The substrate-dependent regulatory effects of the AfeI/R system in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans reveals the novel regulation strategy of quorum sensing in acidophiles.

ABSTRACT: A LuxI/R-like quorum sensing (QS) system (AfeI/R) has been reported in the acidophilic and chemoautotrophic Acidithiobacillus spp. However, the function of AfeI/R remains unclear because of the difficulties in the genetic manipulation of these bacteria. Here, we constructed different afeI mutants of the sulfur- and iron-oxidizer A. ferrooxidans, identified the N-acyl homoserine lactones (acyl-HSLs) synthesized by AfeI, and determined the regulatory effects of AfeI/R on genes expression, extracellular polymeric substance synthesis, energy metabolism, cell growth and population density of A. ferrooxidans in different energy substrates. Acyl-HSLs-mediated distinct regulation strategies were employed to influence bacterial metabolism and cell growth of A. ferrooxidans cultivated in either sulf

SUBMITTER: Gao XY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7984328 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature