The iron-dependent regulator fur controls pheromone signaling systems and luminescence in the squid symbiont Vibrio fischeri ES114.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria often use pheromones to coordinate group behaviors in specific environments. While high cell density is required for pheromones to achieve stimulatory levels, environmental cues can also influence pheromone accumulation and signaling. For the squid symbiont Vibrio fischeri ES114, bioluminescence requires pheromone-mediated regulation, and this signaling is induced in the host to a greater extent than in culture, even at an equivalent cell density. Our goal is to better understand this environment-specific control over pheromone signaling and bioluminescence. Previous work with V. fischeri MJ1 showed that iron limitation induces luminescence, and we recently found that ES114 encounters a low-iron environment in its host. Here we show that ES114 induces luminescence at lower cell de

SUBMITTER: Septer AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3592230 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature