Quorum sensing regulates the osmotic stress response in Vibrio harveyi.

Publication Year
2015

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

Bacteria use a chemical communication process called quorum sensing to monitor cell density and to alter behavior in response to fluctuations in population numbers. Previous studies with Vibrio harveyi have shown that LuxR, the master quorum-sensing regulator, activates and represses >600 genes. These include six genes that encode homologs of the Escherichia coli Bet and ProU systems for synthesis and transport, respectively, of glycine betaine, an osmoprotectant used during osmotic stress. Here we show that LuxR activates expression of the glycine betaine operon betIBA-proXWV, which enhances growth recovery under osmotic stress conditions. BetI, an autorepressor of the V. harveyi betIBA-proXWV operon, activates the expression of genes encoding regulatory small RNAs that control quorum-sensing transitions. Connecting quorum-sensing and glycine betaine pathways presumably enables V. harveyi to tune its execution of collective behaviors to its tolerance to stress.

Journal
J Bacteriol
Volume
197
Issue
1
Pages
73-80
Date Published
2015 Jan 01
ISSN Number
1098-5530
Alternate Journal
J Bacteriol
PMCID
PMC4288691
PMID
25313392