Transcriptional analysis of three quorum sensing signals add in experiment inYersinia pestis CO92 at 37°C

Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague, is able to sense cell density by quorum sensing. The function of quorum sensing in Y. pestis is not clear. Here, the process of quorum sensing was investigated by comparing transcript profiles when three quorum-sensing signals are added in. The strain ∆pgm (pigmentation-negative) mutant R88 was used as wild type. The three signals are AI-2, AHLs (N-(3-Oxooctanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone and N-Hexanoyl-DL-homoserine lactone).The control consisted of cells grown and treated under the same conditions without added signals. Six independent RNA samples from Y. pestis CO92 ∆pgm cultures were paired with six independent RNA samples from 3 signals added cultures for hybridization to six two-color microarrays. A dye-swap design was used to remove the Cy5 and Cy3 dye bias.