Induction of phenazine biosynthesis in cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by L-N-(3-oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone.

A range of Pseudomonas spp. and other Gram-negative bacteria were screened for induction of antimicrobial activity in response to the autoregulatory factor L-N-(3-oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone. In one of these, P. aeruginosa ATCC 10145, the production of phenazine metabolites was shown to be inducible in a dose-dependent manner. The production of phenazine-1-carboxamide increased over 50-fold compared to control cultures when supplemented with 200 micrograms/ml of the autoregulator. In addition, the production of an unidentified polar antibacterial substance by this strain increased with autoregulator concentration.