Long Chain N-acyl Homoserine Lactone Production by Enterobacter sp. Isolated from Human Tongue Surfaces

• Main Authors: Kok-Gan Chan, Xin-Yue Chan, Shenyang Chin, Wai-Fong Yin, Kathiravan Purmal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2012-10-01
• Series: Sensors
• Subjects: N-acylhomoserine lactone; N-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (C12-HSL); oral cavity; posterior dorsal surface; quorum sensing; tongue
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/12/11/14307

We report the isolation of N-acyl homoserine lactone-producing Enterobacter sp. isolate T1-1 from the posterior dorsal surfaces of the tongue of a healthy individual. Spent supernatants extract from Enterobacter sp. isolate T1-1 activated the biosensor Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4(pZLR4), suggesting production of long chain AHLs by these isolates. High resolution mass spectrometry analysis of these extracts confirmed that Enterobacter sp. isolate T1-1 produced a long chain N-acyl homoserine lactone, namely N-dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone (C12-HSL). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first isolation of Enterobacter sp., strain T1-1 from the posterior dorsal surface of the human tongue and N-acyl homoserine lactones production by this bacterium.