Quorum sensing signaling in bacteria

Abstract

The invention provides methods for identifying a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria, and for identifying a quorum sensing controlled gene in bacteria. In addition, the invention provides quorum sensing controlled genetic loci in Pseudomas aeruginosa. Novel indicator strains and vectors for engineering the strains for use in the method of the invention are also provided.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/653,730, filed on Sep. 1, 2000, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/153,022 filed on Sep. 3, 2000. The entire contents of each of the aforementioned applications is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Bacteria communicate with each other to coordinate expression of specific genes in a cell density dependent fashion. This "bacterial signaling" is a phenomenon called quorum sensing and response. Quorum sensing enables a bacterial species to sense its own number and regulate gene expression according to population density. In other words, quorum sensing is cell density-dependent regulation of genes that involves a freely diffusible molecule synthesized by the cell called an autoinducer (Fuqua, W. C. et al. (1996) Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 50:727-751; Salmond, G. P. C. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 16:615-624; Sitnikov, D. M. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 17:801-812). Autoinducers are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,872 and 5,593,827.

[0004] The paradigm system for quorum sensing is the lux system of the luminescent marine bacterium, Vibrio fischeri. V. fischeri exists at low cell densities in sea water and also at very high cell densities within the light organs of various marine organisms, such as the squid Euprymna scolopes (Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends in Microbiol. 5(4): 132-135; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179:3127-3132; Ruby, E. G. (1996) Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 50:591-624). At high cell densities, the V. fischeri genes encoding the enzymes required for light production are expressed. These genes are part of the lux ICDABEG operon and are regulated by the gene products of luxI and luxR (Baldwin, T. O. et al. (1989) J. of Biolum. and Chemilum. 4:326-341; Eberhard, A., et al. (1991) Arch. of Microbiol. 155:294-297; Gray, K. M. et al. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174:4384-4390).

[0005] LuxI is an autoinducer synthase that catalyzes the formation of the V. fischeri autoinducer (VAI), N-(3oxohexanoyl)homoserine lactone (Eberhard, A., et al. (1991) Arch. of Microbiol. 155:294-297; Seed, P. C. et al. (1995) J. Bacteriol. 177:654-659). The autoinducer freely diffuses across the cell membrane and at high cell densities, reaches a critical concentration (Kaplan, H. B. et al. (1985) J. Bacteriol. 163:1210-1214). At this critical concentration, VAI interacts with LuxR, a DNA-binding transcriptional regulator. The LuxR-VAI complex then binds to an upstream sequence of the lux operon called the "lux box", and activates transcription (Devine, J. H. et al. (1989) PNAS 86: 5688-5692; Hanzelka, B. A. et al. (1995) J Bacteriol. 177:815-817; Stevens, A. M. et al. (1994) PNAS 91:12619-12623). Since one of the genes of the operon is luxI, an autoregulatory loop is formed.

[0006] Many gram-negative bacteria have been shown to possess one or more quorum sensing systems (Fuqua, W. C. et al. (1996) Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 50:727-751; Salmond, G. P. C. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 16:615-624). These systems regulate a variety of physiological processes, including the activation of virulence genes and the formation of biofilms. The systems typically have acylated homoserine lactone ring autoinducers, in which the homoserine lactone ring is conserved. The acyl side chain, however, can vary in length and degree of substitution. In addition, it has been recently demonstrated that quorum sensing is involved in biofilm formation (Davies, D. G. et al. (1998) Science. 280(5361):295-8).

[0007] Biofilms are defined as an association of microorganisms, single or multiple species, that grow attached to a surface and produce a slime layer that provides a protective environment (Costerton, J. W. (1995) J Ind Microbiol. 15(3):137-40, Costerton, J. W. et al. (1995) Annu Rev Microbiol. 49:711-45). Typically, biofilms produce large amounts of extracellular polysaccharides, responsible for the slimy appearance, and are characterized by an increased resistance to antibiotics (1000- to 1500-fold less susceptible). Several mechanisms are proposed to explain this biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents (Costerton, J. W. et al. (1999) Science. 284(5418):1318-22). One idea is that the extracellular matrix in which the bacterial cells are embedded provides a barrier toward penetration by the biocides. A further possibility is that a majority of the cells in a biofilm are in a slow-growing, nutrient-starved state, and therefore not as susceptible to the effects of anti-microbial agents. A third mechanism of resistance could be that the cells in a biofilm adopt a distinct and protected biofilm phenotype, e.g., by elevated expression of drug-efflux pumps.

[0008] In most natural settings, bacteria grow predominantly in biofilms. Biofilms of P. aeruginosa have been isolated from medical implants, such as indwelling urethral, venous or peritoneal catheters (Stickler, D. J. et al. (1998) Appl Environ Microbiol. 64(9):3486-90). Chronic P. aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis lungs are considered to be biofilms (Costerton, J. W. et al. (1999) Science. 284(5418):1318-22).

[0009] In industrial settings, the formation of biofilms is often referred to as `biofouling`. Biological fouling of surfaces is common and leads to material degradation, product contamination, mechanical blockage, and impedance of heat transfer in water-processing systems. Biofilms are also the primary cause of biological contamination of drinking water distribution systems, due to growth on filtration devices.

[0010] As noted earlier, many gram-negative bacteria have been shown to possess one or more quorum sensing systems that regulate a variety of physiological processes, including the activation of virulence genes and biofilm formation. One such gram negative bacterium is Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[0011] P. aeruginosa is a soil and water bacterium that can infect animal hosts. Normally, the host defense system is adequate to prevent infection. However, in immunocompromised individuals (such as burn patients, patients with cystic fibrosis, or patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy), P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen, and infection with P. aeruginosa can be fatal (Govan, J. R. et al. (1996) Microbiol Rev. 60(3):539-74; Van Delden, C. et al. (1998) Emerg Infect Dis. 4(4):551-60).

[0012] For example, Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common inherited lethal disorder in Caucasian populations (.about.1 out of 2,500 life births), is characterized by bacterial colonization and chronic infections of the lungs. The most prominent bacterium in these infections is P. aeruginosa--by their mid-twenties, over 80% of people with CF have P. aeruginosa in their lungs (Govan, J. R. et al. (1996) Microbiol Rev. 60(3):539-74). Although these infections can be controlled for many years by antibiotics, ultimately they "progress to mucoidy," meaning that the P. aeruginosa forms a biofilm that is resistant to antibiotic treatment. At this point the prognosis is poor. The median survival age for people with CF is the late 20s, with P. aeruginosa being the leading cause of death (Govan, J. R. et al. (1996) Microbiol Rev. 60(3):539-74). According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, treatment of CF cost more than $900 million in 1995 (Foundation, CF http://www.cff.org/homeline199701.htm).

[0013] P. aeruginosa is also one of several opportunistic pathogens that infect people with AIDS, and is the main cause of bacteremia (bacterial infection of the blood) and pneumonitis in these patients (Rolston, K. V. et al. (1990) Cancer Detect Prev. 14(3):377-81; Witt, D. J. et al. (1987) Am J Med. 82(5):900-6). A recent study of 1635 AIDS patients admitted to a French hospital between 1991-1995 documented 41 cases of severe P. aeruginosa infection (Meynard, J. L. et al. (1999) J Infect. 38(3):176-81). Seventeen of these had bacteremia, which was lethal in 8 cases. Similar, numbers were obtained in a smaller study in a New York hospital, where the mortality rate for AIDS patients admitted with P. aeruginosa bacteremia was about 50% (Mendelson, M. H. et al. 1994. Clin Infect Dis. 18(6):886-95).

[0014] In addition, about two million Americans suffer serious burns each year, and 10,000-12,000 die from their injuries. The leading cause of death is infection (Lee, J. J. et al. (1990) J Burn Care Rehabil. 11(6):575-80). P. aeruginosa bacteremia occurs in 10% of seriously burned patients, with a mortality rate of 80% (Mayhall, C. G. (1993) p. 614-664, Prevention and control of nosocomial infections. Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore; McManus, A. T et al. (1985) Eur J Clin Microbiol. 4(2):219-23).

[0015] Such infections are often acquired in hospitals ("nosocomial infections") when susceptible patients come into contact with other patients, hospital staff, or equipment. In 1995 there were approximately 2 million incidents of nosocomial infections in the U.S., resulting in 88,000 deaths and an estimated cost of $ 4.5 billion (Weinstein, R. A. (1998) Emerg Infect Dis. 4(3):416-20). Of the AIDS patients mentioned above who died of P. aeruginosa bacteremia, more than half acquired these infections in hospitals (Meynard, J. L. et al. (1999) J Infect. 38(3):176-81).

[0016] Nosocomial infections are especially common in patients in intensive care units as these people often have weakened immune systems and are frequently on ventilators and/or catheters. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are the most common nosocomial infection (Richards, M. J. et al. (1999) Crit Care Med. 27(5):887-92) (31% of the total), and P. aeruginosa is highly associated with biofilm growth and catheter obstruction. While the catheter is in place, these infections are difficult to eliminate (Stickler, D. J. et al. (1998) Appl Environ Microbiol. 64(9):3486-90). The second most frequent nosocomial infection is pneumonia, with P. aeruginosa the cause of infection in 21% of the reported cases (Richards, M. J. et al. (1999) Crit Care Med. 27(5):887-92). The annual costs for diagnosing and treating nosocomial pneumonia has been estimated at greater than $2 billion (Craven, D. E. et al. (1991) Am J Med. 91(3B):44S-53S).

[0017] Treatment of these so-called nosocomial infections is complicated by the fact that bacteria encountered in hospital settings are often resistant to many antibiotics. In June 1998, the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System reported increases in resistance of P. aeruginosa isolates from intensive care units of 89% for quinolone resistance and 32% for imipenem resistance compared to the years 1993-1997 (NNIS. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/NNIS/AR_Surv1198.htm). In fact, some strains of P. aeruginosa are resistant to over 100 antibiotics (Levy, S. (1998) Scientific American. March). There is a critical need to overcome the emergence of bacterial strains that are resistant to conventional antibiotics (Travis, J. (1994) Science. 264:360-362).

[0018] P. aeruginosa is also of great industrial concern (Bitton, G. (1994) Wastewater Microbiology. Wiley-Liss, New York, N.Y.; Steelhammer, J. C. et al. (1995) Indust. Water Treatm.:49-55). The organism grows in an aggregated state, the biofilm, which causes problems in many water processing plants. Of particular public health concern are food processing and water purification plants. Problems include corroded pipes, loss of efficiency in heat exchangers and cooling towers, plugged water injection jets leading to increased hydraulic pressure, and biological contamination of drinking water distribution systems (Bitton, G. (1994) Wastewater Microbiology. Wiley-Liss, New York, N.Y., 9). The elimination of biofilms in industrial equipment has so far been the province of biocides. Biocides, in contrast to antibiotics, are antimicrobials that do not possess high specificity for bacteria, so they are often toxic to humans as well. Biocide sales in the US run at about $ 1 billion per year (Peaff, G. (1994) Chem. Eng. News:15-23).

[0019] A particularly ironic connection between industrial water contamination and public health issues is an outbreak of P. aeruginosa peritonitis that was traced back to contaminated poloxamer-iodine solution, a disinfectant used to treat the peritoneal catheters. P. aeruginosa is commonly found to contaminate distribution pipes and water filters used in plants that manufacture iodine solutions. Once the organism has matured into a biofilm, it becomes protected against the biocidal activity of the iodophor solution. Hence, a common soil organism that is harmless to the healthy population, but causes mechanical problems in industrial settings, ultimately contaminated antibacterial solutions that were used to treat the very people most susceptible to infection.

[0020] Regulation of virulence genes by quorum sensing is well documented in P. aeruginosa. Recently, genes not directly involved in virulence including the stationary phase sigma factor rpoS and genes coding for components of the general secretory pathway (xcp) (Jamin, M. et al. (1991) Biochem J. 280(Pt 2):499-506) have been reported to be positively regulated by quorum sensing. Furthermore, the las quorum sensing system is required for maturation of P. aeruginosa biofilms (Chapon-Herve, V. et al. (1997) Mol. Microbiol. 24, 1169-1170; Davies, D. G., et al. (1998) Science 280, 295-298). Thus it seems clear that quorum sensing represents a global gene regulation system in P. aeruginosa. However, the number and types of genes controlled by quorum sensing have not been identified or studied extensively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In general, the invention pertains to the modulation of bacterial cell-to-cell signaling. The inhibition of quorum sensing signaling renders a bacterial population more susceptible to treatment, either directly through the host immune-response or in combination with traditional antibacterial agents and biocides. More particularly, the invention also pertains to a method for identifing modulators, e.g., inhibitors of cell-to-cell signaling in bacteria, and in particular one particular human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[0022] Thus, in one aspect, the invention is a method for identifying a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria. The method comprises:

[0023] providing a cell comprising a quorum sensing controlled gene, wherein the cell is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated;

[0024] contacting said cell with a quorum sensing signal molecule in the presence and absence of a test compound;

[0025] and detecting a change in the detectable signal to thereby identify the test compound as a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria.

[0026] In one embodiment the cell comprises a reporter gene operatively linked to a regulatory sequence of a quorum sensing controlled gene, such that the quorum sensing signal molecule modulates the transcription of the reporter gene, thereby providing a detectable signal.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention is a method for identifying a modulator of a quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The method comprises:

[0028] providing a wild type strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produces a quorum sensing signal molecule;

[0029] providing a mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which comprises a reporter gene operatively linked to a regulatory sequence of a quorum sensing controlled gene, wherein the mutant strain is responsive to the quorum sensing signal molecule produced by the wild type strain, such that a detectable signal is generated;

[0030] contacting the mutant strain with the quorum sensing signal molecule and a test compound; and

[0031] detecting a change in the detectable signal to thereby identify the test compound as a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[0032] In one embodiment, the endogenous lasI and rhlI quorum sensing systems are inactivated in the mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In another embodiment the mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa comprises a promoterless reporter gene inserted at a genetic locus in the chromosome, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36.

[0033] A further aspect of the invention is a mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa comprising a promoterless reporter gene inserted at a genetic locus in the chromosome, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ D NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36.

[0034] In one embodiment, the endogenous lasI and rhlI quorum sensing systems are inactivated in the mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In another embodiment the mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated by the reporter gene. In yet another embodiment, the reporter gene is contained in a transposable element.

[0035] Yet another aspect of the invention is a method for identifying a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The method comprises:

[0036] providing a wild type strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produces a quorum sensing signal molecule;

[0037] providing a mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which comprises a promoterless reporter gene inserted at a genetic locus in the chromosome of said Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36; and wherein the mutant strain is responsive to the quorum sensing signal molecule produced by the wild type strain, such that a detectable signal is generated by the reporter gene;

[0038] contacting the mutant strain with the quorum sensing signal molecule and a test compound; and

[0039] detecting a change in the detectable signal to thereby identify the test compound as a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[0040] Another aspect of the invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which comprises:

[0041] a regulatory sequence derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein the regulatory sequence regulates a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome, and wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36; and

[0042] a reporter gene operatively linked to the regulatory sequence.

[0043] A further aspect of the invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

[0044] In one embodiment, the invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide having at least 80% identity to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

[0045] In another embodiment, the invention is an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a a polynucleotide that hybridizes under stringent conditions to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

[0046] In one embodiment, an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention comprises a reporter gene contained in a transposable element.

[0047] Accordingly, a further aspect of the invention pertains to a vector comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention. In another aspect, the invention provides cells containing an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention.

[0048] An additional aspect of the invention is a method for identifying a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria. The method comprises:

[0049] providing a cell containing an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention, wherein the cell is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated;

[0050] contacting said cell with a quorum sensing signal molecule in the presence and absence of a test compound;

[0051] and detecting a change in the detectable signal to therby identify the test compound as a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria.

[0052] Accordingly, in another aspect, the invention provides a compound identified by a method of the invention which modulates, e.g., inhibits, quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In one embodiment, the compound inhibits quorum sensing signaling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by inhibiting an enzyme involved in the synthesis of a quorum sensing signal molecule, by interfering with quorum sensing signal reception, or by scavenging the quorum sensing signal molecule.

[0053] The invention also pertains to a method for identifing quorum sensing controlled genes in a cell, and specifically in one particular human pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thus, in one aspect, the invention provides a method for identifying a quorum sensing controlled gene in a cell, the method comprising:

[0054] providing a cell which is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that expression of a quorum sensing controlled gene is modulated, and wherein modulation of the expression of said quorum sensing controlled gene generates a detectable signal;

[0055] contacting said cell with a quorum sensing signal molecule;

[0056] and detecting a change in the detectable signal to thereby identify a quorum sensing signaling controlled gene.

[0057] In one embodiment the cell comprises a reporter gene operatively linked to a quorum sensing controlled gene or a regulatory sequence of a quorum sensing controlled gene, such that modulation of the expression of the quorum sensing controlled gene modulates the transcription of the reporter gene, thereby providing a detectable signal. In another embodiment the reporter gene is contained in a transposable element. In yet another embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is produced by a second cell, e.g., a bacterial cell. In a further embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is an autoinducer of said quorum sensing controlled gene, e.g., a homoserine lactone, or an analog thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] FIG. 1 depicts the paragdigm for quorum sensing signaling in the target bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

[0059] FIG. 2 depicts patterns of .beta.-galactosidase expression in representative qsc mutants and in a strain with a lasB::lacZ chromosomal fusion generated by site-specific mutation. Units of .beta.-galactosidase are given as a function of culture density for cells grown without added signal molecules (.largecircle.), with added 3OC.sub.12-HSL (.circle-solid.), with added C.sub.4-HSL (.box-solid.), or with both signals added (.quadrature.).

[0060] FIG. 3 depicts the nucleic acid sequence of the quorum sensing controlled locus on the P. aeruginosa chromosome mapped in the P. aeruginosa mutant strain qsc102.

[0061] FIG. 4 depicts putative qsc operons. Open reading frames (ORFs) are indicated by the arrows. ORFs discovered in the qsc screen are indicated by their qsc number.

[0062] FIG. 5 depicts a growth curve of PAO1/pMW303G. Culture growth is monitored at 600 nm (closed circles) and .beta.-galactosidase activity is measured with a chemiluminescent substrate analog in relative light units (RLU; open circles).

[0063] FIG. 6 is a map of the qsc insertions on the P. aeruginosa chromosome. Arrowheads indicate the direction of lacZ transcription. In addition to the qsc mutants, lasR and lasI, rhlR, and lasB are also mapped. The locations of las-boxes like elements are shown as black dots between the two DNA strands. The numbers indicate distance in megabases on the approximately 6 megabase chromosome.

[0064] FIG. 7 depicts putative las-type boxes in upstream DNA regions of qsc mutants. ORFs as described in Materials and Methods. Bases outlined in black represent residues conserved in all sequences and gray outlines are conserved in 8 of 10 sequences.

[0065] FIG. 8 depicts the principle of a bioassay for modulators of quorum sensing signaling. Strain PAO1 produces the signal 3-oxo-C12-HSL. Strain QSC102 responds by inducing lacZ.

[0066] FIG. 9 depicts the results of an assay performed using the test compound acetyl-butyrolactone, which is present in the wells at increasing concentration (mM, as indicated). There are two rows and two columns per concentration to show reproducibily of the assay.

[0067] FIG. 10A depicts the structure of a mobilizable plasmid for generating an indicator strain. Filled boxes represent chromosomal DNA derived from the P. aeruginosa locus where lacZ is inserted in strain QSC102.

[0068] FIG. 10B depicts induction of .beta.-galactosidase as PAQ1 reaches high density. Cell growth is monitored at 600 nm (closed circles) and expression of .beta.-galactosidase is measured in Miller units (open circles).

[0069] FIG. 11 depicts the reaction mechanism of the RhlI autoinducer synthase.

[0070] FIG. 12 depicts a continuous culture bioreactor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0071] In gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, quorum sensing involves two proteins, the autoinducer synthase--the I protein--and the transcriptional activator--the R protein. The synthase produces an acylated homoserine lactone (the "autoinducer"; see structure 1 below), which can diffuse into the surrounding environment (Fuqua, C. et al. (1998) Curr Opin Microbiol. 1(2):183-189; Fuqua, et al. 1994. J Bacteriol. 176(2):269-75). The autoinducer molecule is composed of an acyl chain in a peptide bond with the amino nitrogen of a homoserine lactone (HSL). For different quorum sensing systems, the side-chain may vary in length, degree of saturation, and oxidation state. As the density of bacteria increases, so does the concentration of this freely diffusible signal molecule. Once the concentration reaches a defined threshold, it binds to the R-protein, which then activates transcription of numerous genes. Of particular interest are genes involved in pathogenicity and in biofilm formation (see FIG. 1).

[0072] Pseudomonas aeruginosa has two quorum sensing systems, las and rhl, named for their role in the expression of elastase, and the RhlI/RhIR proteins, which were first described for their role in rhamnolipid biosynthesis. (Hanzelka, B. A. et al. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178:5291-5294; Baldwin, T. O. et al. (1989) J. of Biolum. and Chemilum. 4:326-341; Passador, L., et al. (1993) Science 260:1127-1130; Pearson, J. P et al. (1994) PNAS 91:197-201; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends in Microbiol. 5(4):132-135; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179:3127-3132). The two systems have distinct autoinducer synthases (lasI and rhlI), transcriptional regulators (lasR and rhlR), and autoinducers (N-(3-oxododecanoyl)homoserine lactone (HSL) and N-butyryl HSL) (Sitnikov, D. M. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 17:801-812). The rhl and las systems are involved in regulating the expression of a number of secreted virulence factors, biofilm development, and the stationary phase sigma factor (RpoS) (Davies, D. G. et al. (1998) Science 280:295-298; Latifi, A. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. Rev. 17:333-344; Ochsner, U. A., et al. (1995) PNAS, 92:6424-6428; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends in Microbiol. 5(4):132-135; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179:3127-3132). Expression of the rhl system requires a functional las system, therefore the two systems in combination with RpoS constitute a regulatory cascade (Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends in Microbiol. 5(4):132-135; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179:3127-3132, Seed et al. 1995).

[0073] The signal in the Las system is 3-oxo-dodecanoyl-HSL (3-oxo-C12-HSL) 2, while the signal used in the Rhl system is butanoyl-HSL (C4-HSL) 3. It has been shown that 3-oxo-C12-HSL increases expression of RhIR, indicating a hierarchy of regulation systems (Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends Microbiol. 5(4):132-4). The Las signal 3-oxo-C12-HSL is synthesized by LasI along with a small amount of N-(3-oxooctanoyl) HSL and N-(3-oxohexanoyl) HSL, while RhlI makes primarily the signal C4-HSL and a small amount of N-hexanoyl (Pearson, J. P. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179:5756-5757; Winson, M. K. et al. (1995) PNAS 92:9427-9431). 1

[0074] Bacterial signaling triggers the expression of a number of virulence factors in P. aeruginosa including two elastases, an alkaline protease and exotoxin A (Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) Trends Microbiol. 5(4): 132-4; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J Bacteriol. 179(10):3127-32)--proteins that allow the organism to attack host tissue. Bacterial signaling also controls the expression of the antioxidant pyocyanin, a compound that allows the bacteria to neutralize one important host defense, the generation of superoxide radicals (Britigan, et al. (1999) Infect Immun. 67(3):1207-12, Hassan, H. M. et al. (1979) Arch Biochem Biophys. 196(2):385-95, Hassan, H. M. et al. 1980. J Bacteriol. 141(1):156-63). It has been shown in a neonatal mouse model that a defined mutant of P. aeruginosa which lacks the signal receptor protein (LasR) was significantly less virulent than the wild type PAO1, as measured by the ability to cause acute pneumonia, bacteremia and death (Tang, H. B. et al. (1996) Infect Immun. 64(1):37-43).

[0075] The invention is based on the interruption of bacterial cell-to-cell singaling, i.e., quorum sensing signaling in order to render a bacterial population more susceptible to treatment, either through the host immune-response or in combination with traditional antibacterial agents and biocides. Thus, the invention provides a bacterial indicator strain that allows for a high throughput screening assay for identifying compounds that modulate, e.g., inhibit bacterial cell-to-cell signalling. The compounds so identified will provide novel anti-pathogenics and anti-fouling agents.

DEFINITIONS

[0076] Before further description of the invention, certain terms employed in the specification, examples and appended claims are, for convenience, collected here.

