Disrupting the luxS quorum sensing gene does not significantly affect Bacillus anthracis virulence in mice or guinea pigs

• Published in: Virulence Vol. 3; no. 6; pp. 504 - 509
• Main Authors: Bozue, Joel, Powell, Bradford S, Cote, Christopher K, Moody, Krishna L, Gelhaus, H Carl, Vietri, Nicholas J, Rozak, David A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Landes Bioscience 01.10.2012
• Subjects: Animals; Anthrax - genetics; Anthrax - immunology; Anthrax - pathology; Bacillus anthracis - genetics; Bacillus anthracis - growth & development; Bacillus anthracis - pathogenicity; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Brief Report; Carbon-Sulfur Lyases - genetics; Carbon-Sulfur Lyases - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Guinea Pigs; Homoserine - analogs & derivatives; Homoserine - genetics; Homoserine - metabolism; Lactones - metabolism; Mice; Quorum Sensing - genetics; Spores, Bacterial - pathogenicity; Virulence - genetics; Virulence Factors - genetics
• ISSN: 2150-5594; 2150-5608
• DOI: 10.4161/viru.21934

Many bacterial species use secreted quorum-sensing autoinducer molecules to regulate cell density- and growth phase-dependent gene expression, including virulence factor production, as sufficient environmental autoinducer concentrations are achieved. Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, contains a functional autoinducer (AI-2) system, which appears to regulate virulence gene expression. To determine if the AI-2 system is necessary for disease, we constructed a LuxS AI-2 synthase-deficient mutant in the virulent Ames strain of B. anthracis. We found that growth of the LuxS-deficient mutant was inhibited and sporulation was delayed when compared with the parental strain. However, spores of the Ames luxS mutant remained fully virulent in both mice and guinea pigs.