled secondary replicons.

scholarly journals Two Opines Control Conjugal Transfer of an Agrobacterium Plasmid by Regulating Expression of Separate Copies of the Quorum-Sensing Activator Gene traR

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (4) ◽  
pp. 1121-1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Oger ◽  
Stephen K. Farrand
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Conjugal Transfer ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Upstream Gene ◽  
Catabolic Plasmid ◽  
Ti Plasmids ◽  
Control Transfer ◽  
Crown Gall Tumors

ABSTRACT Conjugal transfer of Ti plasmids from Agrobacterium spp. is controlled by a hierarchical regulatory system designed to sense two environmental cues. One signal, a subset of the opines produced by crown gall tumors initiated on plants by the pathogen, serves to induce production of the second, an acyl-homoserine lactone quorum-sensing signal, the quormone, produced by the bacterium itself. This second signal activates TraR, and this transcriptional activator induces expression of the tra regulon. Opines control transfer because the traR gene is a member of an operon the expression of which is regulated by the conjugal opine. Among the Ti plasmid systems studied to date, only one of the two or more opine families produced by the associated tumor induces transfer. However, two chemically dissimilar opines, nopaline and agrocinopines A and B, induce transfer of the opine catabolic plasmid pAtK84b found in the nonpathogenic Agrobacterium radiobacter isolate K84. In this study we showed that this plasmid contains two copies of traR, and each is associated with a different opine-regulated operon. One copy, traR noc, is the last gene of the nox operon and was induced by nopaline but not by agrocinopines A and B. Mutating traR noc abolished induction of transfer by nopaline but not by the agrocinopines. A mutation in ocd, an upstream gene of the nox operon, abolished utilization of nopaline and also induction of transfer by this opine. The second copy, traR acc, is located in an operon of four genes and was induced by agrocinopines A and B but not by nopaline. Genetic analysis indicated that this gene is required for induction of transfer by agrocinopines A and B but not by nopaline. pAtK84b with mutations in both traR genes was not induced for transfer by either opine. However, expression of a traR gene in trans to this plasmid resulted in opine-independent transfer. The association of traR noc with nox is unique, but the operon containing traR acc is related to the arc operons of pTiC58 and pTiChry5, two Ti plasmids inducible for transfer by agrocinopines A-B and C-D, respectively. We conclude that pAtK84b codes for two independently functioning copies of traR, each regulated by a different opine, thus accounting for the activation of the transfer system of this plasmid by the two opine types.

scholarly journals The Quorum Sensing Regulator CinR Hierarchically Regulates Two Other Quorum Sensing Pathways in Ligand-Dependent and -Independent Fashions in Rhizobium etli

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (9) ◽  
pp. 1573-1581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiming Zheng ◽  
Yiling Mao ◽  
Qingcheng Zhu ◽  
Jun Ling ◽  
Na Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Nodule Formation ◽  
Rhizobium Etli ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nitrogen Fixation Activity ◽  
Regulatory Cascade ◽  
Regulatory Systems ◽  
Cell Densities

ABSTRACTMany rhizobial species use complexN-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) systems to monitor their population density and regulate their symbiotic interactions with their plant hosts. There are at least three LuxRI-type regulatory systems inRhizobium etliCFN42: CinRI, RaiRI, and TraRI. In this study, we show that CinI, RaiI, and TraI are responsible for synthesizing all AHLs under the tested conditions. The activation of these AHL synthase genes requires their corresponding LuxR-type counterparts. We further demonstrate that CinRI is at the top of the regulatory cascade that activates RaiRI and TraRI QS systems. Moreover, we discovered that CinR possesses a specific affinity to bindcinIpromoter in the absence of its cognate AHL ligand, thereby activatingcinItranscription. Addition of AHLs leads to improved binding to thecinIpromoter and enhancedcinIexpression. Furthermore, we found that compared to the wild type, thecinRmutation displayed reduced nodule formation, andcinR,raiR, andtraImutants show significantly lower levels of nitrogen fixation activity than the wild type. These results suggest that the complex QS regulatory systems inR. etliplay an important role in its symbiosis with legume hosts.IMPORTANCEMany bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to monitor their cell densities and coordinately regulate a number of physiological functions. Rhizobia often have diverse and complex LuxR/LuxI-type quorum sensing systems that may be involved in symbiosis and N2fixation. In this study, we identified three LuxR/LuxI-type QS systems inRhizobium etliCFN42: CinRI, RaiRI, and TraRI. We established a complex network of regulation between these QS components and found that these QS systems played important roles in symbiosis processes.

