N-acylhomoserine lactone regulates violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum type strain ATCC 12472.

Tomohiro Morohoshi, Masashi Kato, Katsumasa Fukamachi, Norihiro Kato, Tsukasa Ikeda

Index: FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 279 , 124-130, (2008)

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Abstract

In tests, Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 produced several N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (AHLs). Of these, N-(3-hydroxydecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone was dominant, and controlled violacein production by quorum sensing. Strain VIR07, an AHL-deficient mutant, did not produce violacein. Violacein production in VIR07 was induced by adding long-chain AHLs (C10-C16), but was inhibited by adding short-chain AHLs (C4-C8). Strain VIR07 showed the response of violacein production when AHLs diffused from a variety of AHL-producing bacteria on agar plates, and thus might be a useful biosensor for recognizing exogenous AHLs.