Compositions and methods for regulating bacterial pathogenesis
AssigneesUniversity Technologies International Inc., Princeton University
InventorsBonnie L. Bassler, Michael G. Surette
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The production of a purified extracellular bacterial signal called autoinducer-2 is regulated by changes in environmental conditions associated with a shift from a free-living existence to a colonizing or pathogenic existence in a host organism. Autoinducer-2 stimulates LuxQ luminescence genes, and is believed also to stimulate a variety of pathogenesis related genes in the bacterial species that produce it. A new class of bacterial genes is involved in the biosynthesis of autoinducer-2.
Claims18
An isolated gram negative bacterial strain comprising a first genetic alteration introduced into a nucleotide sequence from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:1-9, wherein the first genetic alteration is in the luxS gene and inhibits production of functional LuxS protein, inhibiting production of the autoinducer-2 having the structure of the autoinducer-2 produced by Vibrio harveyi, and a second genetic alteration that inhibits the ability to detect an acyl-homoserine lactone autoinducer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.