Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Antimicrobial Peptides Produced by Selective Pressure Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids
Published on: May 4, 2018
AiiM, a novel class of N-acylhomoserine lactonase from the leaf-associated bacterium Microbacterium testaceum
Wen-Zhao Wang1, Tomohiro Morohoshi, Masashi Ikenoya
1Department of Material and Environmental Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2 Yoto, Utsunomiya 321-8585, Japan.
Abstract:
N-Acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs) are used as quorum-sensing signal molecules by many Gram-negative bacteria. We have reported that Microbacterium testaceum StLB037, which was isolated from the leaf surface of potato, has AHL-degrading activity. In this study, we cloned the aiiM gene from the genomic library of StLB037, which has AHL-degrading activity and shows high homology with the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family from Actinobacteria. Purified AiiM as a maltose binding fusion protein showed high degrading activity of AHLs with both short- and long-chain AHLs with or without substitution at carbon 3. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that AiiM works as an AHL lactonase that catalyzes AHL ring opening by hydrolyzing lactones. In addition, expression of AiiM in the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum reduced pectinase activity markedly and attenuated soft rot symptoms on potato slices. In conclusion, this study indicated that AiiM might be effective in quenching quorum sensing of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.
Related Concept Videos
Amides to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
Amide reduction requires two equivalents of the reducing agent, acting as a source of hydride ions. As shown in the figure, the reaction is initiated with a nucleophilic attack by the hydride ion at the carbonyl carbon to form a tetrahedral intermediate.
Acid Halides to Amides: Aminolysis
In the first step of the aminolysis mechanism, the amine attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acyl chloride to form a tetrahedral intermediate. In the second step, the carbonyl group is re-formed with the elimination of a chloride...
Amines to Amides: Acylation of Amines
Next, the second equivalent of amine serves as a Brønsted base and deprotonates the quaternary amide...
Bacterial Phylum Actinobacteria
iChip
Amines to Sulfonamides: The Hinsberg Test
Generally, a primary amine reacts with the Hinsberg reagent to produce an N-substituted benzenesulfonamide. The electron-withdrawing sulfonyl...