[0077] The term "analog" as in "homoserine lactone analog" is intended to encompass compounds that are chemically and/or electronically similar but have different atoms, such as isosteres and isologs. An analog includes a compound with a structure similar to that of another compound but differing from it in respect to certain components or structural makeup. The term analog is also intened to encompass stereoisomers.

[0078] The language "autoinducer compounds" is art-recognized and is intended to include molecules, e.g., proteins which freely diffuse across cell membranes and which activate transcription of various factors which affect bacterial viability. Such compounds can affect virulence, and biofilm development. Autoinducer compounds can be acylated homoserine lactones. They can be other compounds similar to those listed in Table 1. Homoserine autoinducer compounds are produced in vivo by the interaction of a homoserine lactone substrate and an acylated acyl carrier protein in a reaction catalyzed by an autoinducer synthase molecule. In isolated form, autoinducer compounds can be obtained from naturally occurring proteins by purifying cellular extracts, or they can be chemically synthesized or recombinantly produced. The language "autoinducer synthase molecule" is intended to include molecules, e.g. proteins, which catalyze or facilitate the synthesis of autoinducer compounds, e.g. in the quorum sensing system of bacteria. It is also intended to include active portions of the autoinducer synthase protein contained in the protein or in fragments or portions of the protein (e.g., a biologically active fragment). The language "active portions" is intended to include the portion of the autoinducer synthase protein which contains the homoserine lactone binding site.

[0079] Table 1 contains a list of exemplary autoinducer synthase proteins of the quorum sensing systems of various gram-negative bacteria.

1TABLE 1 Summary of N-acyl homoserine lactone based regulatory systems Regulatory Bacterial species Signal molecules.sup.a proteins.sup.b Target function(s) Vibrio fischeri N-3-(oxohexanoyl)- LuxI/LuxR luxICDABEG, homoserine lactone luxR (VAI-1) luminescence N-(octanoyl)-L-homoserine AinS/AinR.sup.c luxICDABEG, ? lactone (VAI-2) Vibrio harveyi N-.beta.-(hydroxybutyryl)- LuxM/LuxN luxICDABEG, homoserine lactone LuxO-LuxR.sup.d luminescence and (HAI-1) polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis HAI-2 Lux?/LuxPQ- luxCDABEG LuxO-LuxR.sup.d Pseudomonas N-3-(oxododecanyoyl)-L- LasI/LasR lasB, lasA, aprA, toxA, aeruginosa homoserine lactone virulence factors (PAI-1) N-(butyryl)-L-homoserine RhII/RhIR rhlAB, rhamnolipid lactone synthesis, virulence (PAI-2) factors Pseudomonas (PRAI).sup.e PhzI/PhzR phz, phenazine aeureofaciens biosynthesis Agroacterium N-3-(oxooctanoyl)-L- TraI/TraR-TraM tra gens, traR, Ti tumefaciens homoserine lactone plasmid conjugal (AAI) transfer Erwinia carotovora VAI-1.sup.f ExpI/ExpR pel, pec, pep, subsp. carotovora exoenzyme synthesis SCR1193 Erwinia carotovora VAI-1.sup.f CarI/CarR cap, carbapenem subsp. carotovora antibiotic synthesis SCC3193 Erwinia carotovora VAI-1.sup.f HsII/? pel, pec, pep, subsp. carotovora exoenzyme synthesis 71 Erwinia stewartii VAI-1.sup.f EsaI/EsaR wts genes, exopolysaccharide synthesis, virulence factors Rhizobium N-(3R-hydroxy-7-cis- ?/RhiR rhiABC, rhizosphere leguminosarum tetradecanoyl-L-homoserine genes and stationary lactone, small bacteriocin, phase (RLAI) Enterobacter VAI-1.sup.f EagI/EagR function unclear agglomerans Yersenia VAI-1.sup.f YenI/YenR function unclear enterocolitica Serratia liquifaciens N-butanoyl-L-homoserine SwrI/? swarming motility lacton (SAI-1) N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine SwrI/? swarming motility lacton (SAI-2) Aeromonas (AHAI).sup.e AhyI/AhyR function unclear hydrophila Escherichia coli/?.sup.g ?/SdiA ftsQAZ, cell division

[0080] Autoinducer synthase molecules can be obtained from naturally occurring sources, e.g., by purifying cellular extracts, can be chemically synthesized or can be recombinantly produced. Recombinantly produced autoinducer synthase molecules can have the amino acid sequence of a a naturally occurring form of the autoinducer synthase protein. They can also have a similar amino acid sequence which includes mutations such as substitutions and deletions (including truncation) of a naturally occurring form of the protein. Autoinducer synthase molecules can also include molecules which are structurally similar to the structures of naturally occurring autoinducer synthase proteins, e.g., biologically active variants.

[0081] TraI, LuxI, RhlI are the homoserine lactone autoinducer synthases of Agrobacterium tumefaceins, Vibrio fischeri, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. The term "RhlI" is intended to include proteins which catalyze the synthesis of the homoserine lactone autoinducer of the RhlI quorum sensing system of P. aeruginosa, butyryl homoserine lactone.

[0082] The term "biofilm" is intended to include biological films that develop and persist at interfaces in aqueous environments. Biofilms are composed of microorganisms embedded in an organic gelatinous structure composed of one or more matrix polymers which are secreted by the resident microorganisms. The language "biofilm development" or "biofilm formation" is intended to include the formation, growth, and modification of the bacterial colonies contained with the biofilm structures as well as the synthesis and maintenance of the exopolysaccharide matrix of the biofilm structures.

[0083] The term "compound" as used herein (e.g., as in "test compound," or "modulator compound") is intended to include both exogenously added test compounds and peptides endogenously expressed from a peptide library. Test compounds may be purchased, chemically synthesized or recombinantly produced. Test compounds can be obtained from a library of diverse compounds based on a desired activity, or alternatively they can be selected from a random screening procedure. In one embodiment, an indicator cell (e.g., a cell which responds to quorum sensing signals by generating a detectable signal) also produces the test compound which is being screened. For instance, the indicator cell can produce, e.g., a test polypeptide, a test nucleic acid and/or a test carbohydrate, which is screened for its ability to modulate quorum sensing signaling. In such embodiments, a culture of such reagent cells will collectively provide a library of potential modulator molecules and those members of the library which either stimulate or inhibit quorum sensing signaling can be selected and identified. In another embodiment, a test compound is produced by a second cell which is co-incubated with the indicator cell.

[0084] The terms "derived from" or "derivative", as used interchangeably herein, are intended to mean that a sequence is identical to or modified from another sequence, e.g., a naturally occurring squence. Derivatives within the scope of the invention include polynucleotide derivatives. Polynucleotide or nucleic acid derivatives differ from the sequences described herein (e.g., SEQ ID Nos.: 1-38) or known in nucleotide sequence. For example, a polynucleotide derivative may be characterized by one or more nucleotide substitutions, insertions, or deletions, as compared to a reference sequence. A nucleotide sequence comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus that is derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa, e.g., SEQ ID Nos.: 1-38, includes sequences that have been modified by various changes such as insertions, deletions and substitutions, and which retain the property of being regulated in response to a quorum sensing signaling event. Such sequences may comprise a quorum sensing controlled regulatory element and/or a quorum sensing controlled gene. The nucleotide sequence of the P. aeruginosa genome is available at www.pseudomonas.com.

[0085] Polypeptide or protein derivatives include polypeptide or protein sequences that differ from the sequences described or known in amino acid sequence, or in ways that do not involve sequence, or both, and still preserve the activity of the polypeptide or protein. Derivatives in amino acid sequence are produced when one or more amino acids is substituted with a different natural amino acid, an amino acid derivative or non-native amino acid. In certain embodiments protein derivatives include naturally occurring polypeptides or proteins, or biologically active fragments thereof, whose sequences differ from the wild type sequence by one or more conservative amino acid substitutions, which typically have minimal influence on the secondary structure and hydrophobic nature of the protein or peptide. Derivatives may also have sequences which differ by one or more non-conservative amino acid substitutions, deletions or insertions which do not abolish the biological activity of the polypeptide or protein.

[0086] Conservative substitutions (substituents) typically include the substitution of one amino acid for another with similar characteristics (e.g., charge, size, shape, and other biological properties) such as substitutions within the following groups: valine, glycine; glycine, alanine; valine, isoleucine; aspartic acid, glutamic acid; asparagine, glutamine; serine, threonine; lysine, arginine; and phenylalanine, tyrosine. The non-polar (hydrophobic) amino acids include alanine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, proline, phenylalanine, tryptophan and methionine. The polar neutral amino acids include glycine, serine, threonine, cysteine, tyrosine, asparagine and glutamine. The positively charged (basic) amino acids include arginine, lysine and histidine. The negatively charged (acidic) amino acids include aspartic acid and glutamic acid.

[0087] In other embodiments, derivatives with amino acid substitutions which are less conservative may also result in desired derivatives, e.g., by causing changes in charge, conformation and other biological properties. Such substitutions would include, for example, substitution of hydrophilic residue for a hydrophobic residue, substitution of a cysteine or proline for another residue, substitution of a residue having a small side chain for a residue having a bulky side chain or substitution of a residue having a net positive charge for a residue having a net negative charge. When the result of a given substitution cannot be predicted with certainty, the derivatives may be readily assayed according to the methods disclosed herein to determine the presence or absence of the desired characteristics. The polypeptides and proteins of this invention may also be modified by various changes such as insertions, deletions and substitutions, either conservative or nonconservative where such changes might provide for certain advantages in their use.

[0088] As used herein, the term "genetic locus" includes a position on a chromosome, or within a genome, which is associated with a particular gene or genetic sequences having a particular characteristic. For example, in one embodiment, a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus includes nucleic acid sequences which comprise an open reading frame (ORF) of a quorum sensing controlled gene. In another embodiment, a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus includes nucleic acid sequences which comprise transcriptional regulatory sequences that are responsive to quorum sensing signaling (e.g., a quorum sensing controlled regulatory element). Examples of quorum sensing controlled genetic loci of P. aeruginosa are described herein as SEQ ID NOs.: 1-38.

[0089] The term "modulator", as in "modulator of quorum sensing signaling" is intended to encompass, in its various grammatical forms, induction and/or potentiation, as well as inhibition and/or downregulation of quorum sensing signaling and/or quorum sensing controlled gene expression. As used herein, the term "modulator of quorum sensing signaling" includes a compound or agent that is capable of modulating or regulating at least one quorum sensing controlled gene or quorum sensing controlled genetic locus, e.g., a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus in P. aeruginosa, as described herein. A modulator of quorum sensing signaling may act to modulate either signal generation (e.g., the synthesis of a quorum sensing signal molecule), signal reception (e.g., the binding of a signal molecule to a receptor or target molecule), or signal transmission (e.g., signal transduction via effector molecules to generate an appropriate biological response). In one embodiment, a method of the present invention encompasses the modulation of the transcription of an indicator gene in response to an autoinducer molecule. In another embodiment, a method of the present invention encompasses the modulation of the transcription of an indicator gene, preferably an quorum sensing controlled indicator gene, by a test compound.

[0090] The term "operatively linked" or "operably linked" is intended to mean that molecules are functionally coupled to each other in that the change of activity or state of one molecule is affected by the activity or state of the other molecule. In one embodiment, nucleotide sequences are "operatively linked" when the regulatory sequence functionally relates to the DNA sequence encoding the polypeptide or protein of interest. For example, a nucleotide sequence comprising a transcriptional regulatory element(s) (e.g., a promoter) is operably linked to a DNA sequence encoding the protein or polypeptide of interest if the promoter nucleotide sequence controls the transcription of the DNA sequence encoding the protein of interest. In addition, two nucleotide sequences are operatively linked if they are coordinately regulated and/or transcribed. Typically, two polypeptides that are operatively linked are covalently attached through peptide bonds.

[0091] The term "quorum sensing signaling" or "quorum sensing" is intended to include the generation of a cellular signal in response to cell density. In one embodiment, quorum sensing signaling mediates the coordinated expression of specific genes. A "quorum sensing controlled gene" is any gene, the expression of which is regulated in a cell density dependent fashion. In a preferred embodiment, the expression of a quorum sensing controlled gene is modulated by a quorum sensing signal molecule, e g., an autoinducer molecule (e.g., a homoserine lactone molecule). The term "quorum sensing signal molecule" is intended to include a molecule that transduces a quorum sensing signal and mediates the cellular response to cell density. In a preferred embodiment the quorum sensing signal molecule is a freely diffusible autoinducer molecule, e.g., a homoserine lactone molecule or analog thereof. In one embodiment, a quorum sensing controlled gene encodes a virulence factor. In another embodiment, a quorum sensing controlled gene encodes a protein or polypeptide that, either directly or indirectly, inhibits and/or antagonizes a bacterial host defense mechanism. In yet another embodiment, a quorum sensing controlled gene encodes a protein or polypeptide that regulates biofilm formation.

[0092] The term "regulatory sequences" is intended to include the DNA sequences that control the transcription of an adjacent gene. Gene regulatory sequences include, but are not limited to, promoter sequences that are found in the 5' region of a gene proximal to the transcription start site which bind RNA polymerase to initiate transcription. Gene regulatory sequences also include enhancer sequences which can function in either orientation and in any location with respect to a promoter, to modulate the utilization of a promoter, and other expression control elements (e.g., polyadenylation signals). Such regulatory sequences are described, for example, in Goeddel (1990) Methods Enzymol. 185:3-7. Transcriptional control elements include, but are not limited to, promoters, enhancers, and repressor and activator binding sites. The gene regulatory sequences of the present invention contain binding sites for transcriptional regulatory proteins. In one embodiment, a regulatory sequence includes a sequence that mediates quorum sensing controlled gene expression, e.g., a las box. In a preferred embodiment, gene regulatory sequences comprise sequences derived from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome which modulate quorum sensing controlled gene expression, e.g., SEQ ID NOs.:38 and 39. In another preferred embodiment, gene regulatory sequences comprise sequences (e.g., a genetic locus) derived from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome which modulate the expression of quorum sensing controlled genes, e.g., SEQ ID NOs.: 1-36.

[0093] The term "reporter gene" or "indicator gene" generically refers to an expressible (e.g., able to be transcribed and (optionally) translated) DNA sequence which is expressed in response to the activity of a transcriptional regulatory protein. Indicator genes include unmodified endogenous genes of the host cell, modified endogenous genes, or a reporter gene of a heterologous construct, e.g., as part of a reporter gene construct. In a preferred embodiment, the level of expression of an indicator gene produces a detectable signal.

[0094] Reporter gene constructs are prepared by operatively linking an indicator gene with at least one transcriptional regulatory element. If only one transcriptional regulatory element is included, it is advantageously a regulatable promoter. In a preferred embodiment at least one of the selected transcriptional regulatory elements is directly or indirectly regulated by quorum sensing signals, whereby quorum sensing controlled gene expression can be monitored via transcription and/or translation of the reporter genes.

[0095] Many reporter genes and transcriptional regulatory elements are known to those of skill in the art and others may be identified or synthesized by methods known to those of skill in the art. Reporter genes include any gene that expresses a detectable gene product, which may be RNA or protein. Preferred reporter genes are those that are readily detectable. In one embodiment, an indicator gene of the present invention is comprised in the nucleic acid molecule in the form of a fusion gene (e.g., operatively linked) with a nucleotide sequence that includes regulatory sequences (e.g., quorum sensing transcriptional regulatory elements, e.g., a las box) derived from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome (e.g., SEQ ID NOs:38 and 39). In another embodiment, an indicator gene of the present invention is operatively linked to quorum sensing transcriptional regulatory sequences that regulate a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome, e.g., a genetic locus comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NOs.: 1-36. In yet another embodiment, an indicator gene of the present invention is operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the Pseudomonas aeruginosa genome (e.g., SEQ ID NOs.: 1-39). In certain embodiments of the invention, an indicator gene (e.g., a promoterless indicator gene) is contained in a transposable element.

[0096] The term "detecting a change in the detectable signal" is intended to include the detection of alterations in gene transcription of an indicator or reporter gene induced upon modulation of quorum sensing signaling. In certain embodiments, the reporter gene may provide a selection method such that cells in which the transcriptional regulatory protein activates transcription have a growth advantage. For example the reporter could enhance cell viability, relieve a cell nutritional requirement, and/or provide resistance to a drug. In other embodiments, the detection of an alteration in a signal produced by an indicator gene encompass assaying general, global changes to the cell such as changes in second messenger generation.

[0097] The amount of transcription from the reporter gene may be measured using any method known to those of skill in the art. For example, specific mRNA expression may be detected using Northern blots, or a specific protein product may be identified by a characteristic stain or an intrinsic activity. In preferred embodiments, the gene product of the reporter is detected by an intrinsic activity associated with that product. For instance, the reporter gene may encode a gene product that, by enzymatic activity, gives rise to a detection signal based on color, fluorescence, or luminescence.

[0098] The amount of regulation of the indicator gene, e.g., expression of a reporter gene, is then compared to the amount of expression in a control cell. For example, the amount of transcription of an indicator gene may be compared between a cell in the absence of a test modulator molecule and an identical cell in the presence of a test modulator molecule.

[0099] As used interchangeably herein, the terms "transposon" and "transposable element" are intended to include a piece of DNA that can insert into and cut itself out of, genomic DNA of a particular host species. Transposons include mobile genetic elements (MGEs) containing insertion sequences and additional genetic sequences unrelated to insertion functions (for example, sequences encoding a reporter gene). Insertion sequence elements include sequences that are between 0.7 and 1.8 kb in size with termini approximately 10 to 40 base pairs in length with perfect or nearly perfect repeats. As used herein, a transposable element is operatively linked to the nucleotide sequence into which it is inserted. Transposable elements are well known in the art, and are described for example, at www.bact.wisc.edu/MicrotextBook/BactGenetics.

[0100] The present invention discloses a method for identifying modulators of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria, e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As described herein, the method of the invention comprises providing a cell which comprises a quorum sensing controlled gene, wherein the cell is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated. A cell which responds to a quorum sensing signal molecule by generating a detectable signal is referred to herein as an "indicator cell" or a "reporter cell". In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cell is a P. aeruginosa bacterial cell. In another preferred embodiment, the cell is from a mutant strain of P. aeruginosa which comprises a reporter gene operatively linked to a regulatory sequence of a quorum sensing controlled gene, wherein said mutant strain is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule, such that a detectable signal is generated. In yet another preferred embodiment, the cell is a mutant strain of P. aeruginosa which comprises a promoterless reporter gene inserted in the chromosome at a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus, e.g., a genetic locus comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NOs.: 1-38, wherein said mutant strain is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated by the reporter gene. In a preferred embodiment, the reporter gene is contained in a transposable element. In a further preferred embodiment, the cell is from a strain of P. aeruginosa in which lasI and rhlI are inactivated, such that the cell does not express the lasI and rhlI autoinducer synthases which are involved in the generation of quorum sensing signal molecules. A compound is identified as a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria by contacting the cell with a quorum sensing signal molecule in the presence and absence of a test compound and detecting a change in the detectable signal.

[0101] Quorum sensing signal molecules that are useful in the methods of the present invention include autoinducer compounds such as homoserine lactones, and analogs thereof (see Table 1). In certain embodiments, the quorum sensing signal molecule is either 3-oxo-C12-homoserine lactone or C4-HSL. In one embodiment, the cell does not express the quorum sensing signal molecule. For example, the cell may comprise a mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa wherein lasI and rhlI are inactivated. Therefore, the cell is contacted with an exogenous quorum sensing signal molecule, e.g., a recombinant or synthetic molecule. In another embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is produced by a second cell (e.g., a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell), which is co-incubated with the indicator cell. For example, an indicator cell which does not express a quorum sensing signal molecule can be co-incubated with a wild type strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produces a quorum sensing signal molecule. Alternatively, the indicator strain which does not express a quorum sensing signal molecule is co-incubated with a second cell which has been transformed, or otherwise altered, such that it is able to express a quorum sensing signal moleucle. In yet another embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is expressed by the indicator strain.

[0102] Similarly, the test compound can be exogenously added to an indicator strain, produced by a second cell which is co-incubated with the indicator strain, or expressed by the indicator strain. Exemplary compounds which can be screened for activity include, but are not limited to, peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, small organic molecules, and natural product extract libraries.

[0103] The test compounds of the present invention can be obtained using any of the numerous approaches in combinatorial library methods known in the art, including: biological libraries; spatially addressable parallel solid phase or solution phase libraries; synthetic library methods requiring deconvolution; the `one-bead one-compound` library method; and synthetic library methods using affinity chromatography selection. The biological library approach is limited to peptide libraries, while the other four approaches are applicable to peptide, non-peptide oligomer or small molecule libraries of compounds (Lam, K. S. (1997) Anticancer Drug Des. 12:45).

[0104] Examples of methods for the synthesis of molecular libraries can be found in the art, for example, in: DeWitt et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90:6909; Erb et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:11422; Zuckermann et al. (1994). J. Med. Chem. 37:2678; Cho et al. (1993) Science 261:1303; Carrell et al. (1994) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 33:2059; Carell et al. (1994) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 33:2061; and Gallop et al. (1994) J. Med. Chem. 37:1233.

[0105] Libraries of compounds may be presented in solution (e.g., Houghten (1992) Biotechniques 13:412-421), or on beads (Lam (1991) Nature 354:82-84), chips (Fodor (1993) Nature 364:555-556), bacteria (Ladner U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,409), spores (Ladner U.S. Pat. No. '409), plasmids (Cull et al. (1992) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 89:1865-1869) or on phage (Scott and Smith (1990) Science 249:386-390); (Devlin (1990) Science 249:404-406); (Cwirla et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:6378-6382); (Felici (1991) J. Mol. Biol. 222:301-310); (Ladner supra.).

[0106] In certain embodiments of the instant invention, the compounds tested are in the form of peptides from a peptide library. The peptide library may take the form of a cell culture, in which essentially each cell expresses one, and usually only one, peptide of the library. While the diversity of the library is maximized if each cell produces a peptide of a different sequence, it is usually prudent to construct the library so there is some redundancy. Depending on size, the combinatorial peptides of the library can be expressed as is, or can be incorporated into larger fusion proteins. The fusion protein can provide, for example, stability against degradation or denaturation. In an exemplary embodiment of a library for intracellular expression, e.g., for use in conjunction with intracellular target receptors, the polypeptide library is expressed as thioredoxin fusion proteins (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,270,181 and 5,292,646; and PCT publication WO94/02502). The combinatorial peptide can be attached on the terminus of the thioredoxin protein, or, for short peptide libraries, inserted into the so-called active loop.

[0107] In one embodiment of the instant invention the cell further comprises a means for generating the detectable signal. For example, the cell may comprise a reporter gene, the transcription of which is regulated by a quorum sensing signal molecule. In a preferred embodiment, the reporter gene is operatively linked to a regulatory sequence of a quorum sensing controlled gene, e.g. a nucleotide sequence comprising at least one quorum sensing controlled regulatory element, e.g., a las box. In another embodiment, the reporter gene is operatively linked to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus, e.g., a quorum sensing controlled gene, such that transcription of the indicator gene is responsive to quorum sensing signals. For example, in a preferred embodiment, a promoterless reporter gene is inserted into a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa. Such quorum sensing controlled genetic loci, as described herein, include the loci in the P. aeruginosa genome which comprise the nucleotide sequences set forth as SEQ ID NOs.: 1-38. In another preferred embodiment, the promoterless reporter gene is contained in a transposable element that is inserted into a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus in the P. aeruginosa genome.

[0108] Examples of reporter genes include, but are not limited to, CAT (chloramphenicol acetyl transferase) (Alton and Vapnek (1979), Nature 282: 864-869), and other enzyme detection systems, such as beta-galactosidase (lacZ), firefly luciferase (deWet et al. (1987), Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:725-737); bacterial luciferase (Engebrecht and Silverman (1984), PNAS 1: 4154-4158; Baldwin et al. (1984), Biochemistry 23: 3663-3667); alkaline phosphatase (Toh et al (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 182: 231-238, Hall et al. (1983) J. Mol. Appl. Gen. 2: 101), human placental secreted alkaline phosphatase (Cullen and Malim (1992) Methods in Enzymol. 216:362-368), and horseradish peroxidase. In one preferred embodiment, the indicator gene is lacZ. In another preferred embodiment, the indicator gene is green fluorescent protein (U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,084; WO96/23898) or a variant thereof. A preferred variant is GFPmut2. Other reporter genes include ADE1, ADE2, ADE3, ADE4, ADE5, ADE7, ADE8, ASP3, ARG1, ARG3, ARG4, ARG5, ARG6, ARG8, ARO2, ARO7, BAR1, CAT, CHO1, CYS3, GAL1, GAL7, GAL10, HIS1, HIS3, HIS4, HIS5, HOM3, HOM6, ILV1, ILV2, ILV5, INO1, INO2, INO4, LEU1, LEU2, LEU4, LYS2, MAL, MEL, MET2, MET3, MET4, MET8, MET9, MET14, MET16, MET19, OLE1, PHO5, PRO1, PRO3, THR1, THR4, TRP1, TRP2, TRP3, TRP4, TRP5, URA1, URA2, URA3, URA4, URA5 and URA10.

