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Members of the genus Mesorhizobium, which are core components of the rhizosphere and specific symbionts of legume plants, possess genes for acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing (QS). Here we show Mesorhizobium japonicum MAFF 303099 (formerly M. loti ) synthesizes and responds to N -[(2 E , 4 E )-2,4-dodecadienoyl] homoserine lactone (2 E, 4 E- C 12:2 -HSL). We show that the 2 E, 4 E- C 12:2 -HSL QS circuit involves one of four luxR-luxI -type genes found in the sequenced genome of MAFF 303099. We refer to this circuit, which appears to be conserved among Mesorhizobium species, as R1-I1. We show that two other Mesorhizobium strains also produce 2 E, 4 E- C 12:2 -HSL. The 2 E, 4 E- C 12:2 -HSL is unique among known AHLs in its arrangement of two trans double bonds. The R1 response to 2 E, 4 E- C 12:2 -HSL is extremely selective in comparison with other LuxR homologs, and the trans double bonds appear critical for R1 signal recognition. Most well-studied LuxI-like proteins use S -adenosylmethionine and an acyl-acyl carrier protein as substrates for synthesis of AHLs. Others that form a subgroup of LuxI-type proteins use acyl-coenzyme A substrates rather than acyl-acyl carrier proteins. I1 clusters with the acyl-coenzyme A-type AHL synthases. We show that a gene linked to the I1 AHL synthase is involved in the production of the QS signal. The discovery of the unique I1 product enforces the view that further study of acyl-coenzyme A-dependent LuxI homologs will expand our knowledge of AHL diversity. The involvement of an additional enzyme in AHL generation leads us to consider this system a three-component QS circuit. IMPORTANCE We report a Mesorhizobium japonicum quorum sensing (QS) system involving a novel acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal. This system is known to be involved in root nodule symbiosis with host plants. The chemistry of the newly described QS signal indicated that there may be a dedicated cellular enzyme involved in its synthesis in addition to the types known for production of other AHLs. Indeed, we report that an additional gene is required for synthesis of the unique signal, and we propose that this is a three-component QS circuit as opposed to the canonical two-component AHL QS circuits. The signaling system is exquisitely selective. The selectivity may be important when this species resides in the complex microbial communities around host plants and may make this system useful in various synthetic biology applications of QS circuits.

Significance Bacteria must respond quickly to environmental changes to survive. One way bacteria can respond to environmental stress is by undergoing a lifestyle transition from individual, free-swimming cells to a surface-associated community called a biofilm characterized by aggregative growth. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the Wsp chemosensory system to sense an unknown surface-associated cue. Here we show that the Wsp system senses cell envelope stress, specifically conditions that promote unfolded or misregulated periplasmic and inner membrane proteins. This work provides direct evidence that cell envelope stress is an important feature of surface sensing in P. aeruginosa .

Surface sensing is a critical process that promotes the transition to a biofilm lifestyle. Several surface-sensing mechanisms have been described for a range of species, most involving surface appendages, such as flagella and pili. Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the Wsp chemosensory-like signal transduction pathway to sense surfaces and promote biofilm formation. The methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein WspA recognizes an unknown surface-associated signal and initiates a phosphorylation cascade that activates the diguanylate cyclase WspR. We conducted a screen for Wsp-activating compounds and found that chemicals that impact the cell envelope induce Wsp signaling, increase intracellular c-di-GMP levels, and can promote surface attachment. To isolate the Wsp system from other P. aeruginosa surface-sensing systems, we heterologously expressed it in Escherichia coli and found it sufficient for sensing surfaces and the chemicals identified in our screen. Using well-characterized reporters for different E. coli cell envelope stress responses, we then determined that Wsp sensitivity overlapped with multiple E. coli cell envelope stress-response systems. Using mutational and CRISPRi analysis, we found that misfolded proteins in the periplasm appear to be a major stimulus of the Wsp system. Finally, we show that surface attachment appears to have an immediate, observable effect on cell envelope integrity. Collectively, our results provide experimental evidence that cell envelope stress represents an important feature of surface sensing in P. aeruginosa.