The residues at positions 136 in MexB are located in between the PN1 subdomain and the PN2 subdomain [24]. The residues at positions 681 in MexB are located in the PC2 subdomain [24]. The PC2 domain plays an important role in the formation of the entrance channel [24]. These data support selleck kinase inhibitor the suggestion that Phe136 in MexB plays an important role in substrate

extrusion by MexB. MexAB-OprM inhibition by ABI showed that the LasR activation by 3-oxo-C9-HSL or 3-oxo-C10-HSL was similar to that in the mexB deletion mutant (Figures 1 and 3). The effect of ABI concentration on the response to 3-oxo-C12-HSL was lower than that of 3-oxo-C9-HSL or 3-oxo-C10-HSL (Figure 3). These data suggest that the difference in the efflux ratio of 3-oxo-acyl-HSLs via MexAB-OprM may be due to differences in the acyl-side chain lengths; these differences in the efflux ratio were important in the response to the cognate 3-oxo-C12-HSL in P. aeruginosa. However, we have to consider the degradation of acyl-HSLs learn more by QS quenching lactonases or acylases, as well as LasR acyl-HSL binding activity in the acyl-HSLs response in P. aeruginosa. Previous studies showed that the substrate specificity of QS quenching enzymes was broad [25, 26]. In addition, we showed the LasR responds to several acyl-HSLs

by using the patulin competition assay (Figure 4). These results support the hypothesis that P. aeruginosa needs to use the acyl-HSLs Quisinostat price selection system of MexAB-OprM in order to respond to cognate acyl-HSLs in mixed bacterial culture conditions. Furthermore, it is known that the concentrations of acyl-HSLs are high at high cell densities and LasR binds its Buspirone HCl specific acyl-HSL to activate the LasR regulon [4]. It was also suggested that MexAB-OprM regulates the concentration of acyl-HSLs in the cell via acyl-HSLs extrusion. The regulation of acyl-HSLs concentration via MexAB-OprM may therefore be important in the P. aeruginosa QS response. The P. aeruginosa mexAB oprM deletion mutant responded to 3-oxo-C10-HSL produced by V. anguillarum during P. aeruginosa V. anguillarum co-cultivation

(Figure 5). These results indicate that intracellular acyl-HSLs exported by MexAB-OprM regulated QS in P. aeruginosa. It has also been reported that the RND-type efflux pump BpeAB-OprB in B. pseudomallei is closely involved in bacterial communication [27, 28]. These findings suggest that RND-type efflux pumps have a common ability for several acyl-HSL efflux systems. This selection mechanism may result in improved survival in mixed culture conditions. Conclusions This work demonstrates that MexAB-OprM does not control the binding of LasR to 3-oxo-Cn-HSLs but rather the accessibility of non-cognate acyl-HSLs to LasR in P. aeruginosa (Figure 6). Furthermore, the results indicate that QS is regulated by MexAB-OprM (Figure 6). MexAB-OprM not only influences multidrug resistance, but also selects acyl-HSLs and regulates QS in P. aeruginosa.