[0109] In accordance with the methods of the invention, compounds which modulate quorum sensing singaling can be selected and identified. The ability of compounds to modulate quorum sensing signaling can be detected by up or down-regulation of the detection signal provided by the indicator gene. Any difference, e.g., a statistically significant difference, in the amount of transcription indicates that the test compound has in some manner altered the activity of quorum sensing signaling.

[0110] A modulator of quorum sensing signaling may act by inhibiting an enzyme involved in the synthesis of a quorum sensing signal molecule, by inhibiting reception of the quorum sensing signal molecule by the cell, or by scavenging the quorum sensing signal molecule. The term "scavenging" is meant to include the sequestration, chemical modification, or inactivation of a quorum sensing signal molecule such that it is no longer able to regulate quorum sensing gene control. After identifying certain test compounds as potential modulators of quorum sensing signaling, the practitioner of the subject assay will continue to test the efficacy and specificity of the selected compounds both in vitro and in vivo, e.g., in an assay for bacterial viability and/or pathogenecity.

[0111] In another aspect, the present invention discloses a method for identifying a quorum sensing controlled gene in bacteria, e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The method comprises providing a cell which is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that expression of a quorum sensing controlled gene is modulated, and wherein modulation of the expression of the quorum sensing controlled gene generates a detectable signal. The cell is contacted with a quorum sensing signal molecule and a change in the signal is detected to thereby identify a quorum sensing signaling controlled gene.

[0112] In one embodiment, the cell further comprises a means for generating the detectable signal, e.g., a reporter gene. For example, the cell may comprise a promoterless reporter gene that is operatively-linked to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus such that modulation of the expression of the quorum sensing controlled locus concurrently modulates transcription of the reporter gene. The position of the quorum sensing controlled genetic locus is then mapped based on the position of the reporter gene.

[0113] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cell is a P. aeruginosa bacterial cell. In another preferred embodiment, the cell is a mutant strain of P. aeruginosa which comprises a promoterless reporter gene inserted in the chromosome at a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus, e.g., a genetic locus comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NOs.:1-39, wherein said mutant strain is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated by the reporter gene. In a preferred embodiment, the reporter gene is contained in a transposable element. In a further preferred embodiment, the cell is from a strain of P. aeruginosa in which lasI and rhlI are inactivated, such that the cell does not express the lasI and rhlI autoinducer synthases which are involved in the generation of quorum sensing signal molecules.

[0114] It is also to be understood that genomic sequences from a mutant bacterial strain (e.g., P. aeruginosa) in which a promoterless reporter gene (e.g., a reporter gene contained in a transposable element) has been inserted at a quorum sensing controlled locus, can be assayed in a heterologous cell that is responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that quorum sensing signal transduction occurs. For example, the genomic DNA of a strain of P. aeruginosa subjected to transposon mutagenesis, as described herein, can be engineered into a library, and transferred to another cell capable of quorum sensing signaling (e.g., a different species of gram negative bacteria), and assayed to identify a quorum sensing controlled gene.

[0115] In one embodiment, the cell is contacted with an exogenous quorum sensing signal molecule, e.g., a recombinant or synthetic molecule, as described herein. In another embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is produced by a second cell (e.g., a prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell), which is co-incubated with the indicator cell. For example, an indicator cell which does not express a quorum sensing signal molecule can be co-incubated with a wild type strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produces a quorum sensing signal molecule. Alternatively, the indicator strain which does not express a quorum sensing signal molecule is co-incubated with a second cell which has been transformed, or otherwise altered, such that it is able to express a quorum sensing signal moleucle. In yet another embodiment, the quorum sensing signal molecule is expressed by the indicator strain.

[0116] Another aspect of the invention provides a mutant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa comprising a promoterless reporter gene inserted in a chromsome at a genetic locus comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NOs:1-36, e.g., a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus. In one embodiment the reporter gene is contained in a transposable element. In another embodiment, the reporter gene is lacZ or GFP, or a variant thereof, e.g., GFPmut2. In yet another embodiment, lasI and rhlI are inactivated in the mutant strain of P. aeruginosa. The above-described cells are useful in the methods of the instant invention, as the cells are responsive to a quorum sensing signal molecule such that a detectable signal is generated by the reporter gene. These cells are also useful for studying the function of polypeptides encoded by the quorum sensing controlled loci comprising the nucleotide sequences set forth as SEQ ID NOs.:1-36.

[0117] Yet another aspect of the invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa operatively linked to a reporter gene. In one embodiment, a reproter gene is operatively linked to a regulatory sequence derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa, wherein the regulatory sequence regulates a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus comprising a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1-36. In a preferred embodiment such regulatory sequences comprise at least one binding site for a quorum sensing controlled transcriptional regulatory factor (e.g., a transcriptional activator or repressor molecule) such that transcription of the reporter gene is responsive to a quorum sensing singal molecule and/or a modulator of quorum sensing signaling. In another embodiment, a reporter gene is operatively linked to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1-36. In yet another embodiment, a reporter gene is operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence which has at least 80%, and more preferably at least 85%, 90% or 95% identity to quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1-36. In a further embodiment, a reporter gene is operatively linked to a nucleotide sequence which hybridizes under stringent conditions to quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of P. aeruginosa, wherein the genetic locus comprises a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO:1-36.

[0118] The term "isolated nucleic acid molecule" includes nucleic acid molecules which are separated from other nucleic acid molecules which are present in the natural source of the nucleic acid. For example, with regard to genomic DNA, the term "isolated" includes nucleic acid molecules which are separated from the chromosome with which the genomic DNA is naturally associated. Preferably, an "isolated" nucleic acid is free of sequences which naturally flank the nucleic acid (i.e., sequences located at the 5' and 3' ends of the nucleic acid) in the genomic DNA of the organism from which the nucleic acid is derived. For example, in various embodiments, the isolated nucleic acid molecule can contain less than about 5 kb, 4 kb, 3 kb, 2 kb, 1 kb, 0.5 kb or 0.1 kb of nucleotide sequences which naturally flank the nucleic acid molecule in genomic DNA of the cell from which the nucleic acid is derived. Moreover, an "isolated" nucleic acid molecule, such as a cDNA molecule, can be substantially free of other cellular material, or culture medium when produced by recombinant techniques, or substantially free of chemical precursors or other chemicals when chemically synthesized. As used interchangeably herein, the terms "nucleic acid molecule" and "polynucleotide" are intended to include DNA molecules (e.g., cDNA or genomic DNA) and RNA molecules (e.g., mRNA) and analogs of the DNA or RNA generated using nucleotide analogs. The nucleic acid molecule can be single-stranded or double-stranded, but preferably is double-stranded DNA. The term"DNA" refers to deoxyribonucleic acid whether single- or double-stranded. As used herein, the terms "gene" and "recombinant gene" refer to nucleic acid molecules which include an open reading frame encoding a protein, preferably a quorum sensing controlled protein, and can further include non-coding regulatory sequences, and introns.

[0119] The present invention includes polynucleotides capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions, prefereably highly stringent conditions, to the polynucleotides described herein (e.g., a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus, e.g., SEQ ID NOs.:1-36). As used herein, the term "hybridizes under stringent conditions" is intended to describe conditions for hybridization and washing under which nucleotide sequences that are significantly identical or homologous to each other remain hybridized to each other. Preferably, the conditions are such that sequences at least about 70%, more preferably at least about 80%, even more preferably at least about 85% or 90% identical to each other remain hybridized to each other. Such stringent conditions are known to those skilled in the art and can be found in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel et al., eds., John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1995), sections 2, 4, and 6. Additional stringent conditions can be found in Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Sambrook et al., Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989), chapters 7, 9, and 11. A preferred, non-limiting example of stringent hybridization conditions includes hybridization in 4.times. sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC), at about 65-70.degree. C. (or alternatively hybridization in 4.times.SSC plus 50% formamide at about 42-50.degree. C.) followed by one or more washes in 1.times.SSC, at about 65-70.degree. C. A preferred, non-limiting example of highly stringent hybridization conditions includes hybridization in 1.times.SSC, at about 65-70.degree. C. (or alternatively hybridization in 1.times.SSC plus 50% formamide at about 42-50.degree. C.) followed by one or more washes in 0.3.times.SSC, at about 65-70.degree. C. A preferred, non-limiting example of reduced stringency hybridization conditions includes hybridization in 4.times.SSC, at about 50-60.degree. C. (or alternatively hybridization in 6.times.SSC plus 50% formamide at about 40-45.degree. C.) followed by one or more washes in 2.times.SSC, at about 50-60.degree. C. Ranges intermediate to the above-recited values, e.g. at 65-70.degree. C. or at 42-50.degree. C. are also intended to be encompassed by the present invention. SSPE (1.times.SSPE is 0.15M NaCl, 10 mM NaH.sub.2PO.sub.4, and 1.25 mM EDTA, pH 7.4) can be substituted for SSC (1.times.SSC is 0.15M NaCl and 15 mM sodium citrate) in the hybridization and wash buffers; washes are performed for 15 minutes each after hybridization is complete. The hybridization temperature for hybrids anticipated to be less than 50 base pairs in length should be 5-10.degree. C, less than the melting temperature (T.sub.m) of the hybrid, where T.sub.m is determined according to the following equations. For hybrids less than 18 base pairs in length, T.sub.m(.degree. C.)=2(# of A+T bases)+4(# of G+C bases). For hybrids between 18 and 49 base pairs in length, T.sub.m(.degree. C.)=81.5+16.6(log.sub.10[Na.sup.+])+0.41(% G+C)-(600/N), where N is the number of bases in the hybrid, and [Na.sup.+] is the concentration of sodium ions in the hybridization buffer ([Na.sup.+] for 1.times.SSC=0.165 M). It will also be recognized by the skilled practitioner that additional reagents may be added to hybridization and/or wash buffers to decrease non-specific hybridization of nucleic acid molecules to membranes, for example, nitrocellulose or nylon membranes, including but not limited to blocking agents (e.g., BSA or salmon or herring sperm carrier DNA), detergents (e.g., SDS), chelating agents (e.g., EDTA), Ficoll, PVP and the like. When using nylon membranes, in particular, an additional preferred, non-limiting example of stringent hybridization conditions is hybridization in 0.25-0.5M NaH.sub.2PO.sub.4, 7% SDS at about 65.degree. C., followed by one or more washes at 0.02M NaH.sub.2PO.sub.4, 1% SDS at 65.degree. C. (see e.g., Church and Gilbert (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81:1991-1995), or alternatively 0.2.times.SSC, 1% SDS.

[0120] The invention further encompasses nucleic acid molecules that differ from the quorum sensing controlled genetic loci described herein, e.g., the nucleotide sequences shown in SEQ ID NO:1-36. Accordingly, the invention also includes variants, e.g., allelic variants, of the disclosed polynucleotides or proteins; that is naturally occuring and non-naturally occuring alternative forms of the isolated polynucleotide which may also encode proteins which are identical, homologous or related to that encoded by the polynucleotides of the invention.

[0121] Nucleic acid variants can be naturally occurring, such as allelic variants (same locus), homologues (different locus), and orthologues (different organism) or can be non naturally occurring. Non-naturally occurring variants can be made by mutagenesis techniques, including those applied to polynucleotides, cells, or organisms. The variants can contain nucleotide substitutions, deletions, inversions and insertions. Variation can occur in either or both the coding and non-coding regions. The variations can produce both conservative and non-conservative amino acid substitutions (as compared in the encoded product). Allelic variants result, for example, from DNA sequence polymorphisms within a population (e.g., a bacterial population) that lead to changes in the nucleic acid sequences of quorum sensing controlled genetic loci.

[0122] To determine the percent identity of two amino acid sequences or of two nucleic acid sequences, the sequences are aligned for optimal comparison purposes (e.g., gaps can be introduced in one or both of a first and a second amino acid or nucleic acid sequence for optimal alignment and non-homologous sequences can be disregarded for comparison purposes). In a preferred embodiment, the length of a reference sequence aligned for comparison purposes is at least 30%, preferably at least 40%, more preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 60%, and even more preferably at least 70%, 80%, 90% or 95% of the length of the reference sequence. The amino acid residues or nucleotides at corresponding amino acid positions or nucleotide positions are then compared. When a position in the first sequence is occupied by the same amino acid residue or nucleotide as the corresponding position in the second sequence, then the molecules are identical at that position (as used herein amino acid or nucleic acid "identity" is equivalent to amino acid or nucleic acid "homology"). The percent identity between the two sequences is a function of the number of identical positions shared by the sequences, taking into account the number of gaps, and the length of each gap, which need to be introduced for optimal alignment of the two sequences.

[0123] The comparison of sequences and determination of percent identity between two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm. In a preferred embodiment, the percent identity between two amino acid sequences is determined using the Needleman and Wunsch (J. Mol. Biol. (48):444-453 (1970)) algorithm which has been incorporated into the GAP program in the GCG software package (available at http://www.gcg.com), using either a Blossom 62 matrix or a PAM250 matrix, and a gap weight of 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, or 4 and a length weight of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. In yet another preferred embodiment, the percent identity between two nucleotide sequences is determined using the GAP program in the GCG software package (available at http://www.gcg.com), using a NWSgapdna.CMP matrix and a gap weight of 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 and a length weight of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. In another embodiment, the percent identity between two amino acid or nucleotide sequences is determined using the algorithm of E. Meyers and W. Miller (Comput. Appl. Biosci., 4:11-17 (1988) which has been incorporated into the ALIGN program (version 2.0) (available at http://vega.igh.cnrs.fr/bin/align-guess.cgi), using a PAM120 weight residue table, a gap length penalty of 12 and a gap penalty of 4.

[0124] The nucleic acid and protein sequences of the present invention can further be used as a "query sequence" to perform a search against public databases to, for example, identify other family members or related sequences. Such searches can be performed using the NBLAST and XBLAST programs (version 2.0) of Altschul, et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-10. BLAST nucleotide searches can be performed with the NBLAST program, score=100, wordlength=12 to obtain nucleotide sequences homologous to nucleic acid molecules of the invention. BLAST protein searches can be performed with the XBLAST program, score=50, wordlength=3 to obtain amino acid sequences homologous to protein molecules of the invention. To obtain gapped alignments for comparison purposes, Gapped BLAST can be utilized as described in Altschul et al., (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25(17):3389-3402. When utilizing BLAST and Gapped BLAST programs, the default parameters of the respective programs (e.g., XBLAST and NBLAST) can be used. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Additionally, the "Clustal" method (Higgins and Sharp, Gene, 73:237-44, 1988) and "Megalign" program (Clewley and Arnold, Methods Mol. Biol, 70:119-29, 1997) can be used to align sequences and determine similarity, identity, or homology.

[0125] Accordingly, the present invention also discloses recombinant vector constructs and recombinant host cells transformed with said constructs.

[0126] The term "vector" or "recombinant vector" is intended to include any plasmid, phage DNA, or other DNA sequence which is able to replicate autonomously in a host cell. As used herein, the term "vector" refers to a nucleic acid molecule capable of transporting another nucleic acid to which it has been linked. A vector may be characterized by one or a small number of restriction endonuclease sites at which such DNA sequences may be cut in a determinable fashion without the loss of an essential biological function of the vector, and into which a DNA fragment may be spliced in order to bring about its replication and cloning. A vector may further contain a marker suitable for use in the identification of cells transformed with the vector. Recombinant vectors may be generated to enhance the expression of a gene which has been cloned into it, after transformation into a host. The cloned gene is usually placed under the control of (i.e., operably linked to) certain control sequences or regulatory sequences, which may be either constitutive or inducible.

[0127] One type of vector is a "plasmid", which refers to a circular double stranded DNA loop into which additional DNA segments can be ligated. Another type of vector is a viral vector, wherein additional DNA segments can be ligated into the viral genome. Certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced (e.g., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors). Other vectors (e.g., non-episomal mammalian vectors) are integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell, and thereby are replicated along with the host genome. Moreover, certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked. Such vectors are referred to herein as "expression vectors". Expression systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are described in, for example, chapters 16 and 17 of Sambrook, J. et al. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2.sup.nd, ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989.

[0128] In the present specification, "plasmid" and "vector" can be used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector. However, the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors, such as viral vectors (e.g., replication defective retroviruses, adenoviruses and adeno-associated viruses), which serve equivalent functions. Protocols for producing recombinant retroviruses and for infecting cells in vitro or in vivo with such viruses can be found in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Ausubel, F. M. et al. (eds.) Greene Publishing Associates, (1989), Sections 9.10-9.14 and other standard laboratory manuals. Examples of suitable retroviruses include pLJ, pZIP, pWE and pEM which are well known to those skilled in the art. Examples of suitable packaging virus lines include .psi.crip, .psi.Cre, .psi.2 and .psi.Am. The genome of adenovirus can be manipulated such that it encodes and expresses a transcriptional regulatory protein but is inactivated in terms of its ability to replicate in a normal lytic viral life cycle. See for example Berkner et al. (1988) BioTechniques 6:616; Rosenfeld et al. (1991) Science 252:431-434; and Rosenfeld et al. (1992) Cell 68:143-155. Suitable adenoviral vectors derived from the adenovirus strain Ad type 5 d1324 or other strains of adenovirus (e.g., Ad2, Ad3, Ad7 etc.) are well known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, an adeno-associated virus vector such as that described in Tratschin et al. ((1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:3251-3260) can be used.

[0129] In general, it may be desirable that an expression vector be capable of replication in the host cell. Heterologous DNA may be integrated into the host genome, and thereafter is replicated as a part of the chromosomal DNA, or it may be DNA which replicates autonomously, as in the case of a plasmid. In the latter case, the vector will include an origin of replication which is functional in the host. In the case of an integrating vector, the vector may include sequences which facilitate integration, e.g., sequences homologous to host sequences, or encoding integrases.

[0130] Appropriate cloning and expression vectors for use with bacterial, fungal, yeast, and mammalian cellular hosts are known in the art, and are described in, for example, Powels et al. (Cloning Vectors: A Laboratory Manual, Elsevier, New York, 1985). Mammalian expression vectors may comprise non-transcribed elements such as an origin of replication, a suitable promoter and enhancer linked to the gene to be expressed, and other 5' or 3' flanking nontranscribed sequences, and 5' or 3' nontranslated sequences, such as necessary ribosome binding sites, a poly-adenylation site, splice donor and acceptor sites, and transcriptional termination sequences.

[0131] The vectors of the subject invention may be transformed into an appropriate cellular host for use in the methods of the invention.

[0132] As used interchangeably herein, a "cell" or a "host cell" includes any cultivatable cell that can be modified by the introduction of heterologous DNA. As used herein, "heterologous DNA", a "heterologous gene" or "heterologous polynucleotide sequence" is defined in relation to the cell or organism harboring such a nucleic acid or gene. A heterologous DNA sequence includes a sequence that is not naturally found in the host cell or organism, e.g., a sequence which is native to a cell type or species of organism other than the host cell or organism. Heterologous DNA also includes mutated endogenous genetic seqeunces, for example, as such sequences are not naturally found in the host cell or organism. Preferably, a host cell is one in which a quorum sensing signal molecule, e.g, an autoinducer molecule, initiates a quorum sensing signaling response which includes the regulation of target quorum sensing controlled genetic sequences. The choice of an appropriate host cell will also be influenced by the choice of detection signal. For example, reporter constructs, as described herein, can provide a selectable or screenable trait upon activation or inhibition of gene transcription in response to a quorum sensing signaling event; in order to achieve optimal selection or screening, the host cell phenotype will be considered.

[0133] A host cell of the present invention includes prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotes include gram negative or gram positive organisms, for example, E. Coli or Bacilli. Suitable prokaryotic host cells for transformation include, for example, E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, and various other species within the genera Pseudomonas, Streptomyces, and Staphylococcus. In a preferred embodiment, a host cell of the invention is a mutant strain of P. aeruginosa in which lasI and rhlI are inactivated.

[0134] Eukaryotic cells include, but are not limited to, yeast cells, plant cells, fungal cells, insect cells (e.g., baculovirus), mammalian cells, and cells of parasitic organisms, e.g., trypanosomes. Mammalian host cell culture systems include established cell lines such as COS cells, L cells, 3T3 cells, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, embryonic stem cells, and HeLa cells. Other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art.

[0135] DNA can be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells via conventional transformation or transfection techniques. As used herein, the terms "transformation" and "transfection" are intended to refer to a variety of art-recognized techniques for introducing foreign nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) into a host cell, including calcium phosphate or calcium chloride co-precipitation, DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection, lipofection, or electroporation. Suitable methods for transforming or transfecting host cells can be found in Sambrook, et al. (Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2.sup.nd, ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989), and other laboratory manuals.

[0136] Host cells comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention (e.g., a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus operatively linked to a reporter gene) can be used in the methods of the instant invention to identify a modulator of quorum sensing signaling in bacteria.

[0137] Exemplification

[0138] The invention is further illustrated by the following examples which should not be construed as limiting.

EXAMPLE 1

Identification of Quorum Sensing Genes of P. Aeruginosa

[0139] Materials and Methods

[0140] Bacterial Strains, Plasmids, and Media. The bacterial strains and plasmids used in this example are listed in Table 2.

[0141] E. coli and P. aeruginosa were routinely grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth or LB agar (Sambrook, et al. (1989) Molecular Cloning: a Laboratory Manual. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)), supplemented with antimicrobial agents when necessary. The antimicrobial agents were used at the following concentrations: HgCl.sub.2, 15 .mu.g/ml in agar and 7.5 .mu.g/ml in broth; nalidixic acid 20 .mu.g/ml; carbenicillin, 300 .mu.g/ml; tetracycline, 50 .mu.g/ml for P. aeruginosa and 20 .mu.g/ml for E. coli; and gentamicin, 100 .mu.g/ml for P. aeruginosa and 15 .mu.g/ml for E. coli. Synthetic acyl-HSL concentrations were 2 .mu.M for 30C.sub.12-HSL and 5 .mu.M for C.sub.4-HSL, and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-.beta.-D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal) was used at 50 .mu.g/ml.

[0142] DNA Manipulations and Plasmid Constructions. DNA treatment with modifying enzymes and restriction endonucleases, ligation of DNA fragments with T4 ligase, and transformation of E. coli were performed according to standard methods (Ausubel, F. et al. (1997) Short Protocols in Molecular Biology. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.)). Plasmid isolation was performed using QIAprep spin miniprep kits (Qiagen Inc.) and DNA fragments were excised and purified from agarose gels using GeneClean spin kits (Bio101 Corp.). DNA was sequenced at the University of Iowa DNA core facility by using standard automated sequencing technology.

[0143] To construct pMW10, the pBR322 tetA(C) gene-containing Clal-NotI DNA fragment in pJPP4 was replaced with a tetA(B)-containing BstB1-NotI fragment from Tn10. It was necessary to use tetA(B) rather than tetA(C) to inactivate lasI because the tetA(C) gene from pBR322 was a hot spot for Tn5::B22 mutagenesis (Berg, D. E. et al. (1983) Genetics 105, 813-828).

