Barnard Anne M L, Bowden Steven D, Burr Tom, Coulthurst Sarah J, Monson Rita E, Salmond George P C
Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2007 Jul 29;362(1483):1165-83. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2042.
Quorum sensing describes the ability of bacteria to sense their population density and respond by modulating gene expression. In the plant soft-rotting bacteria, such as Erwinia, an arsenal of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes is produced in a cell density-dependent manner, which causes maceration of plant tissue. However, quorum sensing is central not only to controlling the production of such destructive enzymes, but also to the control of a number of other virulence determinants and secondary metabolites. Erwinia synthesizes both N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) and autoinducer-2 types of quorum sensing signal, which both play a role in regulating gene expression in the phytopathogen. We review the models for AHL-based regulation of carbapenem antibiotic production in Erwinia. We also discuss the importance of quorum sensing in the production and secretion of virulence determinants by Erwinia, and its interplay with other regulatory systems.
群体感应描述了细菌感知其种群密度并通过调节基因表达做出反应的能力。在植物软腐细菌中,如欧文氏菌,一系列植物细胞壁降解酶以细胞密度依赖的方式产生,这会导致植物组织的浸软。然而,群体感应不仅对于控制此类破坏性酶的产生至关重要,而且对于许多其他毒力决定因素和次生代谢产物的控制也至关重要。欧文氏菌合成N-酰基高丝氨酸内酯(AHL)和自诱导物-2两种类型的群体感应信号,它们在调节植物病原体中的基因表达中都发挥作用。我们综述了基于AHL调节欧文氏菌碳青霉烯抗生素产生的模型。我们还讨论了群体感应在欧文氏菌毒力决定因素的产生和分泌中的重要性,以及它与其他调节系统的相互作用。