Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry for the Detection and Quantification of Diffusible Signal Factor (DSF) Family Quorum-Sensing Signals.

Molecules of the diffusible signal factor (DSF) family represent a class of widely conserved quorum-sensing signals used by many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. The measurement of DSF family signals is essential for understanding their biological roles, signaling pathway, and regulatory network. We are presenting here methods for extraction and purification of DSF family signals from culture supernatants, and further quantification of members of DSF family signals using an ultra-performance liquid chromatographic system (UPLC) coupled with an accurate time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) analysis.