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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

A Hydroponic Co-cultivation System for Simultaneous and Systematic Analysis of Plant/Microbe Molecular Interactions and Signaling
Published on: July 22, 2017
Type II quorum sensing regulates virulence in Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora
Eve Laasik1, Liis Andresen, Andres Mäe
1Department of Genetics, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Tartu University, Estonian Biocenter, Tartu, Estonia.
Abstract:
Quorum sensing is a process by which bacteria communicate using secreted chemical signaling molecules called autoinducers. In this study, the opportunistic plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora ssp. carotovora was observed to secrete type II signaling molecules. A homolog of luxS, the gene required for AI-2 synthesis in Vibrio harveyi, was isolated from the genome of the pathogen. To determine the potential role of AI-2 in virulence, an isogenic luxS- (ECC) mutant was constructed and tested for its ability to cause tissue maceration. The findings reported here demonstrate that the LuxS-dependent signaling affects the progression of disease symptoms during the early stages of infection by modulating the expression of pectinolytic enzymes.
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