N-acyl-homoserine lactone-mediated quorum-sensing in Azospirillum:: an exception rather than a rule

Forty Azospirillum strains were tested for their ability to synthesize N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). AHL production was detected for four strains belonging to the lipoferum species and isolated from a rice rhizosphere. AHL molecules were structurally identified for two strains: Azospirillum lipoferum TVV3 produces 3O,C-8-HSL (N-3-oxo-octanoyl-homoserine-lactone), C-8-HSL (N-3-octanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3O,C-10-HSL (N-3-oxo-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3OH,C-10-HSL (N-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone) and C-10-HSL (N-3-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone), whereas A. lipoferum B518 produced 3O,C-6-HSL (N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-homoserine-lactone), C-6-HSL (N-3-hexanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3O,C-8-HSL, 3OH,C-8-HSL and C-8-HSL. Genes involved in AHL production were characterized for A. lipoferum TVV3 by generating a genomic library and complementing an AHL-deficient strain with sensor capabilities. Those genes, designated alpI and alpR, were found to belong to the luxI and luxR families, respectively. When cloned in a suitable heterologous host, alpI and alpR could direct the synthesis of the five cognate AHLs present in A. lipoferum TVV3. These two adjacent genes were found to be located on a 85kb plasmid. Southern hybridization experiments with probes alpI/R indicated that genes involved in AHL production in the three other AHL-producing strains were not closely related to alpI and alpR. This study demonstrates that AHL-based quorum-sensing is not widespread among the genus Azospirillum and could be found only in some A. lipoferum strains.