[0144] To construct pMW300 a 1.6 kb SmaI fragment from pGM.OMEGA.1 that contained the aacC1 gene (encoding gentamicin acetyltransferase-3-1) was cloned into EagI digested pTL61T, which had been polished with T4 polymerase. The resulting plasmid pTL61T-GM.OMEGA.1 was digested with SmaI and MscI to release a 6.5-kb lacZ-aacC1 fragment. A

2TABLE 2 Bacterial strains and plasmids Strain or plasmid Relevant characteristics Source (reference) Strains P. aeruginosa PAO1 Parental strain (1) P. aeruginosa PDO100 .DELTA.rhlI::Tn501 derivative of PAO1, Hg.sup.r (2) P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 .DELTA.lasI, .DELTA.rhlI derivative of PDO100, Hg.sup.r, Tc.sup.r This study P. aeruginosa PAO-MW10 lasB::lacZ chromosomal insertion in PAO-MW1 This study E. coli DH5.alpha. F.sup.- .phi.80.DELTA.lacZ, .DELTA.M15, .DELTA.(lacZYA-argF)U169, (3) endA1, recA1, hsdR17, deoR, gyrA96, thi-1 relA1, supE44 E. coli HB101 F.sup.- mcrB, mrr hsdS20, recA13, leuB6, ara-14 (3) proA2, lacY1, galK2, xyl-5, mtl-1, rpsL20 (Sm.sup.r), supE44 E. coli SY327 .lambda.pir (.lambda.pir), .DELTA.(lac pro), argE(Am), rif, nlA, recA56 (4) E. coli S17-1 thi, pro, hsdR, recA, RP4-2 (Tet::Mu) (Km::Tn7) (5) Plasmids pJPP4 oriR6K, mobRP4, .DELTA.lasI, Tc.sup.r, Ap.sup.r (6) pTL61T lacZ transcriptional fusion vector, Ap.sup.r (7) pGM.OMEGA.1 Contains aacl flanked by transcriptional (8) and translational stops, Gm.sup.r pTL61T-GM.OMEGA.1 pTL61T with aacl gene from pGM.OMEGA.1 This study upstream of lacZ, Ap.sup.r, Gm.sup.r pMW100 pJPP4 with 2.7-kb tetA(B) from Tn10 in place of This study the pBR322 tetA(C), Tc.sup.r, Ap.sup.r pRK2013 ori (ColE1), tra.sup.+, (RK2)Km.sup.r (9) pSUP102 pACYC184 carrying mobRP4, Cm.sup.r, Tc.sup.r (10) pSUP102-lasB pSUP102 carrying lasB on a 3.1-kb P. aeruginosa This study chromosomal DNA fragment, Cm.sup.r, Tc.sup.r pMW300 pSUP102-lasB containing lacZ-aacl from This study pTL61T-GM.OMEGA.1 (lasB-lacZ transcriptional fusion knockout plasmid), Cm.sup.r, Gm.sup.r pTn5-B22 pSUP102 with Tn5-B22 (`lacZ), Gm.sup.r (28) Abbreviations tor antibiotics are as follows: kanamycin, Km; gentamicin, Gm; ampicillin, Ap; tetracycline, Tc; streptomycin, Sm.

[0145] 3.1-kb P. aeruginosa PAO1 chromosomal DNA fragment containing the lasB gene was amplified by PCR using the Expand.TM. Long Template PCR System (Boehringer Mannheim). This fragment was cloned into BamHI-digested pSUP102. The resulting plasmid, pSUP102-lasB was digested with NotI, polished with T4 polymerase and ligated with the 6.5-kb lacZ-aacC1 fragment from pTL61T-GM.OMEGA.1 to generate pMW300. The promoterless lacZ gene in pMW300 is 549 nucleotides form the start of the lasB ORF, it is flanked by 1.5 kb upstream and 1.6 kb downstream P. aeruginosa DNA, and it contains the p15A ori, which does not support replication in P. aeruginosa.

[0146] Construction of P. aeruginosa Mutants. A lasI, rhlI mutant strain of P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 was generated by insertional mutagenesis of lasI in the rhlI deletion mutant, PDO100. For insertional mutagenesis, the lasI::tetA(B) plasmid, pMW100 was mobilized from E. coli SY327 .lambda.pir into PDO100 by triparental mating with the help of E. coli HB101 containing pRK2013. Because pMW100 has a .lambda.pir-dependent origin of replication, it cannot replicate in P. aeruginosa. A tetracycline-resistant, carbenicillin-sensitive exconjugant was selected, which was shown by a Southern blot analysis to contain lasI:tetA but not lasI or pMW100. To confirm the inactivation of the chromosomal lasI in this strain, PAO-MW1, the amount of 3OC.sub.12-HSL in the fluid from a stationary phase culture (optical density at 600 nm, 5) was assessed by a standard bioassay (Pearson, J. P. et al. (1994) PNAS, 91, 197-201). No detectable 3-OC.sub.12-HSL (<5 nM) was found.

[0147] A mutant strain, P. aeruginosa PAO-MW10, which contains a lacZ reporter in the chromosomal lasB gene was constructed by introduction of pMW300 into PAO-MW1 by triparental mating as described above. Exconjugants resistant to gentamicin and sensitive to chloramphenicol were selected as potential recombinants. Southern blotting of chromosomal DNA with lasB and lacZ probes indicated that the pMW300 lasB-lacZ insertion had replaced the wt lasB gene.

[0148] Southern Blotting. Chromosomal DNA was prepared using the QIAMP tissue kit (Qiagen Inc.). Approximately 2 .mu.g of chromosomal DNA was digested with restriction endonucleases, separated on a 0.7% agarose gel, and transferred to a nylon membrane according to standard methods (Ausubel, F. et al. (1997) Short Protocols in Molecular Biology. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y.). DNA probes were generated using digoxigenin-11-dUTP by random primed DNA labeling or PCR. The Southern blots were visualized using the Genius.TM. system as outlined by the manufacturer (Boehringer Mannheim).

[0149] Tn5 Mutagenesis. Tn5::B22, which carries a promoterless lacZ gene, was used to mutagenize P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 (Simon, R. et al. (1989) Gene 80, 161-169). Equal volumes of a late logarithmic phase culture of E. coli S17-1 carrying pTn5::B22 grown at 30.degree. C. with shaking and a late logarithmic phase culture of P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 grown at 42.degree. C. without shaking were mixed. The mixture was centrifuged at 6000.times.g for 10 minutes at room temperature, suspended in LB (5% of the original volume), and spread onto LB plates (100 .mu.l per plate). After 16 to 24 hours at 30.degree. C., the cells on each plate were suspended in 500 .mu.l LB and 100 .mu.l volumes were spread onto LB agar plates containing HgCl.sub.2, gentamicin, tetracycline and nalidixic acid. The nalidixic acid prevents growth of E. coli but not P. aeruginosa. After 48 to 72 hours at 30.degree. C., 20 colonies were selected from each mating and grown on LB selection agar plates containing X-gal. Ten of the 20 were picked for further study. The colonies picked showed a range in the intensity of the blue color on the X-gal plates. In this way, the selection of siblings in a mating were minimized. A Southern blot using a probe to lacZ was performed on 20 randomly chosen transconjugants indicated that the Tn5 insertion in each was in a unique location.

[0150] The Screen for qsc Fusions. A microtiter dish assay was used to identify mutants showing acyl-HSL-dependent .beta.-galactosidase expression (quorum sensing-controlled or qsc mutants). Each transconjugant was grown in four separate wells containing LB broth without added autoinducer, with added 3OC.sub.12-HSL, C.sub.4-HSL, or both 30C.sub.12-HSL and C.sub.4-HSL for 12-16 hours at 37.degree. C. Inocula were 10 .mu.l of an overnight culture and final culture volumes were 70 .mu.l. The .beta.-galactosidase activity of cells in each microtiter dish well was measured in microtiter dishes with a luminescence assay (Tropix) Luminescence was measured with a Lucy I microtiter dish luminometer (Anthos).

[0151] Patterns of Acyl-HSL Induction of .beta.-galactosidase Activity in qsc Mutants. The pattern of .beta.-galactosidase expression was examined in response to acyl-HSLs in each of 47 qsc mutants identified in the initial screen. Each mutant was grown in 1 ml of MOPS (50 mM, pH 7.0) buffered LB broth containing one, the other, both, or neither acyl-HSL signal in an 18 mm culture tube at 37.degree. C. with shaking. A mid-logarithmic phase culture was used as an inoculum and initial optical densities (ODs) at 600 nm were 0.1. Growth was monitored as OD at 600 nm and .beta.-galactosidase activity was measured in 0.1 ml samples taken at 0, 2, 5, and 9 hours after inoculation.

[0152] DNA Sequencing and Sequence Analysis. To identify DNA sequences flanking Tn5::B22 insertions, arbitrary PCR was performed with primers and conditions as described (Caetano-Annoles, G. (1993) PCR Methods Appl. 3, 85-92; O'Toole, G. A. et al. (1998) Mol. Microbiol. 28, 449-461). Tn5 flanking sequences that could not be identified using arbitrary PCR were cloned. For cloning, 3 .mu.g of chromosomal DNA was digested with EcoRI and ligated with EcoRI-digested, phosphatase treated pBR322. E. coli DH5.alpha. was transformed by electroporation with the ligation mixtures and plasmids from gentamicin resistant colonies were used for sequencing Tn5-flanking DNA.

[0153] DNA sequences flanking Tn5-B22 insertions were located on the P. aeruginosa PAO1 chromosome by searching the chromosomal database at the P. aeruginosa Genome Project web site (www.pseudomonas.com). The ORFs containing the insertions are those described at the web site. Functional coupling from the Argonne National Labs (http://wit.mcs.anl.gov/WIT2), sequence analysis, and expression patterns of the qsc mutants were used to identify potential operons (Overbeek, R. et al. (1999) PNAS 96, 2896-2901).

[0154] Results

[0155] Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa qsc Genes. Seven thousand Tn5::B22 mutants of P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 were screened. Tn5::B22 contains a promoterless lacZ. P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 is a lasI, rhlI mutant that does not make acyl-HSL signals. Thus, transcription of the Tn5::B22 lacZ in a qsc gene was expected to respond to an acyl-HSL signal. The screen involved growth of each mutant in a complex medium in a microtiter dish well with no added acyl-HSL, 30C.sub.12-HSL, C.sub.4-HSL, or both 3OC.sub.12-HSL and C.sub.4-HSL. After 12-16hours, .beta.-galactosidase activity in each culture was measured. Two hundred-seventy mutants showed greater than 2 fold stimulation of .beta.-galactosidase activity in response to either or both acyl-HSL. Of these, 70 showed a greater than5-fold stimulation of .beta.-galactosidase activity in response to either or both acyl-HSL, and were studied further. Each mutant was grown with shaking in culture tubes and 47 showed a reproducible greater than5-fold stimulation of .beta.-galactosidase activity in response to either or both of the acyl-HSL signals. These were considered to have Tn5::B22 insertions in qsc genes. It was shown by a Southern blot analysis with a lacZ probe that each mutant contained a single Tn5: :B22 insertion.

[0156] This collection of 47 mutants is not believed to represent the entire set of quorum sensing regulated genes in P. aeruginosa. The threshold of greater than 5-fold induction may be too stringent, enough mutants may not have been screened to be assure that insertions in all of the genes in the chromosome have been tested, and there may be conditions other than those which were employed that would have revealed other genes which were not detected in the present screen. Nevertheless, a set of 47 insertions in genes have been identified that show significant activation in response to acyl-HSL (qsc genes).

[0157] Responses of qsc Mutants to Acyl-HSL Signals. For cultures of each of the 47 qsc mutants, .beta.-galactosidase activity was measured at different times after addition of acyl-HSL signals. The basal levels of .beta.-galactosidase varied depending on the mutant. The responses to the acyl-HSL signals could be grouped into 4 general classes based on which of the two signals was required for activation of lacZ, and whether the response to the signal(s) occurred immediately or was delayed until stationary phase. A response was considered immediate if there was a 5-fold or greater response within 2 hours of acyl-HSL addition (the optical densities(ODs) of the cultures ranged from 0.5-0.7 at 2 hours). A response was considered delayed or late if there was <5-fold induction at 2 hours but greater than 5-fold induction of .beta.-galactosidase at 5 hours or later (ODs of 2 or greater). In some strains activation of lacZ required 30C.sub.12-HSL, others required both 30C.sub.12-HSL and C.sub.4-HSL for full activation of lacZ. A number of strains responded to either signal alone but showed a much greater response with both 30C.sub.12-HSL and C.sub.4-HSL. None of the mutants responded well to C.sub.4-HSL alone (Table 3). This was expected because expression of RhIR, which is required for a response to C.sub.4-HSL is dependent on 30C.sub.12-HSL (Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179, 3127-3132). Therefore at least some of the insertions exhibiting a response to both acyl-HSLs may be responding to the rhl system, which requires activation by the las system.

[0158] Class I mutants responded to 3OC.sub.12-HSL immediately, Class II responded to 30C.sub.12-HSL late, Class III respond best to both signals early, and, Class IV to both signals late. There were 9 Class I, 11 Class II, 18 Class III, and 9 Class IV mutants. FIG. 2 shows responses of representative members of each class to acyl-HSLs. Generally, most early genes (Class I and III genes) showed a much greater induction than most late genes (Class II and IV). Many of the Class III mutants showed some response to either signal alone but showed a greater response in the presence of both signals (Table 3 and FIG. 2).

[0159] Identity and Analysis of qsc Genes. The Tn5-B22-marked qsc genes were identified by coupling arbitrary PCR or transposon cloning with DNA sequencing. The sequences were located in the P. aeruginosa PAO1 chromosome by searching the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Genome Project web site (www.pseudomonas.com). To confirm the locations of the Tn5-B22 insertions in each qsc mutant, a Southern blot analysis was performed with Tn5-B22 as a probe. The sizes of Tn5-B22 restriction fragments were in agreement with those predicted based on the P. aeruginosa genomic DNA sequence (data not shown). The 47 qsc mutations mapped in or adjacent to 39 different open reading frames (ORFs). For example FIG. 3 depicts the nucleic acid sequence of the quorum sensing controlled locus on the P. aeruginosa chromosome mapped in the P. aeruginosa mutant strain qsc102.

3TABLE 3 Quorum sensing-controlled genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Signal response.sup.b Genomic Classification Identity.sup.a 3OC.sub.12-HSL C.sub.4-HSL Both Position.sup.e Class I qsc100 Peptide synthetase 65 3 69 5801998 qsc101 No match 145 1 184 7730 qsc102 No match 350 1 400 5547 qsc103 No match 85 1 95 3961920 qsc104 Polyamine binding protein 7 2 8 5402505 qsc105 FAD-binding protein 40 1 42 5410045 qsc106A&B No match 9 1 10 2870317 qsc107 No match 44 2 50 5799641 Class II qsc108 ORF 5 13 1 7 5617382 qsc109 Bacitracin synthetase 3 13 1 8 5651872 qsc110A&B Pyoverdine synthetase D 10 1 7 5661697 qsc111 Pyoverdine synthetase D 11 1 7 5666282 qsc112A&B Aculeacin A acylase 15 1 12 5701004 qsc113 Trransmembrane protein 5 1 5 3771157 qsc114.sup.c No match 9 1 7 5209051 qsc115.sup.d No match 4 1 5 1941557 qsc116 No match 5 1 5 1138940 Class III qsc117.sup.d ACP-like protein 22 22 186 41430 qsc118 RhlI 38 14 70 4447967 qsc119 RhlB 9 7 100 4446918 qsc120 Chloramphenicol resistance 3 7 24 4592102 qsc121 3-Oxoacyl ACP synthase 13 27 105 4594988 qsc122A&B Cytochrome p450 2 10 90 4595538 qsc123 9-Cis retinol dehydrogenase 14 28 96 4597340 qsc124A&B Pyoverdine synthetase D 35 50 148 4598281 qsc125 Zeaxanthin synthesis 20 65 140 4600099 qsc126 Pristanimycin I synthase 3 & 4 3 5 24 4603518 qsc127.sup.c No match 5 2 15 4608787 qsc128 Hydrogen cyanide synthase HcnB 19 12 42 5924799 qsc129A&B Cellulose binding protein p40 15 1 100 1141723 qsc130 glc operon transcriptional activator 5 1 14 2313744 qsc131 PhzC 50 168 742 1110 Class IV qsc132A&B Unknown (B. pertusis) 1 1 40 3616599 qsc133A&B AcrB 1 1 9 3628342 qsc134 Saframycin Mx1 synthetase A 6 1 28 3781254 qsc135 Cytochrome C precursor 3 1 6 4942182 qsc136.sup.c No match 7 3 45 851491 qsc137 Asparagine synthetase 1 1 10 2007007 qsc138 No match 3 5 32 2459178 .sup.aThe bold letters indicate matches were to known P. aeruginosa genes. .sup.bThe signal response is given as .beta.-galactosidase activity in cells grown in the presence of the indicated signal(s) divided by the .beta.-galactosidase activity of cells grown in the absence of added signals. Maximum responses are indicated. .sup.cThe lacZ insertions in these strains are in the opposite orientation of the ORFs described in the P. aeruginosa Genome Project web site. The insertions are which in locations with no reported identity are been indicated. .sup.dInsertions do not lie in but are near the putative ORFs indicated. In qsc117 the insertion is 129 bp downstream of the ACP ORF and interrupts a potential rho-independent transcription terminator. The qsc115 insertion is 60 bp upstream of the ORF listed in Materials and Methods. .sup.eGenomic position as identified using sequence information described in the P. aeruginosa Genome Project web site (Jul. 15, 1999 release).

[0160] The genomic sequences comprising the ORFs in Table 3 are described in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Genome Sequencing Project web site, as detailed in Table 4.

[0161] Only 2 genes were identified that already were known to be controlled by quorum sensing, rhlI and rhlB. Several other genes potentially involved in processes known to be regulated by quorum sensing were also identified including phzC (phenazine synthesis), a putative cyanide synthesis gene (related to the Pseudomonas fluorescens hcnB), and ORF 5 (pyoverdine synthesis) (Latifi, A. et al. (1995) Mol. Microbiol. 17, 333-344; Cunliffe, H. E. et al. (1995) J. Bacteriol. 177, 2744-2750). Interestingly, lasB was not identified by the assay, yet the LasI-LasR quorum sensing system was originally described as regulating lasB (Gambello, M. J. et al. (1991) J. Bacteriol. 173, 3000-3009). A lasB-lacZ chromosomal fusion in P. aeruginosa PAO-MW1 was constructed, so that regulation of lasB by quorum sensing could be compared to the genes identified by the assay. The lasB7lacZ fusion only responded slightly to 3OC.sub.12-HSL (3-fold stimulation). The full response (12-13-fold over background) required both C.sub.4-HSL and 30C.sub.12-HSL, and the response was late (FIG. 2). Thus, lasB shows the characteristics of a Class IV gene.

[0162] Some of the qsc mutants had obvious phenotypes. Unlike the parent, on LB agar, colonies of the Class II mutants qsc108, 109, 110A and B, and 111 were not fluorescent. Because pyoverdine is a fluorescent pigment, and because the qsc110 and 111 mutations were in genes coding for pyoverdine synthetase-like proteins, it was suspected that these mutations define a region involved in pyoverdine synthesis. The insertion in qsc131 is in phzC which is required for pyocyanin synthesis. Although the parent strain produced a blue pigment in LB broth, qsc131 did not. The two qsc132 mutants also did not produce detectable levels of pyocyanin but did produce a water-soluble red pigment.

[0163] Functional coupling and sequence analysis were used to identify 7 putative qsc operons, one of which is the previously described rhlAB operon (FIG. 4). Functional coupling will not organize genes encoding polypeptides without known relatives into operons, and organization of genes in an operon was disallowed in cases where there was greater than 250 bp of intervening sequence between two adjacent ORFs. The

4TABLE 4 ORFs of quorum sensing-controlled genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Insertion Insertion Jul. 15, 1999 Dec. 15, 1999 Open Reading Frame QSC release release Dec. 15, 1999 release Orientation SEQ ID NO 131 1110 4715256 4714774-4715991 Forward 1 102 5547 2067716 2066736-2068517 Reverse 2 101 7730 2065297 2064803-2065495 Reverse 3 117 41430 2031833 2031245-2031655 Forward 4 136 851491 1221771 1221374-1221961 Reverse 5 116 1138940 934322 934191-935210 Reverse 6 129 1141723 931539 930603-931772 Reverse 7 115 1941557 131753 131583-131792 Reverse 8 137 2007007 66507 66264-68135 Forward 9 130 2313744 6023975 6023787-6024542 Forward 10 138 2459178 5878418 5877776-5878597 Forward 11 106 2870317 5467402 5466520-5467887 Forward 12 132 3616599 4721118 4720249-4721457 Forward 13 133 3628342 4709375 4707483-4710572 Forward 14 113 3771157 4566558 4565369-4567903 Reverse 15 134 3781254 4556461 4555202-4558177 Forward 16 103 3961920 4375793 4375589-4376680 Forward 17 119 4446918 3890793 3890724-3892004 Reverse 18 118 4447967 3889744 3889088-3889738 Reverse 19 120 4592102 3745609 3744850-3746016 Forward 20 121 4594988 3742723 3742643-3743635 Forward 21 122 4595538 3742173 3740961-3742217 Forward 22 123 4597340 3740171 3740054-3740968 Forward 23 124 4598281 3739430 3738724-3740052 Forward 24 125 4600099 3737612 3737561-3738727 Forward 25 126 4603518 3734193 3730455-3737564 Forward 26 127 4608787 3728924 Reverse 135 4942182 3395532 3395274-3396677 Reverse 27 114 5209051 3128663 3127731-3129116 Forward 28 104 5402505 2935208 2934490-2935593 Forward 29 105 5410045 2927668 2926722-2927972 Reverse 30 108 5617382 2720329 2718890-2720643 Reverse 31 109 5651872 2678258 2671678-2679012 Reverse 32 110 5661697 2676014 2671678-2679012 Reverse 32 111 5666282 2671429 2669119-2671674 Reverse 33 112 5701004 2636707 2636467-2638800 Reverse 34 107 5799641 2538070 2532619-2539008 Reverse 35 100 5801998 2535711 2532619-2539008 Reverse 35 128 5924799 2412909 2412807-2414201 Forward 36

[0164] qsc101 and 102 genes are an example of a putative operon that was not identified by functional coupling (FIG. 4). These two ORFs did not show significant similarities with other polypeptides. Nevertheless, they are transcribed in the same direction, closely juxtaposed, qsc101 and 102 are both Class I genes, and there is a las box-like element upstream of these ORFs. Expression of the qsc102 insertion is controlled by an upstream ORF (SEQ ID NO:37) which comprises the sequences between postions 2068711 to 267911 of the P. aeruginosa genome (Dec. 15, 1999 release) which in turn is preceded by a las box regulatory element (SEQ ID NO:38) which comprises the sequences between postions 2068965 to 2068946 of the P. aeruginosa genome (Dec. 15, 1999 release). The las box is a palindromic sequence found upstream of and involved in LasR-dependent activation of lasB (Rust, L. et al., (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 1134-1140).

[0165] The qsc133A and B insertions are in a putative 3-gene operon with similarity to acrAB-tolC from E. coli and the mex-opr family of efflux pump operons in P. aeruginosa, one of which (mexAB-oprN) has been shown to aid 3OC.sub.12-HSL efflux (Kohler, T., et al. (1997) Mol. Microbiol. 23, 345-354; Poole, K, et al. (1993) J. Bacteriol. 175, 7363-7372; Poole, K. et al. (1996) Mol. Microbiol. 21, 713-724; Evans, K., et al. (1998) J. Bacteriol. 180, 5443-5447; Pearson, J. P. et al. (1999) J. Bacteriol. 181, 1203-1210). The qsc133 mutations are within a gene encoding a MexF homolog. The qsc133 mutants show typical Class IV regulation. Expression of lacZ is late and dependent on the presence of both acyl-HSL signals (Table 3 and FIG. 2). No las box-like sequences upstream of this suspected efflux pump operon were identified.

[0166] A third possible operon identified by functional coupling is about 8 kb and contains 10 genes. Eight strains with insertions in 6 of the 10 genes were obtained, all of which are Class III mutants (Table 3). A las box-like sequence was identified upstream of the first gene of this operon. The function of these 10 genes is unknown but the similarities shown in Table 2 suggest that they may encode functions for synthesis and resistance to an antibiotic-like compound.

[0167] The qsc128 mutation is within a gene coding for a polypeptide that shows similarity to the P. fluorescens hcnB product and appears to be in a 3-gene operon (Table 3, FIG. 4). By analogy to the P. fluorescens hcn operon, this operon is likely required for the production of the secondary metabolite, hydrogen cyanide. Previous investigations have shown that hydrogen cyanide production is reduced in P. aeruginosa rhl quorum sensing mutants. Consistent with this, qsc128 is a Class III mutant (Table 2). Full induction required both acyl-HSL signals, however, some induction of lacZ resulted from the addition of either signal alone (Table 3). A las box-like sequence was identified in the region upstream of the translational start codon of the first gene in this operon. This las-type box may facilitate an interaction with either LasR or RhlR.

