A luxS-dependent transcript profile of cell-to-cell communication in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Bacterial cells communicate with one another using chemical signaling molecules. The phenomenon is termed quorum sensing. The quorum sensing bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae secretes a non-homoserine lactone autoinducer in the exponential phase of growth as detected by a Vibrio harveyi reporter assay for autoinducer 2 (AI-2). To further investigate regulation of AI-2 production in K. pneumoniae, the pfs and luxS promoter fusions to an operon luxCDABE reporter were constructed in a low copy number vector, which is derived from pBR322 and pET28a((+)) and allows an examination of transcription of the genes in the pathway for signal synthesis. In this study, comparisons were performed on the cell densities of wild-type and recombinant K. pneumoniae, on the transcription activity of pfs and luxS promoters, and on the synthesis of AI-2 as a function of culture time. The results show that luxS expression is constitutive and the transcription of luxS is tightly correlated to AI-2 production in K. pneumoniae because the peaks of AI-2 production and transcriptional level of luxS appear at the same time point. The close relation of the profiles of luxS transcription and AI-2 production was also confirmed with quantitative reverse transcription-PCR technology. These facts support the idea that the quorum sensing in K. pneumoniae is luxS dependent.