Extraction, Purification and Quantification of Diffusible Signal Factor Family Quorum-sensing Signal Molecules in...

Bacteria use quorum-sensing (QS) systems to monitor and regulate their population density. Bacterial QS involves small molecules that act as signals for bacterial communication. Many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens use a class of widely conserved molecules, called diffusible signal factor (DSF) family QS signals. The measurement of DSF family signal molecules is essential for understanding DSF metabolic pathways, signaling networks, as well as regulatory roles. Here, we describe a method for the extraction of DSF family signal molecules from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) cell pellets and Xoo culture supernatant. We determined the levels of DSF family signals using ultra-performance liquid chromatographic system (UPLC) coupled with accurate mass time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOF-MS). With the aid of UPLC/MS system, the detection limit of DSF was as low as 1 µM, which greatly improves the ability to detect DSF DSF family signal molecules in bacterial cultures and reaction mixtures.