Detecting and characterizing N-acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules by thin-layer chromatography

摘要

Many Gram-negative bacteria regulate gene expression in response to their population size by sensing the level of acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules which they produce and liberate to the environment. We have developed an assay for these signals that couples separation by thin-layer chromatography with detection using Agrobacterium tumefa- ciens harboring lacZ fused to a gene that is regulated by autoinduction. With the exception of N-butanoyl-L-homo- serine lactone, the reporter detected acyl-homoserine lactones with 3-oxo-, 3-hydroxy-, and 3-unsubstituted side chains of all lengths tested.