[0168] The phz operon, required for phenazine biosynthesis, has been described in other pseudomonads and the insertion in strain qsc131 is located in a gene encoding a phzC homolog. Analysis of the sequence around this phzC homolog revealed an entire phenazine biosynthesis operon, phzA-G (Georgakopoulos, D. G. et al. (1994) Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60, 2931-2938; Mavrodi, D. V. et al. (1998) J. Bacteriol. 180, 2541-2548). As discussed above, qsc131 does not produce the blue phenazine pigment pyocyanin. PhzC is part of an operon of several genes including PhzABCDEFG, and transcription of this operon is controlled by the promoter region (SEQ ID NO:39) in front of the first gene in the operon, PhzA. The phz operon in P. aeruginosa also contains a las-box like sequence upstream of the first gene of the operon. The PhzA promoter region (SEQ ID NO:39) has been cloned into a plasmid, transcriptionally fused to lacZ. The resulting plasmid (pMW303G) was transformed into PAO1 and used as a reporter strain. The resultant bacterial strain generates a quorum sensing signal and responds to it by increased .beta.-galactosidase activity. As shown in FIG. 5, this strain displayed a high level of induction between early and late growth, thus providing a dynamic range for detecting modulation (e.g., inhibition) of quorum sensing signaling. Accordingly this strain may be useful for a single strain assay for identifying for inhibitors of quorum sensing singaling, as described herein.

[0169] The final putative operon consists of 2 or 3 genes, qsc109-111, which appear to be involved in pyoverdine synthesis. These ORFs were not identified in the P. aeruginosa genome project web site but were identified and shown to be functionally coupled with the Argonne National Laboratory web site.

[0170] For three of the qsc insertions, the lacZ gene was in an orientation opposite to the ORF described in the Genome Project web site (qsc114, 127, and 136).

[0171] Locations of qsc Genes on the P. aeruginosa Chromosome. The qsc genes were mapped to sites on the P. aeruginosa chromosome (FIG. 6). In addition lasB, lasR and lasI, and rhlR were placed on this map. The distribution of currently identified qsc genes is patchy. For example, 16 of the 39 qsc genes representing 3 of the classes mapped to a 600-kb region of the 6 megabase chromosome. A 140-kb island of 12 Class III genes, 8 transcribed in one direction and 4. transcribed in the other direction (including the rhl genes) formed another cluster on the chromosome.

[0172] Identification of las Box-Like Sequences that Could be Involved in qsc Gene Control. As discussed above, the las box is a palindromic sequence found upstream of and involved in LasR-dependent activation of lasB (Rust, L. et al. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 1134-1140). The las box shows similarity to the lux box, which is the promoter element required for quorum control of the V. fischeri luminescence genes (Devine, J. et al. (1989) PNAS 86, 5688-5692). Elements similar to a las box were identified by searching upstream of qsc ORFs. A search was done for sequences with at least 50% identity to the las box found 42 bp upstream of the lasB transcriptional start site (Rust, L. et al. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 1134-1140). las box-like sequences were identified which are suspected to be involved in the regulation of 14 of the 39 qsc genes listed in Table 1 (FIG. 7). Because there is little information on the transcription starts of most of the genes identified in the screening assay, some relevant las boxes may have been missed and some of the identified sequences may not be in relevant positions.

[0173] Discussion

[0174] By screening a library of lacZ promoter probes introduced into P. aeruginosa PAO1 by transposon mutagenesis, 39 quorum sensing controlled (qsc) genes were identified. Most of these genes were not identified as quorum sensing-controlled previously. Mutations were not found in every gene in putative qsc operons (FIG. 4). Mutants that showed only a small degree of acyl-HSL-dependent lacZ induction in the initial screen were not studied. Thus, it is presumed that all of the quorum sensing controlled (qsc) genes have been identified. A conservative estimate is that about 1% of the genes in P. aeruginosa are controlled by quorum sensing (39 out of about 5,000-6,000 genes in the P. aeruginosa chromosome were confirmed to be qsc without saturating the mutagenesis). A more liberal estimation of 3-4% can be drawn from the finding of 270 mutants showing at least a 2-fold induction in response to one or both of the acyl-HSL signals in the initial screen of 7,000 mutants.

[0175] Several mutants, for example qsc101 and 102 showed an immediate and relatively large response to 3OC.sub.12-HSL (Class I mutants, Table 3). The qsc101 and 102 genes code for proteins with no matches in the databases. Several mutants showed a relatively large and immediate response when both signals were supplied in the growth medium. Examples are qsc119 (rhlB), 121-125, and 129A and B. The qsc mutant showing the largest response was qsc131. The level of .beta.-galactosidase activity when this mutant was grown in the presence of both signals was greater than 700 times that in the absence of the signals (Table 3). The qsc131 mutation is in phzC, which is a phenazine biosynthesis gene, and the qsc131 mutant did not produce the blue phenazine pigment pyocyanin at detectable levels. Many of the mutants that responded best to both signals early (Class III mutants) showed a small response when exposed to one or the other signal. The reasons for the small response to either signal are unclear at present but the data suggest that these genes may be subject to signal cross talk, or they may show a response to either LasR or RhlR. One reason they may respond to both signals better than they respond to C.sub.4-HSL alone is that 3OC.sub.12-HSL and LasR are required to activate RhlR, the transcription factor required for a response to C.sub.4-HSL (Latifi, A. et al. (1996) Mol. Microbiol. 21, 1137-1146; Pesci, E. C. et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179, 3127-3132). There were two mutant classes that showed a delayed response to the signals; Class II mutants which required only 3OC.sub.12-HSL, and Class IV mutants, which required both signals for full induction. These mutants showed between 5 and 45-fold activation of gene expression (Table 3). There are a number of possible explanations for a delayed response to signal addition. It is possible that some of these genes are stationary phase genes. It is also possible that some are iron repressed. For example, it is known that the synthesis of pyoverdine is regulated by iron and the Class II, delayed response, qsc108-111 mutations are in genes involved in pyoverdine synthesis (Cunliffe, H. E. et al. (1995) J. Bacteriol. 177, 2744-2750; Rombel, I. et al. (1995) Mol. Gen. Genet. 246, 519-528). It is also possible that some of these genes are not regulated by quorum sensing, directly. The acyl-HSL signals might control other factors that influence expression of any of the genes that have been identified and this possibility seems most likely with the late genes in Classes II and IV. Indirect regulation may not be common for late genes. This is known because the lasB-lacZ chromosomal insertion which was generated by site-specific mutation was in Class IV, and it is known from other investigations that lasB responds to LasR and 3OC.sub.12-HSL, directly (Passador, L. et al. (1993) Science 260, 1127-1130; Rust, L. et al. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 1134-1140). The two classes of late qsc genes may be comprised of several subclasses.

[0176] Las boxes are genetic elements which may be involved in the regulation of qsc genes. Although sequences with characteristics similar to las boxes were identified, (FIG. 7), the locations of these sequences have not provided insights about the differences in the patterns of gene expression among the four classes of genes. It is possible, that when the promoter regions of the qsc genes are studied that particular motifs in the regulatory DNA of different classes of genes will be revealed.

[0177] Many of the qsc genes appear to be organized in two patches or islands on the P. aeruginosa chromosome (FIG. 7). Because LasR mutants are defective in virulence it is tempting to speculate that these gene clusters may represent pathogenicity islands. The rhlI-rhlR quorum sensing modulation occurs on one of the qsc islands, but none of the qsc genes are tightly linked to the lasR-lasI modulon. Genes representing each of the 4 classes occur over the length of the chromosome and on both DNA strands. This is consistent with the view that quorum sensing is a global regulatory system in P. aeruginosa. Of interest there is a third LuxR family member in P. aeruginosa. This gene is adjacent to and divergently oriented from qsc103.

[0178] Quorum sensing is critical for virulence of P. aeruginosa and for the development of mature biofilms. The methodology disclosed herein for identification of qsc genes provides a manageable group of genes to test for function in virulence and biofilm development. Furthermore, the availability of the P. aeruginosa genome sequence will very likely lead to the development of a gene expression microarray for this organism. The methods described herein provide a set of 39 genes that respond to specific treatments in a predictable fashion (Table 3).

EXAMPLE 2

Screening Assay for Quorum Sensing Inhibiting Compounds

[0179] In this example, the screening assay used two strains of P. aeruginosa: a wild type P. aeruginosa (PAO1) and QSC102, from Example 1 (see FIG. 8). This assay will detect inhibition of all aspects of quorum sensing signaling, e.g., signal generation and signal reception.

[0180] Procedural Overview

[0181] Microtiter plates are prepared by adding 200 .mu.L Luria Broth ("LB") agar, containing 0.008% 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-.beta.-D-galact- ose (X-gal) to each well. Overnight cultures of PAO1 and QSC102 are subcultured in LB to a starting absorbance at 600 nm ("A600") of 0.05 and grown at 37.degree. C. to an A600 of 1.0. PAO1 is diluted 2.5.times.10.sup.5-fold in LB and 5 .mu.L of this is applied to the surface of the LB agar in each well. Plates are then dried in a laminar flow hood for 60 minutes. A tenfold dilution of QSC102 in LB is used to inoculate each well using a replicator. Plates are then sealed and incubated at 37.degree. C. for 40 hours. Growth and color development are evaluated visually and the data is recorded with a camera.

[0182] The test compound was present in a microtiter well and overlaid with LB agar and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-.beta.-D-galactose (X-gal). Both strains were spotted on the agar in each well. PAO1 emitted the acyl-HSL signal (3-oxo-C12-HSL), to which QSC102 responded by turning blue. QSC102 expressed galactosidase only in response to the LasI signal (3-oxo-C12-HSL); the lacZ fusion in QSC102 did not respond to the RhlI signal (C4-HSL). Hence, the assay was selective for inhibitors of the Las system. Inhibition of signaling was evaluated qualitatively by the absence or weakening of the blue color development.

[0183] The assay was used to test 6 product analogs, two of which showed an inhibitory effect: butyrolactone and acetyl-butyrolactone. Although bacterial growth was not inhibited, the color development was reduced. Color reduction correlated directly with test compound concentration, although relatively high concentrations (.about.20 mM) were required to suppress color development completely (FIG. 9). 2

EXAMPLE 3

Development of a P. aeruginosa Strain for a High Throughput Screening Assay

[0184] A. Construction of Reporter Strain-Chromosomal Insertion of Reporter

[0185] A strain for use in high-throughput screening was constructed by inserting the lacZ transcriptional fusion, linked gentamicin resistance marker, and about 2 kb of flanking DNA from strain QSC102 into a mobilizable plasmid (such as pSUP102) as depicted in FIG. 10A. Plasmid pSUP102 confers tetracycline resistance and does not replicate in P. aeruginosa (Simon, R. et al. (1986) Meth. Enzym. 118:640-659). The pSUP102-derivative was then transferred into PAO1 by bi- or triparental mating, selecting for gentamicin resistance (Suh, S. J. et al. (1999) J Bacteriol. 181(13):3890-7). Gentamicin resistant isolates were screened for tetracycline sensitivity (i.e., a double cross-over event has resulted in a chromosomal insertion). Southern blotting was used to confirm the nature of the recombination event and to rule out candidates with more than one insertion. The resultant bacterial strain-generates the signal (3-oxo-C12-HSL) and responds to it by increased .beta.-galactosidase activity. A similar strategy is used to create a reporter strain that expresses gfp instead of lacZ. The initial GFP variant is the stable and bright variant GFPmut2 (Cormack, B. P. et al. (1996) Gene. 173(1):33-38).

[0186] Procedural Overview of Assay

[0187] A culture of PAQ1 reporter strain (carrying the reporter gene lacZ transcriptionally fused to the regulatory sequence of qsc102 in the wildtype background, PAO1) was grown in LB, 100 .mu.g/ml gentamicin overnight, such that the A600 was around 0.1. The culture was washed in LB twice and used to subculture at a 1:1000 dilution in LB. The subculture was grown in the presence or absence of test compound. Growth was monitored at A600 and expression of .beta.-galactosidase activity is measured according to the Miller assay (Miller, J. A. (1976) in Experiments in Molecular Genetics pp 352-355, Cold Spring Harbor Lab. Press, Plainview, N.Y.).

[0188] The reporter strain was tested by growing it in microtiter plates in the presence and absence of known inhibitors of bacterial signaling. Examples of known inhibitors are: acetyl-butyrolactone, butyrolactone, and methylthioadenosine, a product of the synthase reaction that was shown to be inhibitory to the RhlI synthase (Parsek, M. R. et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 96:4360-4365). Initial characterization of the assay entailed following the optical density (cell growth) in individual sample wells and measuring induction levels at different time points. FIG. 10B shows the induction of .beta.-galactosidase as PAQ1 reaches high density, wherein cell growth is measured at 600 nm (closed circles) and expression of .beta.-galactosidase is measured in Miller units (open circles). For GFP fusions, the fluorescence of the culture is determined after excitation at 488 nm.

[0189] B. Construction of Reporter Strain-Reporter on a Plasmid

[0190] The PAO1/pMW303G strain is constructed as described in Example 1 above.

[0191] Procedural Overview of the Assay

[0192] An overnight culture of PAO1/pMW303G was diluted to an A600 of 0.1 in LB, 300 .mu.g/ml carbenicillin. Of this, 50 .mu.L were added to microtiter plate wells and grown at 37 .degree. C., shaking at 250 rpm, in the presence or absence of test compounds. Culture growth was monitored directly in the microtiter plate at 620 nm. Expression of the reporter gene, .beta.-galactosidase was measured with the Galacton substrate by Tropix as follows. 12A 20 .mu.L aliquot of the culture was added to 70 .mu.L of 1:100 diluted Galacton substrate (Tropix, PE Biosystems, Bedford, Mass.) and incubated in the dark at room temperature for 60 minutes. The reaction was stopped and light emission was triggered by the addition of 100 .mu.L Accelerator II (Tropix, PE Biosystems, Bedford, Mass.), and luminescence was read with plate reader (SpectrofluorPlus, Tecan). Timepoints were; taken at 5, 8 and 12 minutes.

[0193] In either embodiment of the assay (chromosomal insertion of reporter, or reporter on a plasmid), a satisfactory -assay shows normal cell growth but reduced .beta.-galactosidase activity or gfp expression in the presence of a known signaling inhibitor. Possible problems associated with the use of fluorescence in whole-cell systems are interference by turbidity as cell density increases and the production of pyocyanin and pyoverdine, fluorescent molecules that are excreted by wild type P. aeruginosa. However, interference due to endogenous fluorescent pigments may be reduced by using mutants that lack these pigments (Byng, G. S. et al. (1979) J Bacteriol. 138(3):846-52).

EXAMPLE 4

Screening Assay to Determine Inhibition of the Signal Synthase

[0194] An assay was developed to measure inhibition of RhlI activity, based on a previously published enzyme assay for RhlI (Parsek, M. R. et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 96:4360-4365). It was shown that the substrates for RhlI are S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and butanoyl-acyl carrier protein (C4-ACP). It is proposed that RhlI can be used as a model enzyme to study inhibition of acyl-HSL synthases. This is based on the observation that TraI from Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Mor, M. I. et al. (1996) Science. 272(5268):1655-8) and LuxI from Vibrio fischeri (Schaefer, A. L. et al. (1996) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 93(18):9505-9), two homologs of RhlI and LasI, that also utilize SAM and the respective acylated-acyl carrier protein as their substrates.

[0195] RhlI activity assay. Studies of autoinducer synthases have been hampered by the low solubility of the enzyme. It is only in the past year that the first rigorous characterization of an autoinducer synthase was published (Parsek, M. R. et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 96:4360-4365). This study was performed on RhlI, which had been slightly overproduced in a LasI minus strain of P. aeruginosa, thereby avoiding previously encountered problems of solubility. The reaction mechanism deduced for RhlI is summarized in FIG. 11. The substrates for the synthase are butanoyl-acyl carrier protein (C4-ACP) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The amino-group of SAM attacks the thioester of C4-ACP to form a peptide bond between butanoic acid and SAM. The first product, acyl carrier protein (ACP) is released. Next, the SAM-moiety undergoes internal ring closure to form a homoserine lactone (HSL). Methylthioadenosine (MTA) and butanoyl-HSL (C4-HSL) are released.

[0196] The enzyme assay reaction mixture contains 60 .mu.M .sup.14C-labeled SAM and 40 .mu.M C4-ACP in a final volume of 100 .mu.L. (buffer: 2 mM dithiothreitol, 200 mM NaCl, 20 mM Tris-HCL, pH 7.8). The reaction is started with the addition of 70 ng RhlI, incubated at 37.degree. C. and quenched after 10 min by addition of 4 .mu.L of 1 M HCl. Product formation is quantitated by extracting the reaction mixtures with 100 .mu.L ethyl acetate and scintillation counting the radiolabeled C4-HSL, which partitions into the organic phase. (SAM remains in the aqueous phase.)

[0197] Other variations on the assay include detection of the non-acylated ACP (i.e., ACP with a free thiol group). Non-acylated ACP can be detected through the use of a thiol reagent such as dithionitrobenzoic acid (DTNB), which releases a highly colored thiolate (.epsilon..sub.412=13 600 cm.sup.-1 M.sup.-1) upon reaction with thiol groups (Ellman, G. L. (1959) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 82:70-77). Another variation of this assay uses an even more sensitive reagent, 4,4'-dithiobipyridyl which has a .epsilon..sub.324=20 000 cm.sup.-1 M.sup.-1 (Jamin, M. et al. (1991) Biochem J. 280(Pt 2):499-506). Use of DTNB eliminates the need for radioactivity and allows for a continuous assay.

[0198] Another variation on the assay includes using a substitute for the substrate C4-ACP. It has already been found that RhlI turns over butanoyl-CoA in lieu of C4-ACP (Parsek, M. R. et al. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 96:4360-4365). The K.sub.M for the CoA substrate is 230 .mu.M, compared to 6 .mu.M for C4-ACP, but v.sub.max is only one order of magnitude slower. N-Acetylcysteamine represents a truncated moiety of CoA and acylated N-acetylcysteamines often function as substrate analogs for CoA-dependent enzymes (Bayer et al. (1995) Arch Microbiol. 163(4):310-2; Singh, N. et al. (1985) Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 131(2):786-92; Whitty, A. (1995) Biochemistry. 34(37):11678-89). It will be determined whether butanoyl-N-acetylcysteamine is turned over by RhlI. If so, an assay will be developed for the release of free thiol groups with a thiol reagent such as DTNB. Butanoyl-N-acetylcysteamine is readily synthesized from the commercially available precursors butyrylchloride and N-acetylcysteamine. 3

[0199] LasI activity assay. In analogy with khlI, TraI, and LuxI, proposed substrates for LasI are SAM and 3-oxo-C12-ACP. In this assay, compounds are tested for inhibiting the activity of LasI. This assay is based on observations that bacterial strains incubated with .sup.14C-labeled methionine produce radiolabeled acylated-HSLs, which can be isolated from the culture supernatant and identified by their retention times (in comparison to known standards) when eluted over a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) reversed phase column. A synthase-inhibitor assay has been set up using this methodology.

[0200] A Pseudomonas strain that expresses lasI but not rhlI, such as PDO100, is grown in the presence and absence of the test compound (Brint, J. M. et al. (1995) J Bacteriol. 177(24):7155-63). Cells are pulsed for 10-30 minutes with .sup.14C-labeled methionine (available from American Radiochemicals) and pelleted by centrifugation. The supernatant liquid is extracted with ethyl acetate and the products separated by HPLC. If the test compound inhibits LasI synthase, the amount of 3-oxo-C12-HSL produced will be significantly reduced when compared to the control.

[0201] An in vitro assay for LasI activity similar to the radiometric assay used to study RhlI will be developed. The substrates for this assay are .sup.14C-labeled SAM (available Amersham Pharmacia) and 3-oxo-C12-ACP (similar methodology in Mor, M. I. et al. (1996) Science. 272(5268):1655-8). LasI activity is monitored by the appearance of radiolabeled 3-oxo-C12-HSL, after extraction into ethyl acetate and scintillation counting. Initially, crude extracts of LasI overexpressed in E. coli serve as the source of enzyme. Once a satisfactory assay is in place, a purification protocol will be developed to obtain LasI in a soluble and active form. The purification may involve expression at low levels (low plasmid copy number, weak promoter, low growth temperature) in a P. aeruginosa rhlI mutant. Purification will follow standard techniques such as ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, cation exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography.

EXAMPLE 5

IN Vivo Assays to Determine Inhibition of Signal Binding

[0202] In vivo assays were also used to determine whether a test compound inhibits signal reception by LasR.

[0203] One assay used the P. aeruginosa strain QSC102 (Table 3), which responds to the presence of exogenous 3-oxo-C12-HSL by inducing .beta.-galactosidase activity up to 400-fold (Example 1). Cells were grown in the presence of a minimal concentration of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and in the presence and absence of the test compound. If the test compound interferes with signal reception, .beta.-galactosidase activity is reduced. Interference can be a result of any of several mechanisms. The simplest is, if the test compound prevents the 3-oxo-C12-HSL from binding to LasR. Alternatively, the test compound may prevent LasR from binding to DNA or interacting productively with RNA polymerase.

[0204] A further in vivo assay is used to determine whether a test compound inhibits binding of 3-oxo-C12-HSL to LasR. This assay is based on an observation originally made with LuxR of Vibrio fischeri. Namely, the autoinducer binds to Escherichia coli cells in which LuxR is produced, provided that LuxR is co-expressed with Hsp60 (Adar et al. (1993) J Biolumin Chemilumin. 8(5):261-6). This finding was used to develop a competition-assay for binding of inhibitors to LuxR (Schaefer, A. L. et al. (1996) J Bacteriol. 178(10):2897-901) and LasR (Passador, L. et al. (1996) J Bacteriol. 178(20):5995-6000). Briefly, cultures of E. coli harboring expression plasmids for Hsp60 and LasR (or LuxR) are induced for several hours, at which time an aliquot of cells is added to tritiated signal molecule, alone or in combination with a potential inhibitor. After 10-15 minutes, cells are pelleted by centrifugation, washed, and the amount of radioactivity bound to the cells is determined by scintillation counting.

[0205] Plasmids for expression of LasR (pKDT37) (Passador, L. et al. (1996) J Bacteriol. 178(20):5995-6000) and Hsp60 (pGroESL) have been made. A simple method for preparing .sup.14C-labeled 3-oxo-C12-HSL has been developed. E. coli cells expressing lasI excrete .sup.14C-labeled 3-oxo-C12-HSL into the medium when incubated in the presence of .sup.14C-labeled methionine. The .sup.14C-labeled 3-oxo-C12-HSL can be recovered by extraction into ethyl acetate and purified by HPLC. The correct product is identified by its radioactivity and by the correct HPLC retention time compared to an unlabeled standard.

EXAMPLE 6

Assay for Inhibition of Biofilms

[0206] This assay tests whether compounds useful for inhibiting quorum sensing also inhibit or modulate the formation or growth of biofilms. The LasI/LasR signaling system was found to regulate not only the expression of virulence factors, but also the development of mature biofilms (Davies, D. G. et al. (1998) Science. 280(5361):295-8). This was demonstrated by using a simple flow-through system, as shown in FIG. 12, that allows fresh medium to be pumped through a small chamber in a Plexiglas body.

[0207] Cultures of P. aeruginosa expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) were grown in a chamber that was sealed with a coverslip and flushed with fresh medium. Surface attachment and biofilm maturation were determined by examining the coverslip by epifluorescence and confocal microscopy. Both wild type PAO1 and a rhlI mutant strain were able to attach to the surface and form the mushroom-shaped structure characteristic of a biofilm. However, a lasI mutant that cannot synthesize the signal molecule 3-oxo-C12-HSL was only able to attach to the surface. It did not encase itself in an extracellular matrix or form any kind of three-dimensional structure. It also remained susceptible to 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, which was used to mimic the susceptibility to a biocide. When the 3oxo-C12-HSL signal was added back to the lasI mutant cells, the wild type phenotype was restored. The cells formed biofilms and remained resistant to sodium dodecyl sulfate.

