Volatile compounds emitted by bacteria can play a significant role in interacting with microorganisms, plants, and other organisms. In this work, we studied the effect of total gaseous mixtures of organic as well as inorganic volatile compounds (VCs) and individual pure volatile organic compounds (VOCs: ketones 2-nonanone, 2-heptanone, 2-undecanone, a sulfur-containing compound dimethyl disulfide) synthesized by the rhizosphere Pseudomonas chlororaphis 449 and Serratia plymuthica IC1270 strains, the soil-borne strain P. fluorescens B-4117, and the spoiled meat isolate S. proteamaculans 94 strain on Arabidopsis thaliana plants (on growth and germination of seeds). We demonstrated that total mixtures of volatile compounds emitted by these strains grown on Luria-Bertani agar, Tryptone Soya Agar, and Potato Dextrose Agar media inhibited the A. thaliana growth. When studied bacteria grew on Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar medium, volatile mixtures produced by bacteria could stimulate the growth of plants. Volatile compounds of bacteria slowed down the germination of plant seeds; in the presence of volatile mixtures of P. fluorescens B-4117, the seeds did not germinate. Of the individual VOCs, 2-heptanone had the most potent inhibitory effect on seed germination. We also showed that the tested VOCs did not cause oxidative stress in Escherichia coli cells using specific lux-biosensors. VOCs reduced the expression of the lux operon from the promoters of the katG, oxyS, and soxS genes (whose products involved in the protection of cells from oxidative stress) caused by the action of hydrogen peroxide and paraquat, respectively.
The luxS gene is responsible for the synthesis of AI-2 (autoinducer-2), a signaling molecule that participates in quorum sensing regulation in a large number of bacteria. In this work, we investigated which phenotypes are regulated by luxS gene in Serratia proteamaculans 94, psychrotrophic strain isolated from spoiled refrigerated meat. AI-2 was identified in S. proteamaculans 94, and the luxS gene involved in its synthesis was cloned and sequenced. A mutant with the inactivated luxS gene was constructed. Inactivation of the luxS gene was shown to lead to the absence of AI-2 synthesis, chitinolytic activity, swimming motility, suppression of the growth of fungal plant pathogens Rhizoctonia solani and Helminthosporium sativum by volatile compounds emitted by S. proteamaculans 94 strain, and to a decrease of extracellular proteolytic activity. The knockout of the luxS gene did not affect synthesis of N-acyl-homoserine lactones, lipolytic, and hemolytic activities of S. proteamaculans 94.
- MeSH
- bakteriální proteiny genetika MeSH
- biofilmy růst a vývoj MeSH
- fenotyp MeSH
- homoserin analogy a deriváty metabolismus MeSH
- laktony metabolismus MeSH
- lyasy štěpící vazby C-S genetika MeSH
- maso mikrobiologie MeSH
- mikrobiální interakce MeSH
- quorum sensing genetika MeSH
- regulace genové exprese u bakterií MeSH
- Serratia genetika metabolismus MeSH
- těkavé organické sloučeniny analýza MeSH
- umlčování genů * MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Volatiles produced by bacterial cultures are known to induce regulatory and metabolic alterations in nearby con-specific or heterospecific bacteria, resulting in phenotypic changes including acquisition of antibiotic resistance. We observed unhindered growth of ampicillin-sensitive Serratia rubidaea and S. marcescens on ampicillin-containing media, when exposed to volatiles produced by dense bacterial growth. However, this phenomenon appeared to result from pH increase in the medium caused by bacterial volatiles rather than alterations in the properties of the bacterial cultures, as alkalization of ampicillin-containing culture media to pH 8.5 by ammonia or Tris exhibited the same effects, while pretreatment of bacterial cultures under the same conditions prior to antibiotic exposure did not increase ampicillin resistance. Ampicillin was readily inactivated at pH 8.5, suggesting that observed bacterial growth results from metabolic alteration of the medium, rather than an active change in the target bacterial population (i.e. induction of resistance or tolerance). However, even such seemingly simple mechanism may provide a biologically meaningful basis for protection against antibiotics in microbial communities growing on semi-solid media.
- MeSH
- amoniak metabolismus MeSH
- ampicilin chemie farmakologie MeSH
- antibakteriální látky chemie farmakologie MeSH
- koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
- kultivační média chemie metabolismus MeSH
- mikrobiální testy citlivosti MeSH
- rezistence na ampicilin MeSH
- Serratia účinky léků růst a vývoj metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
BACKGROUND: Bacterial bodies (colonies) can develop complex patterns of color and structure. These patterns may arise as a result of both colony-autonomous developmental and regulatory processes (self-patterning) and environmental influences, including those generated by neighbor bodies. We have studied the interplay of intra-colony signaling (self-patterning) and inter-colony influences in related clones of Serratia rubidaea grown on rich media. RESULTS: Colonies are shaped by both autonomous patterning and by signals generated by co-habitants of the morphogenetic space, mediating both internal shaping of the body, and communication between bodies sharing the same living space. The result of development is affected by the overall distribution of neighbors in the dish. The neighbors' presence is communicated via at least two putative signals, while additional signals may be involved in generating some unusual patterns observed upon encounters of different clones. A formal model accounting for some aspects of colony morphogenesis and inter-colony interactions is proposed. CONCLUSIONS: The complex patterns of color and texture observed in Serratia rubidaea colonies may be based on at least two signals produced by cells, one of them diffusing through the substrate (agar) and the other carried by a volatile compound and absorbed into the substrate. Differences between clones with regard to the interpretation of signals may result from different sensitivity to signal threshold(s).
