Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-Derived Biosurfactant Attenuates Quorum Sensing-Mediated Virulence and Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Chromobacterium violaceum

Mitesh Patel; Arif Jamal Siddiqui; Syed Amir Ashraf; Malvi Surti; Amir Mahgoub Awadelkareem; Mejdi Snoussi; Walid Sabri Hamadou; Fevzi Bardakci; Arshad Jamal; Sadaf Jahan; Manojkumar Sachidanandan; Mohd Adnan

doi:10.3390/microorganisms10051026

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-Derived Biosurfactant Attenuates Quorum Sensing-Mediated Virulence and Biofilm Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Chromobacterium violaceum

Microorganisms. 2022 May 13;10(5):1026. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10051026.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Centre of Research for Development, Parul University, Vadodara 391760, India.
² Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Hail, Hail P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Clinical Nutrition, College of Applied Medial Sciences, University of Hail, Hail P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Bapalal Vaidya Botanical Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat 395007, India.
⁵ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Oral Radiology, College of Dentistry, University of Hail, Hail P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Quorum sensing (QS) controls the expression of diverse biological traits in bacteria, including virulence factors. Any natural bioactive compound that disables the QS system is being considered as a potential strategy to prevent bacterial infection. Various biological activities of biosurfactants have been observed, including anti-QS effects. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of a biosurfactant derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on QS-regulated virulence factors and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Chromobacterium violaceum. The structural analogues of the crude biosurfactant were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Moreover, the inhibitory prospects of identified structural analogues were assessed with QS-associated CviR, LasA, and LasI ligands via in silico molecular docking analysis. An L. plantarum-derived biosurfactant showed a promising dose-dependent interference with the production of both violacein and acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) in C. violaceum. In P. aeruginosa, at a sub-MIC concentration (2.5 mg/mL), QS inhibitory activity was also demonstrated by reduction in pyocyanin (66.63%), total protease (60.95%), LasA (56.62%), and LasB elastase (51.33%) activity. The swarming motility and exopolysaccharide production were also significantly reduced in both C. violaceum (61.13%) and P. aeruginosa (53.11%). When compared with control, biofilm formation was also considerably reduced in C. violaceum (68.12%) and P. aeruginosa (59.80%). A GC-MS analysis confirmed that the crude biosurfactant derived from L. plantarum was a glycolipid type. Among all, n-hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, and 1H-indene,1-hexadecyl-2,3-dihydro had a high affinity for CviR, LasI, and LasA, respectively. Thus, our findings suggest that the crude biosurfactant of L. plantarum can be used as a new anti-QS/antibiofilm agent against biofilm-associated pathogenesis, which warrants further investigation to uncover its therapeutic efficacy.

Keywords: GC–MS; acyl homoserine lactone; antibiofilm; biosurfactant; exopolysaccharide; glycolipid; pyocyanin; quorum sensing; violacein.

Grants and funding

RG-20094/University of Hail