Dual Function of Tropodithietic Acid as Antibiotic and Signaling Molecule in Quorum Sensing

ABSTRACT: The marine bacterium Phaeobacter inhibens produces tropodithietic acid (TDA), a broad-spectrum antibiotic and anticancer agent. TDA allows P. inhibens to antagonize other bacteria, including several pathogens, and eukaryotes. Since recently antibiotics are also discussed to function as intermicrobial signals. Here we show that ~10% of the genes of P. inhibens are strongly influenced by N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) mediated quorum sensing (QS), switching the bacterium’s life style from attached to free-living. In an AHL negative mutant of P. inhibens subinhibitory concentrations of TDA caused the same regulatory effect as the AHL. This demonstrates that bacteria can produce antibiotic compounds not only as weapons, but also to substitute their endogenous AHL molecule in QS. The dual fu

ORGANISM(S): Phaeobacter inhibens

SUBMITTER: Juergen Tomasch 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-79173 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress