Jun Zhu

TL;DR: It is shown that, in addition to the known components of the ToxR signaling circuit, quorum-sensing regulators are involved in regulation of V. cholerae virulence, and an infant mouse model found that a luxO mutant is severely defective in colonization of the small intestine.

TL;DR: Microarray analysis of biofilm-associated bacteria shows that expression of the Vibrio polysaccharide synthesis (vps) operons is enhanced in hapR mutants, suggesting that quorum sensing may promote cellular exit from the biofilm once the organisms have traversed the gastric acid barrier of the stomach.

TL;DR: The genus Agrobacterium has provided excellent models for several aspects of host-pathogen interactions, including intercellular transport of macromolecules, bacterial detection of host organisms, targeting of proteins to plant cell nuclei, and interbacterial chemical signaling via autoinducer-type pheromones.

TL;DR: It is concluded that AAI is critical for the folding of nascent TraR protein into its mature tertiary structure and that full-length apo-TraR cannot productively bind AAI and is consequently targeted for rapid proteolysis.

TL;DR: In wild-type strains, only 3-oxo-C8-HSL significantly stimulates tra gene expression, while many autoinducer analogs are potent antagonists; TraR overexpression increases agonistic activity of autoinduction analogs, allowing sensitive biodetection of manyautoinducers; andAutoinducer stimulatory activity is potentiated by TraR overproduction, suggesting that autoinducer may shift an equilibrium between TraR monomers and dimers or oligomers