Acylated homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) has been reported to be present only in Gram-negative microorganisms. Isolation of a novel Gram-positive microorganism from sea water, capable of producing AHL, is reported here. The isolate (GenBank: JF915892, designated as MPO) belonging to the Exiguobacterium genera is capable of inducing the AHL bioreporters, namely Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, Agrobacterium tumefaceins A136, and E. coli JM 109(psb1075). This inducer is characterized as C3-oxo-octanoyl homoserine lactone (OOHL), and its production reaches a maximum of 15.6 μg L(-1), during the stationary growth phase of the organism. MPO extract when exogenously added inhibits the formation of biofilm for the same organism and lowers the extracellular polymeric substances, indicating an AHL-associated phenotypic trait. The isolated sequence of a probable LuxR homolog from MPO (designated as ExgR) shows similar functional domains and contains conserved residues in LuxR from other known bacterial QS LuxR regulators. Also present immediately downstream to ExgR was found a sequence showing homology to known LuxI synthase of Pseudomonas putida. qPCR analysis suggests an increment in exgR mRNA on addition of AHL, further proving the role of ExgR as a QS regulator.

A marine strain of Proteus vulgaris capable of activating multiple acylated homoserine lactone (AHL)-based reporter cultures was isolated. The cognate signal molecule was characterized as octanoyl homoserine lactone (OHL) and its production was observed to be growth dependent, with maximum production (5.675 mg l "1 ) at 24 h growth. The strain exhibited swarming, but its motility was not affected upon addition of pure OHL or culture supernatant. Phytochemicals such as quercitin and berberine chloride inhibited OHL production and reduced swarming. FliA, the predominantly upregulated protein during swarming, was considered as a possible target for these inhibitors, and docking of the two most active and two least active inhibitors to this protein suggested preferential binding of the former set of compounds. Apart from adding new evidence to AHL production in Proteus vulgaris, active inhibitors shortlisted from this study could help in identifying lead compounds to act against this opportunistic pathogen of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.