A New Class of Quorum Quenching Molecules from Staphylococcus Species Affects Communication and Growth of Gram-Negative Bacteria

Abstract

The knowledge that many pathogens rely on cell-to-cell communication mechanisms known as quorum sensing, opens a new disease control strategy: quorum quenching. Here we report on one of the rare examples where Gram-positive bacteria, the ‘ Staphylococcus intermedius group’ of zoonotic pathogens, excrete two compounds in millimolar concentrations that suppress the quorum sensing signaling and inhibit the growth of a broad spectrum of Gram-negative beta- and gamma-proteobacteria. These compounds were isolated from Staphylococcus delphini. They represent a new class of quorum quenchers with the chemical formula N-[2-( 1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-urea and N-(2-phenethyl)-urea, which we named yayurea A and B, respectively. In vitro studies with the N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) responding receptor LuxN of V. harveyi indicated that both compounds caused opposite effects on phosphorylation to those caused by AHL. This explains the quorum quenching activity. Staphylococcal strains producing yayurea A and B clearly benefit from an increased competitiveness in a mixed community.

Author Summary

While studying the potential interaction of staphylococci with Gram-negative bacteria, we came across another communication system in a Staphylococcus species group, which consists of closely related coagulase-positive bacterial species that play a role as zoonotic pathogens. We found that these species excrete two small compounds that inhibit both the expression of QS-controlled toxins and other QS-regulated compounds as well as growth in Gram-negative bacteria. The excreted compounds, which we named yayurea A and B, were isolated from S. delphini and structurally characterized. They represent new bacterial products, which quench the QS regulation in a wide spectrum of Gram-negative bacteria by stimulating the LuxN-mediated phosphorylation of LuxU. Furthermore, growth of yayurea A and B producing S. delphini is not suppressed by respiratory toxins when co-cultured with P. aeruginosa. This suggests that the quorum quenchers have a function in self-protection and competitiveness in natural environments shared with Gram-negatives. Here we show one of the rare cases of inter-phylum interference between firmicutes (Gram-positive) and beta-/gammaproteobacteria (Gram-negative).