Necrotrophism is a quorum-sensing-regulated lifestyle in Bacillus thuringiensis.

Animals; Bacillus thuringiensis/physiology; Bacterial Proteins/genetics/metabolism; Host-Pathogen Interactions/physiology; Insects/microbiology; Mutation; Quorum Sensing/physiology

Abstract :

[en] How pathogenic bacteria infect and kill their host is currently widely investigated. In comparison, the fate of pathogens after the death of their host receives less attention. We studied Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) infection of an insect host, and show that NprR, a quorum sensor, is active after death of the insect and allows Bt to survive in the cadavers as vegetative cells. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that NprR regulates at least 41 genes, including many encoding degradative enzymes or proteins involved in the synthesis of a nonribosomal peptide named kurstakin. These degradative enzymes are essential in vitro to degrade several substrates and are specifically expressed after host death suggesting that Bt has an active necrotrophic lifestyle in the cadaver. We show that kurstakin is essential for Bt survival during necrotrophic development. It is required for swarming mobility and biofilm formation, presumably through a pore forming activity. A nprR deficient mutant does not develop necrotrophically and does not sporulate efficiently in the cadaver. We report that necrotrophism is a highly regulated mechanism essential for the Bt infectious cycle, contributing to spore spreading.

Disciplines :

Microbiology

Author, co-author :

Dubois, Thomas

Faegri, Karoline

Perchat, Stephane

Lemy, Christelle

Buisson, Christophe

Nielsen-LeRoux, Christina

Gohar, Michel

Jacques, Philippe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Chimie et bio-industries > Bio-industries

Ramarao, Nalini

Kolsto, Anne-Brit

Lereclus, Didier

Language :

English

Title :

Necrotrophism is a quorum-sensing-regulated lifestyle in Bacillus thuringiensis.

Publication date :

2012

Journal title :

PLoS Pathogens

ISSN :

1553-7366

eISSN :

1553-7374

Publisher :

Public Library of Science, United States - California

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

e1002629

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 21 October 2014

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