AI-2 biosynthesis module in a magnetic nanofactory alters bacterial response via localized synthesis and delivery

Nanofactories are nano-dimensioned and comprised of modules serving various functions that alter the response of targeted cells when deployed by locally synthesizing and delivering cargo to the surfaces of the targeted cells. In its basic form, a nanofactory consists of a minimum of two functional modules: a cell capture module and a synthesis module. In this work, magnetic nanofactories that alter the response of targeted bacteria by the localized synthesis and delivery of the "universal" bacterial quorum sensing signal molecule autoinducer AI-2 are demonstrated. The magnetic nanofactories consist of a cell capture module (chitosan-mag nanoparticles) and an AI-2 biosynthesis module that contains both AI-2 biosynthetic enzymes Pfs and LuxS on a fusion protein (His-LuxS-Pfs-Tyr, HLPT) assembled together. HLPT is hypothesized to be more efficient than its constituent enzymes (used separately) at conversion of the substrate SAH to product AI-2 on account of the proximity of the two enzymes within the fusion protein. HLPT is demonstrated to be more active than the constituent enzymes, Pfs and LuxS, over a wide range of experimental conditions. The magnetic nanofactories (containing bound HLPT) are also demonstrated to be more active than free, unbound HLPT. They are also shown to elicit an increased response in targeted Escherichia coli cells, due to the localized synthesis and delivery of AI-2, when compared to the response produced by the addition of AI-2 directly to the cells. Studies investigating the universality of AI-2 and unraveling AI-2 based quorum sensing in bacteria using magnetic nanofactories are envisioned. The prospects of using such multi-modular nanofactories in developing the next generation of antimicrobials based on intercepting and interrupting quorum sensing based signaling are discussed.