Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 22, 2025

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues
Published on: February 19, 2019
The FloR master regulator controls flotation, virulence and antibiotic production in Serratia sp. ATCC 39006
Alex Quintero-Yanes1,2, Chin Mei Lee1,3, Rita Monson1
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK.
Abstract:
Serratia sp. ATCC 39006 produces intracellular gas vesicles to enable upward flotation in water columns. It also uses flagellar rotation to swim through liquid and swarm across semi-solid surfaces. Flotation and motility can be co-regulated with production of a β-lactam antibiotic (carbapenem carboxylate) and a linear tripyrrole red antibiotic, prodigiosin. Production of gas vesicles, carbapenem and prodigiosin antibiotics, and motility are controlled by master transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators, including the SmaI/SmaR-based quorum sensing system and the mRNA binding protein, RsmA. Recently, the ribose operon repressor, RbsR, was also defined as a pleiotropic regulator of flotation and virulence factor elaboration in this strain. Here, we report the discovery of a new global regulator (FloR; a DeoR family transcription factor) that modulates flotation through control of gas vesicle morphogenesis. The floR mutation is highly pleiotropic, down-regulating production of gas vesicles, carbapenem and prodigiosin antibiotics, and infection in Caenorhabditis elegans, but up-regulating flagellar motility. Detailed proteomic analysis using TMT peptide labelling and LC-MS/MS revealed that FloR is a physiological master regulator that operates through subordinate pleiotropic regulators including Rap, RpoS, RsmA, PigU, PstS and PigT.
More Related Videos
11:31Establishment of a High-throughput Setup for Screening Small Molecules That Modulate c-di-GMP Signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Published on: June 30, 2016
07:13Quantification of Violacein in Chromobacterium violaceum and Its Inhibition by Bioactive Compounds
Published on: August 8, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Global Regulatory Systems
Bacterial Phylum Bacteroidota