Molecular Info®

Molecular Info® Copy Right © 2001 Institute of Molecular Development LLC

Quenching quorum-sensing-dependent bacterial infection by an N-acyl homoserine lactonase Yi-Hu Dong, Lian-Hui Wang, Jin-Ling Xu, Hai-Bao Zhang, Xi-Fen Zhang and Lian-Hui Zhang Nature 411: 813 - 817, June 2001. Quorum-sensing signals, such as acyl-homoserine lactones, are the essential components of the communication system. Acyl-homoserine lactones regulate virulence gene expression in bacterial pathogens. Acyl-homoserine lactonase, a new enzyme from Bacillus sp., inactivates acyl-homoserine lactones activity by hydrolysing the lactone bond of acyl-homoserine lactones. Plants expressing acyl-homoserine lactonase quenched pathogen quorum-sensing signalling and showed significantly enhanced resistance to Erwinia carotovora infection.