Bacterial gene regulation by alpha-hydroxyketone signaling.

Abstract

Bacteria produce diffusible, small signaling molecules termed autoinducers to promote cell-cell communication. Recently, a novel class of signaling molecules, the alpha-hydroxyketones (AHKs), was discovered in the facultative human pathogens Legionella pneumophila and Vibrio cholerae. In this review, we summarize and compare findings on AHK signaling in these bacteria. The L. pneumophila lqs (Legionella quorum sensing) and V. cholerae cqs (cholera quorum sensing) gene clusters synthesize and detect Legionella autoinducer 1 (3-hydroxypentadecan-4-one) or cholera autoinducer-1 (3-hydroxytridecan-4-one), respectively. In addition to the autoinducer synthase and cognate sensor kinase encoded in the cqs locus, the lqs cluster also harbors a prototypic response regulator. AHK signaling regulates pathogen-host cell interactions, bacterial virulence, formation of biofilms or extracellular filaments, and expression of a genomic island. The lqs/cqs gene cluster is present in several environmental bacteria, suggesting that AHKs are widely used for cell-cell signaling.

• Authors: André Tiaden, Thomas Spirig, Hubert Hilbi
• Journal: Trends in microbiology (Trends Microbiol) Vol. 18 Issue 7 Pg. 288-97 (Jul 2010) ISSN: 1878-4380 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20382022 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Ketones
• Transcription Factors
• Protein Kinases

Topics

• Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• Genes, Bacterial
• Humans
• Ketones (metabolism)
• Legionella pneumophila (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Multigene Family
• Protein Kinases
• Quorum Sensing
• Signal Transduction
• Transcription Factors
• Vibrio cholerae (genetics, metabolism, physiology)