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Heterogeneity in quorum sensing‐regulated bioluminescence of Vibrio harveyi
Author(s) -
Anetzberger Claudia,
Pirch Torsten,
Jung Kirsten
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2009.06768.x
Subject(s) - vibrio harveyi , quorum sensing , bioluminescence , autoinducer , biology , biofilm , population , microbiology and biotechnology , vibrio , mutant , gene , bacteria , genetics , ecology , demography , sociology
Summary Quorum sensing (QS) refers to the ability of bacterial populations to read out the local environment for cell density and to collectively activate gene expression. Vibrio harveyi , one of the best characterized model organisms in QS, was used to address the question how single cells behave within a QS‐activated community in a homogeneous environment. Analysis of the QS‐regulated bioluminescence of a wild type strain revealed that even at high cell densities only 69% of the cells of the population produced bioluminescence, 25% remained dark and 6% were dead. Moreover, light intensities greatly varied from cell to cell at high population density. Addition of autoinducer to a bright liquid culture of V. harveyi increased the percentage of luminescent cells up to 98%, suggesting that V. harveyi produces and/or keeps the autoinducers at non‐saturating concentrations. In contrast, all living cells of a constitutive QS‐active mutant (Δ luxO ) produced light. We also found that QS affects biofilm formation in V. harveyi . Our data provide first evidence that a heterogeneous population produces more biofilm than a homogeneous one. It is suggested that even a QS‐committed population of V. harveyi takes advantage of heterogeneity, which extends the current view of QS‐regulated uniformity.