Identification of N-acyl-l-homoserine lactones produced by non-pigmented Chromobacterium aquaticum CC-SEYA-1(T) and pigmented Chromobacterium subtsugae PRAA4-1(T)

Many members of the genus Chromobacterium produce violacein, a characteristic purple pigment which is induced by small diffusible N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) quorum-sensing molecules. In this study, the production of AHL of the non-pigmented C. aquaticum CC-SEYA-1(T) and the pigmented C. subtsugae PRAA4-1(T) were determined by using a CV026 biosensor assay. The profile of AHL was identified from the extracts of stationary phase cultures using gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) and thin layer chromatography (TLC). CV026 biosensor assay revealed that both the non-pigmented C. aquaticum CC-SEYA-1(T) and the pigmented C. subtsugae PRAA4-1(T) produced AHL molecules, which were identified, respectively, as N-octanoyl homoserine lactone (OHL) [also known as C-8 homoserine lactone (C8-HSL)] and N-hexanoyl homoserine lactone (HHL) [also known as C-6 homoserine lactone (C6-HSL)]. The pigment produced by C. subtsugae PRAA4-1(T) was similar to that of Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC12472(T) but no characteristic visible spectral peaks of the pigment were observed in the extracts of C. aquaticum CC-SEYA-1(T). In addition, C. aquaticum CC-SEYA-1(T) and C. subtsugae PRAA4-1(T) showed hemolytic activities.