Altering the Communication Networks of Multispecies Microbial Systems Using a Diverse Toolbox of AI-2 Analogues

Abstract

There have been intensive efforts to find small molecule antagonists for bacterial quorum sensing (QS) mediated by the "universal" QS autoinducer, AI-2. Previous work has shown that linear and branched acyl analogues of AI-2 can selectively modulate AI-2 signaling in bacteria. Additionally, LsrK-dependent phosphorylated analogues have been implicated as the active inhibitory form against AI-2 signaling. We used these observations to synthesize an expanded and diverse array of AI-2 analogues, which included aromatic as well as cyclic C-1-alkyl analogues. Species-specific analogues that disrupted AI-2 signaling in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium were identified. Similarly, analogues that disrupted QS behaviors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found. Moreover, we observed a strong correlation between LsrK-dependent phosphorylation of these acyl analogues and their ability to suppress QS. Significantly, we demonstrate that these analogues can selectively antagonize QS in single bacterial strains in a physiologically relevant polymicrobial culture.