scholarly journals Quorum-Sensing System Affects Gall Development Incited by Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1094-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Chalupowicz ◽  
Shulamit Manulis-Sasson ◽  
Maxim Itkin ◽  
Ayelet Sacher ◽  
Guido Sessa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory System ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Culture Collection ◽  
Pantoea Agglomerans ◽  
Type Iii Effectors ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
A Minor

The quorum-sensing (QS) regulatory system of the gall-forming Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae was identified. Mass spectral analysis, together with signal-specific biosensors, demonstrated that P. agglomerans pv. gypsophilae produced N-butanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL) as a major and N-hexanoyl-l-homoserine lactone (C6-HSL) as a minor QS signal. Homologs of luxI and luxR regulatory genes, pagI and pagR, were characterized in strain P. agglomerans pv. gypsophilae Pag824-1 and shown to be convergently transcribed and separated by 14 bp. The deduced PagI (23.8 kDa) and PagR (26.9 kDa) show high similarity with SmaI (41% identity) and SmaR (43% identity), respectively, of Serratia sp. American Type Culture Collection 39006. PagR possesses characteristic autoinducer binding and a helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain. Gall formation by P. agglomerans pv. gypsophilae depends on a plasmid-borne hrp/hrc gene cluster, type III effectors, and phytohormones. Disruption of pagI, pagR, or both genes simultaneously in Pag824-1 reduced gall size in gypsophila cuttings by 50 to 55% when plants were inoculated with 106 CFU/ml. Higher reductions in gall size (70 to 90%) were achieved by overexpression of pagI or addition of exogenous C4-HSL. Expression of the hrp/hrc regulatory gene hrpL and the type III effector pthG in the pagI mutant, as measured with quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, was reduced by 5.8 and 6.6, respectively, compared with the wild type, suggesting an effect of the QS system on the Hrp regulon.

scholarly journals Quorum Sensing but Not Autoinduction of Ti Plasmid Conjugal Transfer Requires Control by the Opine Regulon and the Antiactivator TraM

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin R. Piper ◽  
Stephen K. Farrand
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Control Process ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Homoserine Lactone ◽  
Ti Plasmid ◽  
Conjugal Transfer ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Ti Plasmids ◽  
Donor Population

ABSTRACT Conjugal transfer of the Ti plasmids from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is controlled by autoinduction via the transcriptional activator TraR and the acyl-homoserine lactone ligand,Agrobacterium autoinducer (AAI). This control process is itself regulated by opines, which are small carbon compounds produced by the crown gall tumors that are induced by the bacteria. Opines control autoinduction by regulating the expression of traR. Transfer of pTiC58 from donors grown with agrocinopines A and B, the conjugal opines for this Ti plasmid, was detected only after the donors had reached a population level of 107 cells per cm2. Donors incubated with the opines and AAI transferred their Ti plasmids at population levels about 10-fold lower than those incubated with opines only. Transcription of the traregulon, as assessed by monitoring atraA::lacZ reporter, showed a similar dependence on the density of the donor population. However, even in cultures at low population densities that were induced with opines and AAI, there was a temporal lag of between 15 and 20 h in the development of conjugal competence. Moreover, even after this latent period, maximal transfer frequencies required several hours to develop. This lag period was independent of the population density of the donors but could be reduced somewhat by addition of exogenous AAI. Quorum-dependent development of conjugal competence required control by the opine regulon; donors harboring a mutant of pTiC58 deleted for the master opine responsive repressor accR transferred the Ti plasmid at maximum frequencies at very low population densities. Similarly, an otherwise wild-type derivative of pTiC58 lackingtraM, which codes for an antiactivator that inhibits TraR activity, transferred at high frequency in a population-independent manner in the absence of the conjugal opines. Thus, while quorum sensing is dependent upon autoinduction, the two phenomena are not synonymous. We conclude that conjugal transfer of pTiC58 is regulated in a quorum-dependent fashion but that supercontrol of the TraR-AAI system by opines and by TraM results in a complex control process that requires not only the accumulation of AAI but also the expression of TraR and the synthesis of this protein at levels that overcome the inhibitory activity of TraM.

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