Inhibition of quorum sensing in Serratia marcescens H30 by molecular regulation.

Quorum sensing in Serratia marcescens, which uses two types of signaling molecules-N-acyl homoserine lactones and furanosyl borate diester-play important regulatory roles in the synthesis of 2,3-butanediol and prodigiosin. In the hope of understanding the effect of quorum sensing on physiologic metabolism, we established two molecular strategies, one to express acyl-homoserine lactone hydrolase to inactivate AI-1 signaling molecule using an expression vector with lactose as the inducer and the other to mutate luxS gene with a suicide plasmid pUTKm2 to inhibit the synthesis of AI-2 signaling molecule.