[0208] Accordingly, the bioreactor depicted in FIG. 12 is inoculated with wild type P. aeruginosa PAO1 that expresses GFP. Test compounds (signaling inhibitors) are added to the flow-through medium to determine whether they prevent formation of the three-dimensional structures typical of a bacterial biofilm. Biofilm formation is monitored using a confocal microscope.

REFERENCES

[0209] 1. Holloway, B. W., Krishnapillai, V. & Morgan, A. F. (1979) Microbiol. Rev. 43, 73-102.

[0210] 2. Brint, J. M. & Ohman, D. E. (1995) J. Bacteriol. 177, 7155-7163.

[0211] 3. Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T. (1989) Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.).

[0212] 4. Miller, V. L. & Mekalonos, J. J. (1988) J. Bacteriol. 170, 2575-2583.

[0213] 5. Simon, R., Priefer, U. & Puhler, A. (1983) Bio-Technology 1, 37-45.

[0214] 6. Pearson, J. P., Pesci, E. C. & Iglewski, B. H. (1997) J. Bacteriol. 179, 5756-5767.

[0215] 7. Linn, T. & St Pierre, R. (1990) J. Bacteriol. 172, 1077-1084.

[0216] 8. Schweizer, H. P. (1993) Biotechniques 15, 831-833.

[0217] 9. Figurski, D. H. & Helinski, D. R. (1979) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76, 1648-1652.

[0218] 10. Simon, R., O'Connell, M., Labes, M. & Puhler, A. (1986) in Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 118, pp. 640-659.

[0219] Incorporation by Reference

[0220] The contents of all references, patents and published patent applications cited throughout this application, as well as the figures and the sequence listing, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0221] Equivalents

[0222] Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments and methods described herein. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the scope of the following claims.

Sequence CWU 1

1

39 1 1218 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 1 atggacgatc tattgcaacg cgtacggcgc tgcgaagcgc tgcagcaacc cgaatggggc 60 gatccgtcgc gcctgcgcga cgtgcaggcg tacctgcgcg gcagtccggc gctgatccgc 120 gccggcgaca tcctggccct gcgcgcgacc ctggcgcggg tcgcccgcgg cgaggcgctg 180 gtggtacagt gcggcgactg cgccgaggac atggacgacc accatgccga gaacgtggcg 240 cgcaaggccg ccgtgctgga actgctggcc ggcgccctgc gcctggccgg ccggcggccg 300 gtgatccgcg tcgggcgcat cgccgggcag tacgccaagc cgcgttccaa gccgcacgag 360 caggtcggcg agcagaccct gccggtctat cgcggcgaca tggtcaacgg ccgcgaggcc 420 catgccgaac agcgccgggc cgatccgcag cggatcctca agggctatgc ggcggcgcgc 480 aacatcatgc gccacctggg ctgggacgcc gcgtccgggc aggaggcgaa tgcctcgccg 540 gtctggacca gccacgagat gctgctgctc gactacgagc tgtcgatgct gcgcgaggac 600 gagcagcgcc gggtctatct cggttcgacc cactggccgt ggatcggcga gcgcacccgc 660 caggtcgacg gcgcccatgt ggcgctgctg gccgaggtgc tcaacccggt ggcctgcaag 720 gtcggtccgg agatcggccg cgaccagttg ctggcgctct gcgagcgcct cgatccgcgc 780 cgcgagccgg gacgcctgac gctgatcgcg cggatgggcg cgcagaaggt cggcgagcgc 840 ctgccgccgc tggtggaggc ggtgcgcgcg gccgggcacc cggtgatctg gctgagcgac 900 ccgatgcacg gcaacaccat cgtcgcgccc tgcggcaaca agacccgcct ggtgcgcagc 960 atcgccgagg aggtggcggc gttccgcctg ggatcctcta gccgaggcgg cgtgctcaac 1020 ggactgcacc tggaaaccac cccggacgac gtcaccgagt gcgtcgccga ttccagcggc 1080 ctgcaccagg tcagccggca ctacaccagc ctctgcgatc cgcggctgaa cccctggcag 1140 gcgctcagcg cggtgatggc ctggtccggc gcagaagcga tccagagcgc aaccttcccc 1200 ctggagaccg tggcatga 1218 2 1782 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2 atggatgatg gggcacagcc tgctgcacac ctcggatgcc ctgccaccac tgctggccgg 60 cttcgccgcc tacttcgtca acaccttcgt cacctactgg tggcatcgcg cgcgccacgc 120 caacgacacg ctctggcggc tgttccacca gttgcaccac gcgccgcaac gcatcgaggt 180 attcacctcc ttctacaagc atccgaccga gatggtcttc aactcgctgc tgggcagctt 240 cgtcgcctac gtggtgatgg gcatcagcat cgaggccggc gcctactaca tcatgttcgc 300 cgcgctcggc gagatgttct accactcgaa cctgcgcacc ccgcacgtcc tcggctacct 360 gttccagcgc ccggagatgc accgcatcca ccaccagcgc gaccgtcacg agtgcaacta 420 cagcgacttc ccgatctggg acatgttgtt cggcacctac gagaaccccc gccgcatcga 480 cgagccgcag ggcttcgccg gcgacaagga gcagcagttc gtcgacatgc tgctgttccg 540 cgacgtgcac agcctccccg gaaaaaccca gcccgctccc gtcctggtca agcccgacgt 600 caggtgaacg ccatgattcc agacatcgat tcccgtctca gccggaacat attgaaatcc 660 atctcgtatg gcctccccct cgccgaagtg gtccccgacc atacctatgc gcaactggaa 720 acgcgcctcg gcgaactgaa acgcaggtat ctggagctgc gcatctccca cggcgcgcgc 780 gagctgccgt tcagcaacta cctgttctac ctgatcctcc agtcgcgcca ccaggaattc 840 gacttcaagc tgcgccaggg caactcggtg gtcaccaaca tccaccgatt caagagcaag 900 ggacgcatcc cgtccctgac caccctgctc ctggccgatg cggtcaacgc caagagcgag 960 ctggagctca agcatccgga catcccgcag ctcgaccgcc acgctcgcga catcgagcgc 1020 tggctggccg ccggcaacgt catgccgccc agcgagcggg ccctgcgcgg cctggttgag 1080 gcgctggagc gcgccgctgg cgaaggccgt ccgttgcacc tggtgagcgc ggtatgcccg 1140 gactactcgc actccagcga tgccgagggc aagccgcgct acaccttcga gcgagtcggc 1200 gaccagcccg gcctggccgg cgccaagctg gtcagcgccg gccaggcggt ggcggagctg 1260 gccagggcgc gccaggtgga aatccgccac gcgatcctcg gcggcgagtt cgagtaccta 1320 tcgttcaacc gcaaccccgc caccggcgag acccgcgagg gtttcctcgg caaggtcgag 1380 cgccagctcg agcggatcgc cggggccctg ccctgcccgg ccgcgacctg ctcgttcttc 1440 gagatgtgcg gcggcgagga cggctggcac caggcccacg gcgagatcgt ccagcgcctg 1500 gaacagggcg actacggcca gaccgggctg gactacccgg ccctggaatc gatcttcctg 1560 tcgcgcctgc cgctctacga gaaatggttc gccagccagt cgcgcgagca gatctgggcc 1620 agcttcgtct cccaggccgc cgagtacgca ttgatgggaa aactcttcgg cgagcgcttc 1680 gacaacttcg tcgtgctggc cgtcgatcac taccggatgg agccgttcta ctcgttcttc 1740 gcgaccgtcc cgacgctcta catccgaacc gactacctgt aa 1782 3 693 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3 atgccgccaa ccagccccac accaaccaac ccgcatccca ggctaccgcc tgatcacaca 60 ggaaacccca tgaatactca gattgcccag atcacccaga gcctggcagc caacggctgc 120 gcctatatca cccccagcga cgcgctctac gacgagcagg actgggaact gatgaaccag 180 gtcctggcca actcgaccct gccgtgggag aagatcctga tcggcgacgc cgacgaggag 240 aacgacctct acgtggcccg tttcatgacc gaccgcgacc gtcccacggt ggtcaaccat 300 gcgctgtcgg agctgatcat cccgcgcgtc tgcaacgaca acgtgatgag cctgttccgc 360 aagctgatgg gcgacgacgc cttctacgtc cggcgcatgc aggtgaaccg gatgaaggcc 420 ggctcgttca tcggccggca cctggatacc gacagcaacc cggactacca gtactccatc 480 gtcctgcagc tcggcaccta cttctccggc ggccagttcg tggtctacga ccgcgacggc 540 aacctgcgca acgacatcaa gccggagccg cgctcggtga tcatcagcga ctgtagctat 600 ccccacgagg tccagcaggt gaccgccggc gagcgcgtct cgctggtgtt cttcgtcagt 660 cgccatgcgg accggaaccg gcgggtctat tga 693 4 411 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4 gtgacggact tcgaatcctc gcgtcgcgct ccgtccaccg gattgtccgg cgcgctgcgg 60 cggccgcgct ccagcgcagc gccactgcca gatctggcag ttgtcgctgg cggggacgga 120 ggctttagta gccgcacttt tttccagggc cgggcagtgg gaccgcaatg catggacgac 180 atcgagacca gagtgaggaa actggtagcc gcccggttcg gcgtggagga atgcgacatc 240 cggctggaca gcgacttccg taacgacttc ggtgccgagt cgctcgaggt agtcgaactg 300 gtcatggccc tggaagcgga gttcggcgtc gagatcgccg atgacgatgc ggaacggatc 360 gagaccgtgc gccaggccat cgactatctc gaggaagccg tgccgacctg a 411 5 588 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 5 atggccgtcc gggtcgagga agtagaacga atcgccctcg ctgcggttct gcttccattc 60 gcgcacgcca tgcgcgcgca gctgcgcggc gaagcgggcg aaatccgcgg cggcgatgcc 120 gaaggcgtag tgcgtgtagt ccgcggccgg cccgccgtac tgcggctccc gggacaggca 180 cagccacagc gaacccagtt cgagataggc gccctggtcc cagcgcgctt ccaggcgaaa 240 gccgagaaga tcgcggtaga aggcgatgct ggccggcagg tcggcgaccg ccagggtcag 300 gtgattgaga ccggtaagca tgggggctcc ttgcaagatg tggcgggagg tcgattcagg 360 cacgtcccag ccagtcgccg cggatcattt ccatcagttg gcgcaagccg ggttgcggct 420 ggcgtcggct cggatagtag aggcagaacg gcgcgcccat cgaggtccag tccggcaata 480 ccagttgcag ccggccgcta cgcagctcct cggcgattcc cacctccagg cagtaggcca 540 ggccgacacc gtccagggcc gcggcaaccg ccgtattgct ttcgttga 588 6 1020 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6 atgaacggaa ccgccgccga taccctcgcc gtatcgcccc cgcccctgcg caacctctgc 60 gacggccacg gccggctcga tccccgggcg gtcggctggt ccgcccggcc gcgggtgctc 120 tgccacatcc ccggccactt cggccggcgc aagcgctgga accactggtg catcgtcagc 180 cccggctgga tgctctcgct gaccatcgcc gacctcgact acctgaccta cggcgccgcc 240 tatttcctcg acctggacag cggccaggcg gtagcgcaca cgcagatccg cttcttcggc 300 ctcggctgcc agttgcccga cgagccgcag gccagccatg ccttcgagca tccccgcctg 360 caattgcgct tcgacgaaca gcccgggcgc ctgcgcgtca ccggccaggc cccggacctc 420 ggtggcctgc cgctggagct ggcgctggaa gtgcgacgac cgtcgcacct ggagtcggtg 480 aacctggtgg tgccgatggg cgaacacacc ttccatgcct gcagccgcca gctcggcctg 540 ccgatcagcg gctgcctgca gctcggccgc cgacgctacg actgccaggc gggccagagc 600 ttcgccgcgc tggacttcgg ccgcggtgtc tggccgctgc atacctactg gacccgcgcc 660 gccttcgccg cccccggcgg catcgccggc aacttcggca ccggctggac cgaagccagc 720 gacctgcgcg agaacgccct gtggttcggc ggcaagctca gccgcgtgct cgacgacgtg 780 cacatccgcg agcctcgcga cccgctggcc gaatggcgcc tggacagcgc ctgcggtcgc 840 gtcgagctgc tcttccgtcc cgaacagctg caccaggcgc ggcccagcgt cggcctgttc 900 tatgccaata cccgccagtg gttcggccgt ttcaacggca ccctgcgcca cgacgacggc 960 gactgcgtgc cggtggacgg cgccctcggc tggatcggtt cgacccgcgc gcgctggtga 1020 7 1170 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 7 atgaaacact actcagccac cctggcactc ctgccactca ccctcgccct gttcctgccc 60 caggcagccc atgcccacgg ctcgatggaa acgccgccca gtcgggtcta cggctgcttc 120 ctcgaaggtc cggagaatcc caagtcggcc gcctgcaagg ccgccgtcgc cgccggcggc 180 acccaggcac tgtacgactg gaatggcgtc aaccagggca acgccaacgg caaccaccag 240 gcggtggtcc ccgacggcca gctctgcggc gccggcaagg cactgttcaa gggcctgaac 300 ctggctcgca gcgactggcc cagcactgcc atcgcgccgg acgccagcgg caacttccag 360 ttcgtctaca aggccagcgc gccgcacgcg acccgctact tcgacttcta catcaccaag 420 gacggctata accccgagaa gccgctggcc tggagcgacc tggaacccgc gccgttctgc 480 tcgatcacca gcgtcaagct ggagaacggc acctaccgga tgaactgccc gctgccccag 540 ggcaagaccg gcaagcatgt gatctataac gtctggcagc gctcggacag cccggaagcc 600 ttctacgcct gcatcgacgt gagcttcagc ggcgccgtcg ccaacccctg gcaagcgctg 660 ggcaacctgc gcgcgcagca ggacctgcca gccggtgcta ccgtcaccct gcgtctgttc 720 gatgcccagg gccgcgacgc ccagcgtcac agcctgaccc tggcccaggg cgccaacggt 780 gccaagcaat ggccgctggc gctggcgcag aaggtcaacc aggactccac cctggtcaac 840 atcggcgtgc tggatgccta cggggcggtc agcccggtgg ccagctcgca ggacaaccag 900 gtctacgtgc gccaggccgg ctaccgcttc caggtcgaca tcgaactgcc ggtcgagggc 960 ggcggcgagc aaccgggcgg cgacggcaag gtcgacttcg actatccgca aggcctgcag 1020 caatacgacg ccgggaccgt agtgcgcggt gccgatggca agcgctacca gtgcaagccc 1080 tacccgaact ccggctggtg caagggctgg gacctctact acgccccggg caagggcatg 1140 gcctggcagg acgcctggac cctgctgtaa 1170 8 210 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 8 atgttgaaag tggcgatcgt cctgctactg ctggctaccc tggtgagcct gttcagcggc 60 ctgttcttcc tggtcaagga ccagggccat ggttcccgcg tggtcaattc gctgaccgtc 120 cgcgtggtgc tcgccgcggc gaccctggtg ctggtcgcct ggggcttcta cagcggcgag 180 ctgaacagcc acgcgccctg gcatttctga 210 9 1872 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 9 atgagtttcc cgataaacat caattatagg agtttcccta tgtgcggtct cgcgggttgg 60 gtggattaca cgcgcaagct cgacgacgaa tttccggcga tcttcgccat gaccgatacg 120 ctcgccttgc gcgggccgga tgccgagggc atctggaagc accgcaacgc cctgctgggt 180 caccggcggc tggcggtcat cgacctcagc ggcggcgtgc agccgatgtc ctatcgcttt 240 cccaccggcc aggaggtcac cctcgtctac accggcgagg tgtacaacca cgatgccctg 300 cgcgagcggt tgcgccgggc cggacatgag ttccgcaccc gcagcgatac cgaggtggtc 360 ctgcacgcct atctgcaatg gggcgagcgt tgttgcgagt acctgaccgg gatgttcgcc 420 ttcgccgtct tcgatggccg cgacggccac ctgctgctgg tgcgcgaccg cctgggcatc 480 aagccgctgt attacgcgcg gcaccgcgag ggactgctgt tcggctcgga gatcaagtcc 540 atcctggcgc atccggaatt cgccgccagg ctcgacgcgg tcggcctggt cgacctcctg 600 acgctgtccc ggggcacttc gcagacgccg ttccgcgagg tccaggaact gctgcccggc 660 cacctgctgt cctggcgtcc caattcccag gcgaagttgc gccgctactg ggaggtgcgc 720 cgccaggagc atgccgacga cctgcagagc accgtgcagc gcacccgcga actggtcacc 780 cgcgccctgg gggcgcaatt gcacgccgac gttccggtgt gttcgctgct atcgggtggg 840 ctcgattcga ccgccctgac cggcatcgcc cagcgcatcg cgaaggcgga gcacggcggc 900 gacatcaatt cgttctcggt ggacttcgtc ggccaggccg agcagttccg cagcgacgac 960 ctgcgtcccg accaggacca gccgttcgcc ctgctggccg cgcagtacat cggcagccgt 1020 catcgcaccg tgctcatcga caatgccgaa ctggtctgcg aacgagcgcg cgaagaggta 1080 ttccgggcca aggacgtacc tttcaccttc ggcgacatgg atacctcgct gcacctgatg 1140 ttcggcgaga tccgccggca ttccacggtg gccatctccg gtgaaggcgc cgacgagctg 1200 ttcggtggct acggctggtt ccgcgatccg caggcggtgg ctgcggcgcg cttcccctgg 1260 gcctccaggg tgcgcctgcc ggccggcttc atcgacgccg gtttcaaccg ccgctgcgat 1320 ctcctccagt accagcaggc cagctacgac gatgggctgc gccaggtcga acacctggcc 1380 ggcgacagcc cggaggagcg gcggatgcgc gagttcagcc acctgcatct gaagcgctgg 1440 atggtgctgc tgctcgaacg caaggatcgc ctgagcatgt gcaacggcct ggaggtgcgg 1500 gtgccctaca ccgaccatga gctggtggag tacgtctaca acgtgccctg gtcgatcaag 1560 agccgggacg gcgaggagaa gtggctgctc aagcgggcct gcgccgacta tgtcccggaa 1620 gccgtgctca agcgccgcaa gagcccttat ccgacttctg ccaacctcgg ctacgagcgt 1680 ttcctgcgcg ggagcgtgcg gcgcctgctg gaggacgcgg tgaacccggt gttcggcatc 1740 gtttcgcgag agttcctggc cgccgaactg gagcatccgg aggggtactt caacacccag 1800 gtgagccgcc acaacctgga gaccgcactg gcgctggaag gctggctcag gttgtacggg 1860 ctctccgcct ga 1872 10 756 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10 atgcagaaac agcgggtggc cgaccaggtc gcagagcgta tcgagcggtt gatcgtcgac 60 ggcgtgctca aggtcggcca ggcactgccg tccgagcggc gcctggtggc caagctcggc 120 tgctcgcgct cggccctgcg cgagggcctg cgggcgctgc gcgggcgcgg catcatcgac 180 accgagcatg gccgtgggtc gttcgtcgcc gacctcgacc gcaacgccga cgtcagcccg 240 ctgatgcacc tgttcggctc ccagccgcgc accctctacg acctgctcga agtccgcgcc 300 ctgctggagg gcgaggcggc ccgcctggca gcgctacgcg gcaccgaggc agacttcgtc 360 ctgctcgccc ggcgctacga agagatgctc gccagccacg aggaaaccca gccgatcgat 420 ccccgcgagc acgcccgccg cgaccacgcg ttccaccggg cgatcagcga ggcatcgcac 480 aatccggtgc tggtgcatac cctgcaatcg ctcaacgaac tgctgctgag cacggtgttc 540 gcctcagtga acaacctcta ccaccgaccg ccgcagaaac gccagatcga ccgccagcac 600 gcgcgcctct acgcggccct ccgcgagcgc cagccggacc aggcgcaacg ggcggcgcgc 660 gaacatatcc acagcatccg cgacaacctg cgggagatcg agcaggaaga acagcgcctg 720 gtccgcgcca ccctgcgcct gaacggctgg ggctga 756 11 822 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 11 atgaaccatg tcatcacccc ccacagcaag ctgctcggcg tcatcgagcc ggtcctcaac 60 gacatgcccg ccggaaccct gcgccacgca ctgttccggg ccttctggga cgagacggcg 120 tcgttgctgg acatcgagga cgccttcgcc cgggtcaccg cccggcgcca ggcggtcgag 180 ccgctgcgca agttcttcgc cagttggtcg aagaccaaca actcggcggc cagcgtttcc 240 ggactggcca atcgccttac cctgctggcc cgttcggaac agggttcggc agcggcagac 300 cagctctatc gagcctgcgg cagcctgcaa cggatcaccg acgaagacct cggcgccctc 360 ggcaacaccg tgcatgccga tcttttctac accatggcca ccaccctttg cggcgacgac 420 cgctggctgc tgcgcgagaa ctgcctgcct tcggcgcagg cgttcaagga ctggaccgac 480 cgccagcgcc tgtgcgagcg cgacctgatg cagggactgc tgaccacgct ggtacacgag 540 gtctataccc acggcgaggt ggagtacatc cacccgctgt acaaggaatg gttcagccgc 600 gacatgggcg tacccgccga acgcgcccgc gccaccgtgg cctgggtaac ggtgcacacc 660 ggcggcaccg agagcaatca cttcgcccac gccacggcgg cggtgaacgc cttcgtcgag 720 gcgatggaaa tcgaggtgaa cgaagaagcc gcgcgcaacc tgttcgggct ctacctgcgc 780 aacaaggcgc aggtcatgcg tgactgcgcg gcgctgttct ga 822 12 1368 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 12 atgtcctccc gccaatcgtc ccgcaacgct tccaccccgt atctgaccaa ggccttccag 60 gcaacggcca tcgtcgtggt gagctacttc ctctactgga cctaccagct ctaccagtac 120 ggcgagattc ccatcagcaa gaaggacgtg atgctgcgcc aagccatcct cgcgcgcttt 180 ccggcggact acgaggtgga gatcaagggc gccgacctgc tcggcttcgg cgagaaattc 240 ctggtcgcct acggcaatcg gcgcttcgtc ggcaaggcct tcgccatgga cgaccaggtc 300 atcgagcgcc tggagcggaa ccagggacgg accaacctgc cgctggtgaa ggtgttctac 360 atcgccgaac ccggcctcct ctcctcgctg ctcaacctct ccccgttcct ggatatccag 420 aagaacatgg tcgagctgag cctccgggaa taccggaaga tccagttggt ccccttcgat 480 ccggacgcga agcggaaacc gcgcgagcag ttcgaaaccg attatgcctt cccccagctg 540 ttcagcctca gccaactgga agtcgccgac tacgacggcg acggccgcga cgaactgcgc 600 ctgggctacc tgtcctacgc cggcggttcg ggagggacgc gctggtcggt gatctacgac 660 ctgaaggacg gcgcgctgac cgcccattcc ggctatccgg aaatgctcga catcgacgtc 720 gcccggttca tccaggcggt caacctgtac gccggcctcg acggcacctt gccgcgcgac 780 cagcgtcagc tggaagacgt ggtcggccga ggcagcgagc gcttcgccct gaccgccgcg 840 gagcgccagg cactggtcgc cgacccgccg cagcgggacg actacgccag ggtcctgatg 900 agcctttcgc cgcgctcgcc ctacgccccc gatcgcttca tcgacctcgg cgacggcagc 960 cgactgaccc tggccccgcg ccataccgac gattactcga ccttcctcga catcggcggg 1020 aagaaaatct tcgtcgaagc cttctacgtc gacgacgacg cctgccactg gtgcgagcat 1080 cgctggcgag tgatggcttt ccattacgac gacggtcgct ggatctcgga ccgcaccatc 1140 aacggcgaca gcttcaacgg gcaatggctg cgcaacgcgg agccgctggg cctcaacgac 1200 gttttcggta cctaccgcga ccagggcccg acgggcctgg cctggtcctt catcgacccg 1260 cgctggaccg cctccagcca gcatgacatg gacgatccgc tgggcgtggg aatgcgcacc 1320 ctgtcgccgg tggagcaatg ggtgaaggaa cgctatcggg aaaactga 1368 13 1209 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 13 atgagcgaac ccatcgatat cctcatcgcc ggcgccggca tcggcggcct cagttgcgcc 60 ctggccctgc accaggccgg catcggcaag gtcacgctgc tggaaagcag cagcgagata 120 cgcccccttg gcgtcggcat caatatccag ccggcggcgg tcgaggccct tgccgaactg 180 ggcctcggcc cggcgctggc ggccaccgcc atccccaccc acgagctgcg ctacatcgac 240 cagagcggcg ccacggtatg gtccgagccg cgcggggtgg aagccggcaa cgcctatccg 300 cagtactcga tccatcgcgg cgaactgcag atgatcctgc tcgccgcggt gcgcgagcgc 360 ctcggccaac aggcggtacg caccggtctc ggcgtggagc gtatcgagga gcgcgacggc 420 cgcgtgctga tcggcgcccg cgacggacac ggcaagcccc aggcgctcgg tgccgatgtg 480 ctggtcggcg ccgacggtat ccattcggcg gtccgcgcgc acctgcatcc cgaccagagg 540 ccgctgtccc acggtgggat caccatgtgg cgcggcgtca ccgagttcga ccgcttcctc 600 gacggcaaga ccatgatcgt cgccaacgac gagcactggt cgcgcctggt cgcctatccg 660 atctcggcgc gtcacgcggc cgaaggcaag tcgctggtga actgggtgtg catggtgccg 720 agcgccgccg tcggccagct cgacaacgag gccgactgga accgcgacgg gcgcctggag 780 gacgtgctgc cgttcttcgc cgactgggac ctgggctggt tcgacatccg cgacctgctg 840 acccgcaacc agttgatcct gcagtacccg atggtagacc gcgatccgct gccgcactgg 900 ggccggggac gcatcaccct gctcggcgac gccgcccacc tgatgtatcc gatgggcgcc 960 aacggcgctt cgcaagcaat cctcgacggc atcgagctgg ccgccgcgct ggcgcgcaac 1020 gccgacgtgg ccgcagccct gcgcgaatac gaagaagcgc ggcggccgac cgccaacaag 1080 atcatcctgg ccaaccgaga acgggaaaaa gaggaatggg ccgcggcttc gcgaccgaag 1140 accgagaaga gcgcggcgct ggaagcgatc accggcagct accgcaacca ggtggaacgg 1200 ccacgctag 1209 14 3090 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 14 atgaccttta ccgacctgtt cgtccgccgg ccggtgctgg cgctggtggt cagcacgctg 60 atcctgctgc tcggcctgtt ctccctgggc aagctgccga tccgccagta cccgctgctg 120 gaaagctcga ccatcaccgt caccaccgag taccccggcg cctccgccga tctcatgcaa 180 ggcttcgtca cccagccgat cgcccaggcg gtgtcgtcgg tggagggcat cgactacctt 240 tcctcgacct cggtgcaggg gcgtagcgtg gtgaccatcc gcatgctgct caaccgcgat 300 tcgacccagg cgatgaccga gaccatggcc aaggtcaact cggtgcgcta caagctgccc 360 gagcgtgcct acgactcggt gatcgaacgc tcttccggcg agaccaccgc ggtagcctac 420 gtcggctttt ccagcaagac cctgccgatc ccggcgttga ccgactacct gtcgcgggtg 480 gtcgagccga tgttctcttc catcgacggc gtggccaagg tccagacctt tggcggccag 540 cgcctggcca tgcgcctctg gctcgacgcc gaccgcctcg ccgggcgcgg cctgaccgcc 600 tccgacgtgg ccgaggcgat ccgccgcaac aactaccagg cggcgccggg gatggtgaag 660 gggcagtacg tgctgtccaa cgtgcgggtc aacaccgacc tgaccaacgt cgacgacttc 720 cgcgagatgg tcatccgcaa cgatggcaac ggcctggtgc gcctgcgcga cgtcggtacc 780 gtcgaactgg gcgccgcggc caccgagacc agcgcactga tggacggcga cccggcggtg 840 cacctggggt tgttcccgac gcccaccggc aacccgctgg tgatcgtcga cggcatccgc 900 aagctgctgc cggagatcca gaagaccctg ccgccggatg tccgcgtcga cctcgcctac 960 gagacttcgc gcttcatcca ggcctccatc gacgaggtgg tgcggaccct ggtggaagcg 1020 ctgctgatcg tggtgctggt gatctacctc tgcctcggct cgctgcgcag cgtgctgatc 1080 ccggtggcga ccattcccct gtcgatgctc ggcgccgccg cgctgatgct ggccttcggc 1140 ttcagcgtca

