LC-MS indicates impact of endophytic bacteria on quorum sensing in plants

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been used by an international team of scientists to examine how quorum sensing systems impact on processes like plant growth.

Quorum sensing occurs when endophytic bacteria, which live in plant tissue without causing significant harm, begin to bioluminesce, form biofilm, or commence some other similar physical process.

In turn, this can trigger enhanced resistance in the bacteria's host plant.

LC-MS analysis of N-acylhomoserine lactone profiles obtained from the Serratia genus conducted by the team identified the most prevalent signals produced in Escherichia coli, with five produced through SplIR expression and two arising from SpsIR.

Both SplIR and SpsIR are homologue genes of luxIR which were analysed using primers to conserved sequences of each.

Conclusions drawn by the scientists included that organism lifestyle could be significant in biofilm formation and motility, due to differences detected in their analysis of different strains.

The team, writing in eukaryotic and prokaryotic micro-organism research periodical BMC Microbiology, comprises scientists from Jiangsu University, the University of Nottingham and Shandong Agricultural University.