Transposon insertion sequencing analysis unveils novel genes involved in luxR expression and quorum sensing...

Vibrio alginolyticus is an important conditional pathogen of fish, shrimp, shellfish, and other marine aquaculture animals that causes huge economic losses to the marine aquaculture industries. Temperature has a significant influence on its quorum sensing (QS) system, which is essential for its various physiological functions. Using transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) technology, we identified 218 putative regulatory factors of LuxR, the master regulator of QS in V. alginolyticus. In addition to established regulators, novel regulatory factors involved in LuxR expression are related to multiple processes. OmpH, 00189, TolC, VscY, and NirD are validated upstream regulatory factors of LuxR. Interestingly, OmpH and 00189 repress luxR expression at lower temperatures and activate its expression at higher temperatures. In contrast, TolC, VscY, and NirD enhance luxR expression at lower temperatures but suppress it at higher temperatures. Moreover, the abovementioned regulators are essential for QS-associated phenotypes, including Asp yields, motility, and biofilm formation, in temperature-dependent or temperature-independent manners. Thus, these novel regulators appear to relay various physiological signals in addition to temperature, effecting population phenotype modifications via QS regulation and warranting future investigation into the underlying mechanisms of opportunistic outbreaks of vibriosis.