acctgctgac cctgctggcg atggtgctgg ccatcgggct ggtggtggac 1200 gacgccatcg tggtggtgga gaacgtccac cgccacatcg aggaaggcaa gtcgccggtg 1260 gcggcggcgc tgatcggcgc ccgcgaagtg gccggcccgg tgatcgccat gaccatcacc 1320 ctggccgccg tgtacacccc catcggcctg atgggcggcc tcaccggcgc gctgttccgc 1380 gagttcgccc tgaccctggc gggcgcggtg atcgtgtccg gggtggtggc gctgaccctg 1440 tcgccggtga tgagttcgct gctgctccag gcgcaccaga acgaggggcg catgggccgc 1500 gccgccgagt ggttcttcgg cggcctgacg cggcgctacg ggcaggtcct ggagttctcc 1560 ctgggccacc gctggctgac cggcggcctg gcattgctgg tgtgcatcag cctgccgctg 1620 ctgtattcga tgcccaagcg cgaactggcg ccgaccgagg accaggccgc ggtgctcacc 1680 gcgatcaagg cgccgcagca cgccaacctc gactatgtcg aactgttcgc gcgcaagctc 1740 gaccaggtct acaccagcat cccggaaacc gtgagcacct ggatcatcaa cggcaccgac 1800 ggaccggcgg cgagcttcgg cgggatcaac ctggcggcct gggaaaaacg cgagcgcgac 1860 gcctcggcga tccagtccga gctgcaaggc aaggtcggcg atgtcgaggg cagcagcatc 1920 ttcgccttcc agttggccgc cctgcccggc tccaccggcg gcctgccggt gcagatggtg 1980 ctgcgcagcc cgcaggacta tccagtgctc taccggacca tggaagagat caagcagaag 2040 gcccgacaga gcgggctgtt cgtggtggtc gacagcgacc tcgactacaa caacccggtg 2100 gtccaggtcc gcatcgaccg cgccaaggcc aacagcctgg gcatccgcat gcaggacatc 2160 ggcgagtcgc tggcggtgct ggtgggcgag aactacgtca accgcttcgg catggagggc 2220 cgctcctacg acgtgatccc acagagcctg cgcgaccagc gtttcactcc gcaagcgctg 2280 gcacgacagt tcgtgcgcac ccaggacggc aacctggtgc cgctgtcgac ggtggtccgg 2340 gtggcgcttc aggtcgaacc gaacaagctg atccagttcg accagcagaa cgccgcgacc 2400 ctccaggcga tccccgcgcc cggcgtctcc atgggccagg cggtggcctt cctcgacgac 2460 gtggcgcgcg gcctgccggc cggcttcagc cacgactggc aatccgactc gcggcaatac 2520 acccaggaag gcaacaccct ggtgttcgcc ttcctcgccg ccctggtggt gatctacctg 2580 gtgctcgccg cgcagtacga gagcctggcc gacccgctga tcatcctgat caccgtgccg 2640 ctgtcgatct gcggcgcgct gctgccgctg gcgctgggct acgcgacgat gaacatctat 2700 acgcagatcg gcctggtcac cctgatcggc ctgatcagca agcacggcat cctcatggtc 2760 gagttcgcca acgaactgca actccacgag cgcctcgacc gccgcgcggc gatcctgcgc 2820 gccgcgcaga tccgcctgcg gccggtgctg atgaccaccg cggcaatggt cttcggcctg 2880 gtgccgctgc tcttcgccag cggcgccggc gccgccagcc gcttcggcct gggcgtggtg 2940 atcgtctccg ggatgctggt cggcaccctc ttcaccctgt tcgtgctgcc caccgtctat 3000 accctgctgg cgcgcaacca cgcggaagtc gacaagagcc cgcgcagccg gcaactggcc 3060 gaggccgatc tgctggtgaa caaggcatga 3090 15 2535 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 15 gtggccgttg cgtcaccggc cggcgggttg gacgcaccgt cgcggcggat cgtcttcgac 60 gcgcagatgc tggccctggg gccgggcgga cgctcgatcg atacgtcgcg tttcgagcgc 120 ggcgacgtca tcgagccagg ccgctatcgc ctcgacctgc tgctcaacag ccgatggcgt 180 ggcgtcgagg aagtcgagct gcgccgccag ccggggcggg aaagcgcggt cttctgctac 240 gaccggggcc tgctggagcg ggcgggcatc gacctggaga agagcgcgcg tggccaggac 300 cgttcctcgg ctcgcgatcc tctgcccgaa ggtttgcact gcgaccctct cgagcgctat 360 gtgccggggg cccgggtcaa gctcgatatc gccgagcagt cgatctatgt ctcggtgccc 420 agctattacc tgagcctgga ttcttcgaag acctatgtcg atccggcgag ctgggacagc 480 ggcatttccg ccgccttgct caactacaac agcaatctcc acgtcaggga aaaccacggc 540 aggagcgcca ccagcggcta tgccgggatg aacgccggct tcaatttcgg gcgggcgcgc 600 ctgcgccaca acggcacggc cacctggtcg cgccgcatgg gcagccatta ccagcgtagc 660 gcaacctatg tgcagaccga cctgccggcc tggcgtgcgc agttattgct gggagaaaac 720 tccaccagca gcgagttctt cgatgcggtg tccttccgtg gagtgcagct atccagcgat 780 gaccggatgc tgccggattc gctgcgctac tacgctccgg tggtccgtgg gaccgccagt 840 accaatgcgc gggtatcggt ctaccagcgc ggctacctca tctacgaaac cacggtggca 900 cccggggcgt tcgctctcga cgaactgcag accgccagct atggcgggga cctggaagtg 960 cgggtgaccg aagccagcgg ggaagtccgc agtttcatcg tgccgttcgc caccaccgta 1020 caactgctgc gccccgggac cacgcgctac agcctgacgg ccgggcggct caacgatccc 1080 agcctggagc gtcggccgaa catgctgcag ggcgtctacc agcgcggcct gggcaacgac 1140 gtcaccgcat acgcgggcgg ggccttcacc ggcagctaca tgtccgggtt gatgggcgcg 1200 gcgctgaaca cgccggtggg cggattctcc ggtgacgtga cgctggcgcg taccgaggtt 1260 cccggcgacg accgccttag cggctccagc taccgtctcg cctacagcaa gaacctgccg 1320 aacaccggca ccaacttttc gctgctcgcc tatcgttact ccaccggtgg ctatctcggc 1380 ctgcgcgacg cggccttcat gcaggaccgg gtagagcgag gcgagccgct ggagtcgttc 1440 tcgcgcttgc gcaatcgtct cgacgccaac atcagccagc aactgggcaa cggcggcaac 1500 ctttacctga acggctcctc gcagcgctac tggagcggcg gcgggcgggc ggtcaacttc 1560 tccgtcggct acagcaacca gtggcgcgac gtcagttact ccatttccgc gcaacgcctg 1620 cgcagccagt acgaaggctt ttccagcggt gacaggcgcg gcgagaccag cacgctgttc 1680 agcctgaacc tgtccattcc gctcggcggc gctggacgcg ggtcgccgac cctgagcagc 1740 tacctgaccc gcgacagcaa cagcggaacc cagctcacca gcggggtttc cggcatgctg 1800 ggcaagcgtg gcgaggcctc ctactcgctg tcggcctccc atgaccgcga cagccggcag 1860 acctcgaaga gcgccagcct cgactatcga ctgccgcagg tcgaactcgg ctccagcctc 1920 tcgcagggac cgggctatcg gcagttgtcg gtcaaggccg cggggggcct ggtcgcgcac 1980 agcggcggga tcaccgcggc acaaaccctg ggcgagacga tcggcctggt ccacgcgcca 2040 aatgccaggg gcgcggctgc cggctactcg ggaagccgga tcgaccgcca cggctatgcg 2100 gtgattccca acctgctgcc ctaccagttg aacagcgtcg acctcgaccc caacggcatg 2160 gccgacgaga tcgaactgag gtccagttcg cgcaacgtgg cgcccaccgc cggagcggtg 2220 gtgcgcctcg actatccgac gcgggtggca aggcccttgc tggtggatag ccggatgccc 2280 agcggcgagc ccctgccgtt cgccgcggaa gtgctcgatg cccacagcgg gcagtcggtg 2340 ggcgccgtcg gccagggcag ccgcctggtg ctgcgggtcg agcaggatcg cggctcggtt 2400 cgggtgcgct ggggcaacga gccgcagcag cagtgcctgg tcgactatgc gttgggcccg 2460 cgcgagacga cgcctcccgt cctgcaactg gcatgtcgcc cggcgtcggc cgccgaccgg 2520 gagcgcacgc tgtga 2535 16 2976 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 16 atgtcgaaag attctgttct tggcttattc aggcaacacg cagataccca tcccgaacgc 60 cccgccctcg tcgatcgcga gcgctcgttc agctaccgcg aactcgaccg gctcagcgac 120 cggctggccg cccacctggc caggcgcggc gtcgcccggg gcgagctgct gcccctgctg 180 gccgaacgct cggccgaact ggtcatcgcc atcctggcgg ccgccaagtg cgcagcggcc 240 tacgtaccgg tggaccgtcg gcaacccgac aggcgcaagc gggaagtcct ccgccagtgc 300 caagccccct tggccctcgc cacccatgcc gaggacctgc cggggcaacc ggtggaggtc 360 atcgcacagg cgctcgcgac gagtgcggcg ggtgccgcgc cgagaccggc gctcgacggc 420 agcgaagcgc tgtatgtgat cttcacctcg ggcaccaccg gcgaacccaa gggcgtggtg 480 atcgagagtc gctccctggc caacctcgtg ggctggcaca accggcgctt caatatggat 540 caacggagcc gcaccaccct gatggccggc gtcggcttcg acgtttccca atgggaaatc 600 tggtccaccc tgtgcgcagg cgcctgcctc cacctggtgc ccgacgaggt gcgcccagac 660 ccggcggcgc tgctggcatt cttcgccgag cagcggatca gccacgcctt cgcgcctacc 720 gtgatggtgc ccgcgctggc ggagcagccc gccccgccgt cgctggcgct gcgctacctg 780 ttctgcgccg gggaaaaact gccgccggtc gcaaccggcg ggctgcccta taccgtggtg 840 gattactacg gcccgaccga ggccacggtc ttcgccacct gccgcatcgt cgacgccgaa 900 gcacatcggc gacccgcctc gatcggcacg cccatcgacg gctgcgaggc attcatcctc 960 gacgccgacg accggccttg ccatggcgac cgacccggtg aactgaacct ggcgggcgtc 1020 tgcctggcgc gcgaatacct gcgcgacccg gacatgaccg ccaggcgctt ccactactcg 1080 caggcactgc ggcgtcggct ctaccgcacc ggcgacaagg cccgctggtt ggccgatggc 1140 agcctgcagt tcctcggtcg gctggacgac caggtgaaga tccgcggcca ccgcgtcgaa 1200 ctcggcgacg tcgaggccgc gctgttgcgc cagccggcta tccacggcgc ggtggtgctg 1260 gcgcatgccg acccacgctc cggtagccag caattgagcg ccttcgtggt cccccgccag 1320 caggacggcg atgccagggc cgtgctcgcc gccatcaaga ccgcactgcg ccaggaactg 1380 cccgactaca tgctgcccag ccgctacctg tcgctggaca gcctgccgac cacggtcaac 1440 ggcaagatcg accgccaggc cctgcgtcga cacctggacg aacaatgcca ggaacgactc 1500 gacgagcaac gcttcggcac ccccggcgaa ctgcaagtgg ccctgtcctg gcaggaagtg 1560 ctggggcata ccgacttcgg cctggacgac agcttcttcg aggtcggcgg ccattccctg 1620 ctggccgccg ccctggtgcg cgaattgagc cgacgcttcg gcaaccgtgc ctacatccac 1680 gacatctacc gcaccccgag cgtgcgccaa ctggcggcca gcctggcgcg gcgcgccggc 1740 gaagcgccgc cggcgctgga cagcgaaccg gcccaggagc tgcaacggga cgtgcgcctg 1800 cccgccgacg tggatttcag ccgccccacg gacaccgccc aattgctggc gccacggcac 1860 atcctgctca ccggcgccag cgggctgatg ggcgcccacc tgctcgccga gctgctggcc 1920 agccgcgagg ccgacctgca ttgtccggtc cgtgcgcaaa acgacgccca tgccctcgaa 1980 cgcctgcgcc aggccgcccg gcagcaccgc atcgaactcg ccgagacgga ctggcgacgg 2040 gtcagggcct acgccgccga cctcgcagaa ccaggtttcg gactaccggc ggaaacctat 2100 cgcgagctgg ccggcagcgt cgaccaggtc ttccattccg ccagcgcggt gaacttcatc 2160 cagccataca gctacatgaa gcgcgacaac gtcgaggggc tcggccaggt cctgcgcttc 2220 tgcgccagcg gccgctgcaa gccgctgatg ctgctgtcga gcatctcggt gtacagctgg 2280 ggccacctgc ataccggcaa gcgcctgatg cgcgaggacg acgacatcga ccagaacctg 2340 ccggcggtgg tcaccgacat gggctacgtg cgcagcaaat gggtgatgga aaagatcgcc 2400 gacctcgccg ccgaacgcgg cctgccgctg atgaccttcc gcctcggcta cgccacctgc 2460 cacagccgta ccggcgccta cgccgactac cagtggtgga gccggctggc gcggacctgc 2520 ctggagtacc gggccgtgcc gctcctgcgc gagctgcgcg agggcctgac cacggtggac 2580 tacatggtag aggcgatcag cgtcatcgcc cgccagcctt cggcgctggg caagaaattc 2640 aacctggtgc cgagcattcc gcgctgcctg accctggacg agttcttcgg ccgtctcggg 2700 cgacgcgccg ggcgtcccct tcggcagatg ccgttcgacg actgggtaag tctctgggaa 2760 gacaatcgcg acgccccgct ctatcccctg ctgagcatgt tccgcgacaa catgtacgcc 2820 ggccgcagca ccgtcgagtt gtaccaggac acctatctct gggactgcac caacgtcgag 2880 gaacacctgc gcgggagcgc cgtgcgcgag ccggagttcg acgaccgcct gctcgacctg 2940 tacctcgccg gcctgggcgg cagcgccatg cggtaa 2976 17 1092 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 17 gtgggacggc ttcgacgagc cgcgctgcac cctgctggag gcgaaggcca actacgcctt 60 cctgttcgtc ccgctgctcg gcgtgcccag gccctgggca cgggccaagg tgaagtcgga 120 cctgctgcag aaggccgagg tccacagcga caaggcccga ccgaccccgc cggtgttcgt 180 cgaatggcac ttcctgcagc ggatcgtcta cgagtactgc gccgcggagt acctgcgcat 240 gggactggcc aacctgaagg cattctggaa tccgatgccg ggaacggacg agcacgacga 300 ctaccaggaa acccgcgcga aggaacagga agagatgaaa aggttttgcg aagagaaccc 360 ggggtattgc gcatgacgga cgccaaggct ttcaggcgct acatattcga gctgtacttc 420 gatccggcac ggctcctcga actggacgac gaccagcacc tgcaacggat agaacgcttc 480 ctcgatgccc tcgcgcccct ccatccggtg ctggagaact ggtatctgtg cggcgactcc 540 ctgcgcgatg ccctcagcca caacgtcacc gagcaccgcc aggatctcgc caaggccctg 600 tcgcgtgacc gacgcacccg ggcggtggaa ctggtgctat ggaacggcga ggaggatccg 660 ctcaagggcg ggttgtcgct ggactacgag gccagcggca gggccgtctc gtccaggctc 720 cagttggaag atgccggcag cctgctgcag gtgttcgacg caccggcgtc ctccttcgtc 780 gcgatcttcc tcgcggtgct ggaaatctgg cccgaaacga cctggggcat gctcgctccg 840 catgcgtact tcgtacacca gcggaccttc ccggaccgcc gcagcatcgg ctggatcggc 900 ttctgcccgc atccgctaag ggccacggac ttcccggcgg ctacggagct ggtcgacatt 960 cccggccgtg gcaccctgct gctgaacggc cgcgaaccga tggacgaaac ccgtcgcgaa 1020 catttcgagc gcgtcggcga agcggacatc aagctgatgg aactgggcta cctgccgccg 1080 ctgcgcggct ga 1092 18 1281 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 18 atgcacgcca tcctcatcgc catcggctcg gccggcgacg tatttccctt catcggcctg 60 gcccggaccc tgaaactgcg cgggcaccgc gtgagcctct gcaccatccc ggtgtttcgc 120 gacgcggtgg agcagcacgg catcgcgttc gtcccgctga gcgacgaact gacctaccgc 180 cggaccatgg gcgatccgcg cctgtgggac cccaagacgt ccttcggcgt gctctggcaa 240 gccatcgccg ggatgatcga gccggtctac gagtacgtct cggcgcagcg ccatgacgac 300 atcgtggtgg tcggctcgct atgggcgctg ggcgcacgca tcgctcacga gaagtacggg 360 attccctacc tgtccgcgca ggtctcgcca tcgaccctgt tgtcggcgca cctgccgccg 420 gtacacccca agttcaacgt gcccgagcag atgccgctgg cgatgcgcaa gctgctctgg 480 cgctgcatcg agcgcttcaa gctggatcgc acctgcgcgc cggagatcaa cgcggtgcgc 540 cgcaaggtcg gcctggaaac gccggtgaag cgcatcttca cccaatggat gcattcgccg 600 cagggcgtgg tctgcctgtt cccggcctgg ttcgcgccgc cccagcagga ttggccgcaa 660 cccctgcaca tgaccggctt cccgctgttc gacggcagta tcccggggac cccgctcgac 720 gacgaactgc aacgctttct cgatcagggc agccggccgc tggtgttcac ccagggctcg 780 accgaacacc tgcagggcga cttctacgcc atggccctgc gcgcgctgga acgcctcggc 840 gcgcgtggga tcttcctcac cggcgccggc caggaaccgc tgcgcggctt gccgaaccac 900 gtgctgcagc gcgcctacgc gccactggga gccttgctgc catcgtgcgc cgggctggtc 960 catccgggcg gtatcggcgc catgagccta gccttggcgg cgggggtgcc gcaggtgctg 1020 ctgccctgtg cccacgacca gttcgacaat gccgaacggc tggtccggct cggctgcggg 1080 atgcgcctgg gcgtgccgtt gcgcgagcag gagttgcgcg gggcgctgtg gcgcttgctc 1140 gaggacccgg ccatggcggc ggcctgtcgg cgtttcatgg aattgtcaca accgcacagt 1200 atcgcttgcg gtaaagcggc ccaggtggtc gaacgttgtc atagggaggg ggatgctcga 1260 tggctgaagg ctgcgtcctg a 1281 19 651 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 19 atgccgcctt ttttttctcg gccggcacga cacggggact tggtcatgat cgaattgctc 60 tctgaatcgc tggaagggct ttccgccgcc atgatcgccg agctgggacg ctaccggcat 120 caggtcttca tcgagaagct gggctgggac gtggtctcca cctccagggt ccgcgaccag 180 gaattcgacc agttcgacca tccgcaaacc cgctacatcg tcgccatgag ccgccagggc 240 atctgcggtt gcgcccgcct gctgccgacg accgacgcct acctgctcaa ggacgtcttc 300 gcctacctgt gcagcgaaac cccgccgagc gatccgtcgg tctgggagct ttcgcgctac 360 gccgccagcg cggcggacga tccgcagctg gcgatgaaga tattctggtc cagcctgcaa 420 tgcgcctggt acctgggcgc cagttcggtg gtggcggtga ccaccacggc catggagcgc 480 tatttcgttc gcaacggcgt gatcctccag cgcctcggcc cgccgcagaa ggtcaagggc 540 gagacgctgg tcgcgatcag cttcccggcc taccaggagc gcggcctgga gatgctgctg 600 cgctaccacc cggaatggct gcagggcgta ccgctgtcga tggcggtgtg a 651 20 1167 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 20 atgcctttga ttgtctatgt gctcggtgcc gcgatcttcg ccctgaccac cagcgaatac 60 atggtcgccg ggctgatgcc ggcgctggcc gccgaattcg gcgtgtcctt cgccgcgatc 120 ggctacctgg tcaccttcta cgccggtgcg atggccgtcg gcggcccgct gttgaccacc 180 gccctgctcc gggtgccgcg caagaacgcc ctgctcggcc tgatcgcgct gttcgtggtc 240 ggccaggtca tcggcgccct ggcgccgggc tatgcggtga tggtcgcggc gcgactggtc 300 accgcggtcg ccgccgcggc cttcttcggc gtggcgctga ccgcctgcgc cgaactggtc 360 gaaggcaacc agttcggccg cgcgtcgtcg ctggtgctcg gtggcctgat ggtcggcacc 420 gtgctcggcc tgcccgtcgc cacctggctg ggcgaatggt acggctggcg cgcgagcttc 480 ttcgcggtgg cgctggtggc ggtgctggtc ggcctgctgg tgttgcagct gatgccggcg 540 atcccggggt cggcgggcag cggctcgctg cgcgaggaac tgaaggtgtt caggaacgcc 600 catctatggt gggtctacgc caccagcctg ctgctgatcg gcgccacctt cgccggcttc 660 acctatttcg tgccgatcct caccgaggtc agcggcttct ccgcctcgac cgtaccgctg 720 ctgctggtgg tctacggcct ggcgacgctg gtgggcaaca acatcgtcgg ccgcctggcc 780 gaccgccata ccatcgcggt cctggccttc ggcctgctgg cggccatcgc cgcgatggtg 840 gccttcgccc tgttcggaca ggttccggcg gtggcggtgg cggcgctggt ggtgatcggc 900 ctgaccgggg tgtcgatgaa cccggcgctg gtgacccgcg gcgcacgggt cggccataac 960 aacatgctgg tcaactcggt gcacactgcc tgcatcatgc tcggcgtaat ggccggttcc 1020 tggatcggcg gcctgggcat cgccggcgga ttcggcctgc agggcgcgct ctgggtcggc 1080 gcggccctcg gagtactggc gctgctgacc ctgctgccgg agctgcgctt cgcccgcgcc 1140 ccggtaggcg gggcgctggg ccgctga 1167 21 993 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 21 atgccgcgcg ccgccgtggt ctgcggcctg ggcagctacc tgcccgaggc cgtgctcagc 60 aacgacatgc tcgccgccga gctggacact tccgacgcct ggatcagcag ccgcaccggc 120 gtgcgccagc ggcatatcgc cggcgacctc ggcagcggcg acctggccct gcgggcggcc 180 tccgccgcgc tcgcctcggc ggggctggag cgagtcgatg cggtggtgct ggcaaccagc 240 accggcgact tctgctgccc ggccaccgcg cccagggtcg cggcgcgcct ggggttggtc 300 ggcgcgctcg cgttcgacct gtccgccgcc tgcaccggct tcgtctacgg cctggccagc 360 gtcggctcgc tgatcagcgc cgggctggcg gacagcgcgc tgctggtcgg ggtggacact 420 ttcagccata ccctcgaccc cgccgatcgc tcgacccgcg cactgttcgg cgacggcgcc 480 ggagcggtgg tgctgcgtgc cggcgatgcc gaggaagaag gcgcgctgct ggccttcgac 540 ctcggcagcg acggccacca gttcgacctg ctgatgaccc ccgccgtcag tcgcgccgaa 600 cgcagttccg gacaggcctc caactacttc cggatggacg gcaaggcagt gttcggccag 660 gcggtgacgc agatgagcga ctcggtgcgg cgggtgctcg accgggtcgg ctggcaagct 720 tcggacctcc atcacctggt cccgcaccag gccaacacac gcattctcgc ggcggtcgcc 780 gaccagctcg accttcccgt cgagcgagtg gtgagcaaca tcgccgaggt gggcaatacc 840 gtcgccgcct cgattcccct ggccctggcc cacggcctgc gccaaggcat cctgcgcgac 900 ggcggcaaca tggtcctcac cggtttcggt gccggactga cctggggttc ggtcgccctg 960 cgctggccga agatcgttcc gacaatggac tga 993 22 1257 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 22 gtgcctgatc gcaaactgag actgggcgag gaactgatct cgccactgca cgcgctctac 60 gacggcctgc aggtggacgg cgcgccgcgt cccgcgcatc gcgccgccga gcatccggtg 120 tgggtggtga cgcgctaccg cgacgcgcgc aaggtcctca accatccggg cgtccgccgc 180 gacgcccggc aggccgccga actctacgcg aagcgtaccg gcagcccgcg cgcggggatc 240 ggcgagggac tcagccacca catgctcaac ctcgacccgc cggaccatac ccgcctgcgc 300 tcgctggttg gccgcgcgtt caccccgcgc caggtggagc gcctgcaacc gcatatagaa 360 cggatcaccg aggcattgct ggacgccatg gccggccgcg aacaggccga cctgatggcc 420 gacttcgcga tcccgctgac catcgcggtg atcttcgagc tgctgggcat tcccgaggcc 480 gagcgcgaac acgcccgcca gtcctgggag cgccaggcgg aactgctgtc gccggaggag 540 gcccaggccc tggccgatgc gcaggtcgac tacctgcgcg tgctgctcga ggccaagcgc 600 cggcagccgg ccgacgacgt ctacagcggg ctggtgcagg ccgccgacga gagcggccag 660 ttgagcgaag cggaactcgt ctccatggcc cacctgctga tgatgagcgg cttcgagacc 720 accatgaaca tgatcggcaa cgcgctggtc accctgctgg tcaacccgga gcaactggcg 780 ttgctgcggg cgcagccgga actcctgccc aacgccatgg aagaactggt ccgccacgac 840 agtccggtgc gcgcctcgat gttgcgcttc accgtggaag acgtggaact ggacggggtc 900 accattcccg ccggcgaata catcctggtc tccaacctga ccgccaacca cgatgccgag 960 cgcttcgacg atcccgaccg cctcgacctc acccgcaaca ccgatggcca tctcggctac 1020 ggcttcggcg tgcactactg cgtcggcgcc tcgctggccc ggctggaggg gcggatcgcc 1080 atccagcgcc tgctcgcgcg cttccccgac ctccagttgg cggtgcccca cgcggagctg 1140 cagtggctgc cgatcacctt cctccgcgcc ctgatcagcg tgccggtgcg caccggatgc 1200 agcgccccgg cgaacaccgc ctcccacgcc aacccgatcg agaggatcgc ccaatga 1257 23 915 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 23 atgttattca ccagcaaacc tctctcgccc cagggccgcc acgtactgat caccggcgcc 60 tccagcggcc tcggccggga aaccgcgctg cacctggccg aacagggttt ccaggtgatc 120 gccggggtgc gccgccagga ggatggcgag cgcctggcga acgcctgccc gtccggccgg 180 atcagcacgc tgctgatcga tgtcaccgac gaggaatcca ttggccgggc cgccgcgcag 240 gtggcggaga aagtcggcga taccgggctc tggggcctgg tgaacaacgc cgggatctgc 300 atttccgcgc cgctggaatg cgtctccagc gacctgctgc ggcgccagct ggaagtcaac 360 ctgatcggcc agctcgcggt gacccgggcg atcctgccgc tgctgcgccg tggcggcgcg 420 gcgcgcctgg tgaacgtcac ctcgggcctc ggctcggtcg ccattcccta cctgggcgcc 480 tactccgccg cgcagttcgc caaggaggga gtgagcgacg ccctgcgccg cgagctggca 540 cccatgggca tccaggtctc ggtggtcagc cccggggcga tctggacgcc gatctggggc

