| Title: | Quorum sensing regulates 'swim-or-stick' lifestyle in the phycosphere |
| Author(s): | Fei C; Ochsenkuhn MA; Shibl AA; Isaac A; Wang C; Amin SA; |
| Address: | "Marine Microbial Ecology Lab, Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. College of Resources and Environmental Science, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, China. International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1462-2920 (Electronic) 1462-2912 (Print) 1462-2912 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Interactions between phytoplankton and bacteria play major roles in global biogeochemical cycles and oceanic nutrient fluxes. These interactions occur in the microenvironment surrounding phytoplankton cells, known as the phycosphere. Bacteria in the phycosphere use either chemotaxis or attachment to benefit from algal excretions. Both processes are regulated by quorum sensing (QS), a cell-cell signalling mechanism that uses small infochemicals to coordinate bacterial gene expression. However, the role of QS in regulating bacterial attachment in the phycosphere is not clear. Here, we isolated a Sulfitobacter pseudonitzschiae F5 and a Phaeobacter sp. F10 belonging to the marine Roseobacter group and an Alteromonas macleodii F12 belonging to Alteromonadaceae, from the microbial community of the ubiquitous diatom Asterionellopsis glacialis. We show that only the Roseobacter group isolates (diatom symbionts) can attach to diatom transparent exopolymeric particles. Despite all three bacteria possessing genes involved in motility, chemotaxis, and attachment, only S. pseudonitzschiae F5 and Phaeobacter sp. F10 possessed complete QS systems and could synthesize QS signals. Using UHPLC-MS/MS, we identified three QS molecules produced by both bacteria of which only 3-oxo-C(16:1) -HSL strongly inhibited bacterial motility and stimulated attachment in the phycosphere. These findings suggest that QS signals enable colonization of the phycosphere by algal symbionts" |
| Keywords: | "4-Butyrolactone/analogs & derivatives/metabolism Bacteria/classification/genetics/metabolism *Bacterial Adhesion/genetics Diatoms/*microbiology Genes, Bacterial *Locomotion/genetics Microbiota Oceans and Seas Phytoplankton/*microbiology Quorum Sensing/gen;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineFei, Cong Ochsenkuhn, Michael A Shibl, Ahmed A Isaac, Ashley Wang, Changhai Amin, Shady A eng AD179/New York University Abu Dhabi/ NA19NOS4780183/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2020/09/09 Environ Microbiol. 2020 Nov; 22(11):4761-4778. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15228. Epub 2020 Sep 17" |
