Non-antibiotic quorum sensing inhibitors acting against N-acyl homoserine lactone synthase as druggable target

Sci Rep. 2014 Nov 28:4:7245. doi: 10.1038/srep07245.

Abstract

N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) is important for the regulation of proteobacterial virulence determinants. Thus, the inhibition of AHL synthases offers non-antibiotics-based therapeutic potentials against QS-mediated bacterial infections. In this work, functional AHL synthases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasI and RhlI were heterologously expressed in an AHL-negative Escherichia coli followed by assessments on their AHLs production using AHL biosensors and high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). These AHL-producing E. coli served as tools for screening AHL synthase inhibitors. Based on a campaign of screening synthetic molecules and natural products using our approach, three strongest inhibitors namely are salicylic acid, tannic acid and trans-cinnamaldehyde have been identified. LCMS analysis further confirmed tannic acid and trans-cinnemaldehyde efficiently inhibited AHL production by RhlI. We further demonstrated the application of trans-cinnemaldehyde inhibiting Rhl QS system regulated pyocyanin production in P. aeruginosa up to 42.06%. Molecular docking analysis suggested that trans-cinnemaldehyde binds to the LasI and EsaI with known structures mainly interacting with their substrate binding sites. Our data suggested a new class of QS-inhibiting agents from natural products targeting AHL synthase and provided a potential approach for facilitating the discovery of anti-QS signal synthesis as basis of novel anti-infective approach.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 4-Butyrolactone / analogs & derivatives*
  • 4-Butyrolactone / metabolism
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Binding Sites / drug effects
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Escherichia coli / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Ligases / metabolism*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / metabolism
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects*
  • Salicylic Acid / metabolism
  • Tannins / metabolism
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Tannins
  • Virulence Factors
  • homoserine lactone
  • Ligases
  • N-acylhomoserine lactone synthase
  • Salicylic Acid
  • 4-Butyrolactone