Influence of glucose on swarming and quorum sensing of Dickeya solani

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 22;17(2):e0263124. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263124. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Dickeya solani is a pathogen most frequently responsible for infecting potato plants in Europe. As in the case of most plant pathogens, its ability to colonize and invade the host depends on chemotaxis and motility. The coordinated movement of Dickeya over solid surfaces is governed by a quorum sensing mechanism. In D. solani motility is regulated by ExpI-ExpR proteins, homologous to luxI-luxR system from Vibrio fisheri, in which N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) serve as signaling molecules. Moreover, in many Gram-negative bacteria motility is coupled with central metabolism via carbon catabolite repression. This enables them to reach more nutrient-efficient niches. The aim of this study was to analyze the swarming motility of D. solani depending on the volume of the medium in the cultivation plate and glucose content. We show that the ability of this bacterium to move is strictly dependent on both these factors. Moreover, we analyze the production of AHLs and show that the quorum sensing mechanism in D. solani is also influenced by the availability of glucose in the medium and that the distribution of these signaling molecules are different depending on the volume of the medium in the plate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyl-Butyrolactones / metabolism
  • Acyl-Butyrolactones / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Chemotaxis / genetics
  • Culture Media / chemistry
  • Culture Media / pharmacology
  • Dickeya / drug effects*
  • Dickeya / genetics
  • Dickeya / metabolism
  • Dickeya / pathogenicity
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Glucose / pharmacology*
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects
  • Quorum Sensing / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Solanum tuberosum / microbiology*
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Virulence Factors / genetics*
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Acyl-Butyrolactones
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Culture Media
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Virulence Factors
  • Glucose

Supplementary concepts

  • Dickeya solani

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Science Center OPUS project no. 2018/29/B/NZ9/02339. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.