Prophage induction mediated by quorum sensing signals alters soil bacterial community structure

Abstract

Recent findings have revealed a role for bacterial quorum sensing communication in bacteriophage (phage) reproduction decisions. However quorum sensing based phage-host interactions remain largely unknown, with the mechanistic details revealed for only a few phage-host pairs and a dearth of information available at the microbial community level. Here we report on the specific action of individual quorum-sensing signals (acyl-homoserine lactones; AHLs varying in acyl-chain length from four to 14 carbon atoms) on prophage induction in soil microbial communities. AHL treatment significantly decreased the bacterial diversity (Shannon Index) but did not significantly impact species richness. Exposure to short chain-length AHLs resulted in a decrease in the abundance of different taxa than exposure to higher molecular weight AHLs. Each AHL targeted a different subset of bacterial taxa. Our observations demonstrate that individual AHLs trigger prophage induction in different bacterial taxa leading to changes in microbial community structure.