Hierarchical Transcriptional Control of the LuxR Quorum-Sensing Regulon of Vibrio harveyi
Ryan R. Chaparian, Alyssa S. Ball, Julia C. van Kessel
Abstract
Quorum sensing is important for survival of bacteria in nature and influences the actions of bacterial groups. In the relatively few studied examples of quorum-sensing-controlled genes, these genes are associated with competition or cooperation in complex microbial communities and/or virulence in a host. However, quorum sensing in vibrios controls the expression of hundreds of genes, and their functions are mostly unknown or uncharacterized. In this study, we identify the regulators of the second tier of gene expression in the quorum-sensing system of the aquaculture pathogen Vibrio harveyi . Our identification of regulatory networks and metabolic pathways controlled by quorum sensing can be extended and compared to other Vibrio species to understand the physiology, ecology, and pathogenesis of these organisms.