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Subinhibitory concentrations of cinnamaldehyde interfere with quorum sensing
Author(s) -
Niu C.,
Afre S.,
Gilbert E.S.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2006.02001.x
Subject(s) - quorum sensing , cinnamaldehyde , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , biofilm , genetics , catalysis
Aims: To investigate the effect of cinnamaldehyde (CA) on transcription from selected quorum sensing (QS) promoters. Methods and Results: The action of CA on QS was assayed using three E. coli green fluorescent protein (GFP) based bioreporters (two inducible and the other constitutive) and two Vibrio harveyi bioluminescent reporter strains. LuxR‐mediated transcription from the P luxI promoter, which is induced by 3‐oxo‐C6‐homoserine lactone (HSL), was reduced by 70 per cent following exposure to 200 μ mol l −1 CA (26 ppm). The bioluminescence of Vibrio harveyi BB886, which is mediated by 3‐hydroxy‐C4‐HSL, was reduced by 55 per cent after exposure to 60 μ mol l −1 CA (8 ppm), and 100 μ mol l −1 CA (13 ppm) inhibited the bioluminescence of the autoinducer‐2 (AI‐2) responsive reporter strain V. harveyi BB170 by nearly 60 per cent. CA did not inhibit the growth of the bioreporter strains at these concentrations. CA had a minimal effect on LasR promoter activity, induced by 3‐oxo‐C12‐HSL. Conclusions: Low concentrations of CA were effective at inhibiting two types of acyl homoserine lactone mediated QS, and also autoinducer‐2 mediated QS. Significance and Impact of Study: Because CA is widely used in the food and flavour industries, its potential to affect bacterial QS regulated processes should be recognized.