Quorum sensing controls biofilm formation in Vibrio cholerae

Multiple quorum-sensing circuits function in parallel to control virulence and biofilm formation in Vibrio cholerae. In contrast to other bacterial pathogens that induce virulence factor production and/or biofilm formation at high cell density in the presence of quorum-sensing autoinducers, V. cholerae represses these behaviours at high cell density. Consistent with this, we show here that V. cholerae strains 'locked' in the regulatory state mimicking low cell density are enhanced for biofilm production whereas mutants 'locked' in the regulatory state mimicking high cell density are incapable of producing biofilms. The quorum-sensing cascade we have identified in V. cholerae regulates the transcription of…

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  Office of Naval Research