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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

'Bioluminescent' Reporter Phage for the Detection of Category A Bacterial Pathogens
Published on: July 8, 2011
A bacterial biosensor encoding a genetically modified LuxR receptor exhibits improved detection of Pseudomonas
I Kviatkovski1, T Yarnitzky, S Shushan
1Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel. yael.helman@mail.huji.ac.il.
Abstract:
2-Aminoacetophneone (2-AA) is a volatile molecule produced in high amounts by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We have previously shown that 2-AA activates the quorum sensing (QS) LuxR receptor of Aliivibrio fischeri. In the present study we were able to improve LuxR's affinity and detection limit for 2-AA by genetic modification of three amino acids within the binding pocket of the receptor. Expression of the modified LuxR receptor in a luminescent bacterial biosensor provided an efficient detection assay of 2-AA in clinical P. aeruginosa strains isolated from blood and lung infections, as well as in phlegm samples obtained from subjects suffering from lung infections.
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