Signal-mediated cross-talk regulates stress adaptation in Vibrio species

Quorum sensing systems serve as a means of 'census taking' of conspecific and non-conspecific bacteria in the near vicinity. The acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing system has been proposed to be primarily an intra-specific communication system, while the AI-2 autoinducer signalling system is proposed to be an interspecific communication system. Here it is shown that Al-2-like signalling in two marine Vibrio species, Vibrio vulnificus and 'Vibrio angustum' S14, induces the core response phenotypes of starvation adaptation and stress resistance, and that a signal antagonist can competitively inhibit these phenotypes. Furthermore, the signals produced by a range of Vibrio species have the ability to induce these phenotypes in V vulnificus and 'V angustum' S14, indicating that, at least in Vibrio species, AI-2-like signalling systems function as interspecies communication systems capable of 'cross-talk' and of regulating environmentally relevant phenotypes.