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The role of the lux autoinducer in regulating luminescence in Vibrio harveyi ; control of luxR expression
Author(s) -
Miyamoto Carol M.,
Chatterjee Jaidip,
Swartzman Elana,
Szittner Rose,
Meighen Edward A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1996.417948.x
Subject(s) - autoinducer , vibrio harveyi , biology , quorum sensing , vibrio , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , bacteria , virulence
Analysis of Vibrio harveyi dark autoinducer mutants has demonstrated that the level of LuxR was much lower than that observed in wild‐type cells. Complementation with luxR fully restored luminescence suggesting that the lux autoinducer may control expression of the luxR regulatory gene. By primer extension, the transcriptional start site of luxR was located 78 bp from the initiation codon. The level of the primer‐extended product was enhanced upon addition of the lux autoinducer to the autoinducer mutants, which was confirmed by hybridization of lux mRNA with specific probes. By using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase as a reporter gene in a transcriptional fusion with luxR , the stimulatory effect of autoinducer on luxR expression was shown to occur at the level of the luxR promoter. The results provide evidence that the autoinducer signal in V. harveyi can be transduced through luxR , resulting in stimulation of luminescence.