Endemic malagasy Dalbergia species inhibit quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Microbiology (Reading). 2013 May;159(Pt 5):924-938. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.064378-0. Epub 2013 Feb 28.

Abstract

Various species of the plant genus Dalbergia are traditionally used as medicine for sundry ailments and some of them have been shown recently to quench the virulence of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Cell-to-cell communication mechanisms, quorum sensing (QS) in particular, are key regulators of virulence in many pathogenic bacteria. Screening n-hexane extracts of leaves, roots and bark of endemic Malagasy Dalbergia species for their capacity to antagonize QS mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 showed that many reduced the expression of the QS-regulated genes lasB and rhlA. However, only the extract of Dalbergia trichocarpa bark (DTB) showed a significant reduction of QS gene expression without any effect on the aceA gene encoding a QS-independent isocitrate lyase. Further characterization of DTB impact on QS revealed that the QS systems las and rhl are inhibited and that swarming, twitching, biofilm formation and the production of pyocyanin, elastase and proteases are also hampered in the presence of the DTB extract. Importantly, compared with the known QS inhibitor naringenin, the DTB extract showed a stronger negative effect on twitching, biofilm formation and tobramycin resistance. Preliminary structural characterization of these potent biofilm disrupters suggests that they belong to the phytosterols. The strong inhibition of motility and biofilm formation suggests that the DTB extract contains agents disrupting biofilm architecture, which is an important observation in the context of the design of new drugs targeting biofilm-encapsulated pathogens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Dalbergia / chemistry*
  • Dalbergia / classification
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Phytosterols / chemistry
  • Phytosterols / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / drug effects*
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa / physiology*
  • Quorum Sensing / drug effects*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Phytosterols
  • Plant Extracts