Haloperoxidase mediated quorum quenching by Nitzschia cf pellucida: study of the metabolization of N-acyl homoserine lactones by a benthic diatom

Mar Drugs. 2014 Jan 17;12(1):352-67. doi: 10.3390/md12010352.

Abstract

Diatoms are known to produce a variety of halogenated compounds, which were recently shown to have a role in allelopathic interactions between competing species. The production of these compounds is linked to haloperoxidase activity. This research, has shown that this system may also be involved in diatom-bacteria interactions via the H2O2 dependent inactivation of a type of quorum sensing (QS) molecule, i.e., N-β-ketoacylated homoserine lactones (AHLs), by a natural haloperoxidase system from the benthic diatom Nitzschia cf pellucida. The AHL degradation pathway towards corresponding halogenated derivatives was elucidated via HPLC-MS analysis and the synthesis of a broad series of novel halogenated AHL analogues as reference compounds. Furthermore, their biological activity as quorum sensing modulators was directly compared and evaluated against a series of naturally occurring β-keto-AHLs. It has been demonstrated that the loss of the QS activity results from the final cleavage of the halogenated N-acyl chain of the signal molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Assay
  • Catalase / chemistry
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Chromobacterium / drug effects
  • Diatoms / chemistry*
  • Diatoms / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Homoserine / metabolism*
  • Lactones / chemical synthesis
  • Lactones / metabolism*
  • Liquid-Liquid Extraction
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Peroxidases / chemistry*
  • Phenolsulfonphthalein
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects*

Substances

  • Lactones
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Homoserine
  • Peroxidases
  • Catalase
  • Phenolsulfonphthalein