600 aagatcgcca gcgagggcga gcgcgccctg gccgacgccc ccgacgccgt cgccgacctc 660 tatcgcgata cctacctgcg cttcctccag gccaacgagg acggcgcgcg caacagcgcg 720 accaagcccg ccgatgtcgc cgccgcggtg catgccgcgc tcaccgcggc caagccgcgg 780 acccgctacc gggtcggcgc cgacgtgcgc cgcggtaccc tgctggcgcg gctgctgccc 840 gatagcgtga tcgacgggat gttccgcccc atcgtcaccg ccgccccggc ggcgaaggag 900 gagcaacgtg cctga 915 24 1329 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 24 atgatggccg agatacgacg cccgctgtcc gcggtggaac gctggtactg gctcagcgac 60 cagttctccg cgctgaacgt gatttcccgg gtgcgggtcc atggccggtt gtccatcgac 120 gacctgcgcc gcggcctcga cgcgctgcag gcgcggcatc cgctgctgcg cgcgcggatc 180 gagcacgatg ccgggctcga tccgcgctgg gtgccctgcg agcggcccat cccgctgcgc 240 gaggtgcgcg gcggcggcga ggagcaatgg ctgcgggaaa tcaacgagcg cgaattgccg 300 gaacgcatcg atccggacag cgggccactg atccgtaccg tggcgatcgc caccgacgcc 360 ggcgcccacg acctgctggt cgtggtaccg cacatcatcg ccgacggcac taccgtgctg 420 accctcgccg aacaatggct gaccctggcc gccgaccccg ccgcgcaacc ctggaccgcc 480 agcgccctgc cgccggcgga ggatctgcgt ccgcgccgct tcaccggcga cgaaggcgcg 540 gcgcgcctgg ccgagcagac cgcccaggac gaagcgctgg tcggccgcca ccgcccgggc 600 cggatcgagc cgagcaaccc ggtgccgctg gaagcgcggc gtacccgcct gctgcaccgg 660 gagctggacg gcgcgcagct ggaacagctg caacgacgcg cccgcgaaca cggcaccacg 720 gtacacggcg cgctgaccgc ggcgctggcc atcgccgccg gccacgacca ccagcgccgc 780 cctagccaca tcgccatcgg ctcgccgatc gacttccgcg acgaactgga gccgccggtg 840 cgccccgacg aagtaggcac ctacgtcgcc acggtaccgg tggtgctgga catcgcccgg 900 ccgttctggg aggtcgcccg cgcgctcacc gacgacctcg gcgaacgccg tcgccagggc 960 catcatttca acctggtcac cctggtcgcc agcgctgcgc cgcgctgcat ggccgacgcg 1020 cggccattca tggccttcat ggaagccgaa gggccgatca acctgtgctc ctccaacatc 1080 ggtcgctatc cgttccccga gcggatcggc gccttgcgcc tctccgacgc gcagttcctc 1140 accggcatct cggtgaacgg ctacttcgtg gccgccatca actccagcca tggccggctg 1200 ttctggaact tcacctatat cgacgaagcg gtccccggcg aacgcgccga acgcctggcc 1260 gaagattgcc tgggcaccct gctgtcggcg atccacgccc cccaacgatc cgccctcgag 1320 gagcaatga 1329 25 1167 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 25 atgagcagac atcccctgaa gatcgtcatc gccggcgccg gcatcggcgg gctcgccgcg 60 gccgcctgcc tgaaagccgc cggcttcgag gtcgaactct acgagcgggc cagggagctg 120 cgcgcggtcg gctcggcgct gtcgctgatg cccaacgcgc tgaccgccct ggagagggtc 180 ggcgtgcgcc ctgaccttac ccgcgcccag gccttcgact cgctgcggtt cctcacccgg 240 cgcgggcgac cgatccgcgc catcgacttc ggcggcctgg cccgtcagct cggccagccg 300 agcctggcga tccaccgcgc gagcctgcag caggcgctgc tggaacaggc ccgcgactgc 360 cgcatcgaac tgggcgtgag cgccaccggc tacctgcgcc acgccgacgg cgaaggcgtc 420 accgtgctct gcagcgacgg ccgcgaagtg cacgccgacg tgctgatcgg cgccgacggc 480 ttcaactcgg cgatccgcgc caccatgacc ggcccggagc gtcccaccga ctggcactac 540 gtgatctggc gtgccacgcc ggcgttccgc catccgaagg tgacgccggg ctacgtcgcc 600 cattactggg gccgtgggca gcgcttcggt ctcgccgaca tcggcgaagg caacgtctat 660 tggtggggca cccgcaacat gccggccgaa caggcgaagg actggcgcgg cggcaaggcg 720 ggcatccagc gcctctacgc cggctgggcc gacgaagtgc aggcggtcat cgaggcgacc 780 ccggaggccg acatcagcag cctgccggcc caggaccgac cgttcctgga gcgctggggc 840 gacggcccgg tgaccctgct cggcgatgcc gcgcatccga tgctgaccag cctcggccag 900 ggcgccgcca tcgccatcga agacgccgcg gtgctggccc actgcctggc caccatcgac 960 gacccgcaag ccgccctgcg cgcctacgag aaccgccgtc gcgaccgcgc cagggcgatg 1020 gtcgagacct cgcgggcgct gagccgcatc gagcagttgg agcatccgct gcgcaccgtc 1080 gcccgcgatc tctacttccg cttcgctccg gagcgaacct tcgcccggca gaacgaactg 1140 gcactgacct tcccaggagt cgaatga 1167 26 7110 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 26 gtgcggtgcc cgtgttcgcc gaatcgatgg attgttgaag aggacgcagg gatggttcgt 60 ttcgctcgct tgccgctatc gccctaccaa cgggacatct gggtcgccgc cgcgcagttt 120 ccggaactcg accagtacac catcttcagc tacgaccgct tcaccggcga ggtcgatacc 180 caggccctgg aacgagcgct gctgcaggcg gcgcgagaca ccgaggcgtt ccgcctgcgc 240 ctcggcgaga cggacggtac gccgtaccag tggctggaca cggatgccga gttcgaggcg 300 cgccacgtcg acctgcgcgc cgaccgcgac cccgaggccg ccgtgcgatc ctggctgcgc 360 gacgccttcc gtcacgccta cccgctggac ggccgcagcc tggtggacct ggccctgctg 420 catagcgacc aggcgctcta cgtctacgtg cgcacccacc atatcgtcag cgacgcctgg 480 ggcctgcagc tattcctcag ccgggtgcgc gccggctacc tgggtgagct aggcgagccg 540 caggcgcaga tgccgacggc ttccctcctg gcgcagctcg agaccgacga ctactccggt 600 tcggaacagt accgcggcga ccgcgcctat ttcgccgagg ccctggaggg cctggagccg 660 gccctcttca cccgcaggcg cccggccggg ctgcgccgca ccgcgcgcca caggctgacg 720 ctggaacgca cactgctcga tgcgatccgc gatcgtggcg aatcgccctt cctgttcctc 780 tccgccgccg tggcgctgta cctggcgcgg atccaccaga acgacgacgt ggtcctcggc 840 gtaccggtgt tgaaccgcgc cgaccgcgcg gccaagcaag tggtcgggca cttcgccaat 900 accctgccgc tacgcatccg caccgcgccg gaacagaccg tcgacgaatt cctggcgcag 960 ttgcgcgagg cgacccggac gctgctgcgc caccagaaga tgcccctcgg cgacctgttg 1020 cgcggcgcct cgccactgtt cgacaccacc ctttcctaca tgcgctggcc cgccgcccag 1080 gcgatcccga acgccagcgt cgagaccgtg gcgcaaaccc acgcccatga cccggacgcg 1140 ctggccatct gggtctccga gttcgacggg cacagcgacg cgcaggtgga tttcgaatac 1200 gcctgcgatg tgttcgacgc cgacttcccc atggacgccg cggcgcggca tatcgaaacc 1260 ttcctgcgcg ccctggtgga gggcggcgag cgccgcctcg gcgaactcga tccgctgtcg 1320 gccgccgagc gcgaggaact gatccacacc cgcaacgcca ccgaccaggc attccccgag 1380 caggctaccc tgcccacact gttcgccgag caggtggcgc gcaccccgca acgcaccgcg 1440 ctgctggaag ccgacggcgg cacgctcagc tatgccgagc tggacgccaa ggtccaggcc 1500 gtggccgacg ccctgcgcgc agcgggtgtg aggaccgacg agcgggtagc gctactggtc 1560 gcccgcggtc cccacctgct gccggcgatc cttggcgtgc agcgcgccgg cggcgcctat 1620 gtgccgatca atcccgacca tcccctggag cgcgtccgcc tgctgttgga agactgcggt 1680 gcccgcgtgg tgctggtgga cgagcgcgca gcgacactcg gcgagagcct cggcgagacg 1740 cgcgtgctgc acctcgaacg cctgccgcag agcaccggcg acctgccggc ggccaacgtg 1800 gcgcccggcg acctggccta tgtcatctat acctccggtt cgaccggcat gcccaagggc 1860 gtcatggtcg agcaccgctc ggtggtcaac cgcctgaact ggatgcagcg tcgttatccg 1920 atcggcgaac gcgacgtgct tctgcaaaag actccggtga cgttcgacgt gtccgtctgg 1980 gaactgttct ggtggagttt caccggcgcc cgcctgtcgc tgttgccgcc cggcgccgag 2040 aaggacccgc gggaaatgct gcggagcatc cagcgcgacg cggtcacggt catccacttc 2100 gtgccgtcga tgctgacgcc gttcctcgac ctgctcgacg gcgacccgac cgcccgcgcg 2160 gcggcaagct cgctgcgcct ggtgttctgc agcggcgaag ccctcgcgcc gttgcaggtc 2220 gcgcgcttcc gccggctgtt cggcgacgcc gtgcgactgg tcaacctgta cggaccgacc 2280 gaggccaccg tcgacgtgtc cgaccatgaa tgcgccagcg acaaccccac gcgggtcccg 2340 atcggccggc cgatcgacaa cctgcgcctg tacgtcctcg accgcgcgct caggccgcag 2400 cccctcggtg ccgtcggcga gctatatata ggaggcgtcg gcgtcgcccg cggctacctg 2460 aaccggccgg agctgaacgc cgagcgcttc ctcgtcgacc ccttcgtcgc cggcggccgt 2520 ctctaccgta ccggcgacct ggcccgctgg ctggccgacg gcaacctcga atacctcggc 2580 cgcgccgacg accaggtgaa gatccgcggc aaccgggtcg aacccgacga agtacgcgac 2640 cgcctcgccg cgcttcccgg cgtacgcgac gccgcggtcg tggcacgcga ttcggcggta 2700 cgcggcacgc acctggtcgg ctactacgtg gctgcggcgg aactcgaccc cggtcaattg 2760 cgcgccggac tttcggcgac gctgccggac ttcatgctgc cagccttctt cgtgcgcatc 2820 gacagcctcc cgctcagcgc caacggcaag ctcgaccgcc ggcaactgcc ggcaccgccg 2880 gaacaggtgg cggcggttgc gccgcgcacg gcgaccgagg ccgaactggc ggcggtgtgg 2940 gccgatgtcc tcggcgtggc ggaggtcggc gtgcacgacg acttctacgc cctcggcggc 3000 gactcgatcc tgatgctgcg catccgcgcc gccgcacagc ggcgcggcct gggcttcgaa 3060 ctcgccgacc tgatgcgcaa cccgacggtg gcgggcctcg ccgagcgcct ggtgcgtccg 3120 ctcgcggagc gaagctacca gcccttcgaa ctggtttccg aagtcgacaa gccgcgcctg 3180 gaagggctgg aggacgcctt cccgaccagc cggctgagtc tcggcctgct cttccatagc 3240 cgccagcgcc ccgactcgtc ggtctaccac gacgtgttcc actaccgctt cgacctggcc 3300 tgggacgaag ccgcgttccg ccacgcgctg gaccgggtgg tcgccgccta tcccgcgctg 3360 cgttcgtcgt tcgacctcag cggtgcatcc gaaccgctgc aactggtgca tacccaggcg 3420 cgcagcgaac cgctgatcct ggacctgcgc ggcaacccgg aggccgggac ggtgctcgac 3480 gagcacatcc gccaacgccg cttccatcgc tattcgctgc aacagcccgg gctattcctg 3540 ttcgccgcgt tcgtccgcga ggacggcctg gacctggtat tcagcttcca ccatgcgatc 3600 ctcgacggct ggagcgtggc caacctgatc gtcgcgctgg tcgccgccta ccgtggcgag 3660 ccgctgccgg gccccgcgcc ggcgctggcc tgccatgtcc gcgaggagct ggccgcgctg 3720 gcttcgccgg ccgccgtggg gtactggacc gggctgctgg agggcgcgag gatgacccgc 3780 ctcgacggct tcggcgccca cgagccgcaa gccgcgcaag gtccggccag ccatcgcgaa 3840 gcgctgccgg acgggctgct cgaacgactc aaggccactg cggcgcaacg cggactgccg 3900 ttgaagtcgc tgctgctcgc cgcccattgc ctgaccctgc atctgttctc ccgcagcgac 3960 agcgtggtca ccggcgcgat cagcaacggc cgccccgaac tgcccgacgc cgaccgcatg 4020 gtcggcctgt tcctgaatac cgtgccggtc cgctcggaga ttgccgggtg tagctggatc 4080 gaggtagccg atgcgctgtt ccgccaggag cgcgacggac acgcccaccg ccgctatccg 4140 ctcagcgcca tccagcagat cgtcggcgac gaactgagca gcgccttcaa ctacgtcaac 4200 ctgcatgtcc tcgaaccgct gtggcaattg cgcgacttcc gcgtctggga agaaaccaac 4260 ttcgccctgc tggtcaacgt gatcgccacg cccagcgacg gcatgtacct gcgcatcgac 4320 agcgacggcc gcggcatcag ccgcagccag gccgcgctga tcggcgcgac cttcgtcgag 4380 ctcctgtggc gcctcgccga tcatcccgac gaagccgccg acttcgcctt cctcgcccct 4440 cgccgcgacg ccgcttccca gcccgagccg ctggtcgacg tcgtcagcct gttcgaacgc 4500 caggtcgagg cgctgccggg cagcgccgcg ctggccttcg aggagcaacg ctggacctat 4560 cgcgacctcg accatgtggc gcgctgcgtg gccacccgcc tggtccgcgc cggcgcgcgc 4620 cgcggcgatg cgatcggagt ggcgctgaac cgttcgccgg agatgatcgc gacgatctgg 4680 ggcatcctgc gcgccggcct ggtctgcgtg ccgctggacg tcagctatcc cgcgcagcgc 4740 ctggcgctga tcctggagac cgcacagccg ttccgggtgg tcgcgcatcc cgagcacgcc 4800 catgtcgccg cggcggaacg ggtgctgccg gtagaggaac tggtcgccga catcgagccc 4860 gagaccttcg ccgcgccgca gctcgacgag ctggccatgc tgctgttcac ctctggttcc 4920 accgggcggc cgaagggcgt cgagcttagc caccggatgt gggccaacta cacccagtgg 4980 caattgcgcg tcgccagcgg cgtaccgggg ctgcgcacac tgcagttcgc gccgctgagc 5040 ttcgacatgg ccttccagga gatcttctcc acgctgtgcg gcggcggcga gctgcaactc 5100 atctccaacc gcgagcggat ggacccctcc gcgttgctgc atgtcctcga acgccgccag 5160 gtccagcgcg tgctgttgcc cttcgtcgcc ctgcaacgcc tcgccgaggc ctccaacgcg 5220 ctgggcgtgc gccccggcgc cctgcgcgtg gtggtgtcct ccggcgagca gttgcgcatc 5280 accgaagacg tccgcgcgtt ctgcgcggcg atgcccgggc tgctgctgga gaaccagtac 5340 ggtcccaccg agacgcacca ggtcacctac cactcgctga gcggcgatcc ggcgcactac 5400 ccggacctgc cgccgatcgg ccggccgctg gacggggtcg aggtgcaggt gctcgacgcc 5460 gcgctgcgcc cggtaccggt cggcgttacc ggcgagctgt acttcggcgg cgactgcctc 5520 gcgcgcggct accaccgcgc ccccaaactc accgccgagc gcttcgtcga acatccctgg 5580 cgccccggcg ccaggctcta ccgcaccggc gacctcgggc gcatcctcgg caacggcgag 5640 atcgtctggc tcggccgcgc cgatacccag gtcaaggtcc gcggcttccg catcgagccg 5700 gccgaggtcg agctggcgat catgcgccag gccgagcgcc agccgggcct gcgcggcgcg 5760 gcggtggtgg ctcgcgagcg ccagggcaac gatgcattcc tcgctgcctt cctgctcggc 5820 gagcccgagg cggtggatct cgccgaactg aagcaggcac tgcgcagcga actgccggaa 5880 cacatggtgc cggcacactt cgcctgggtc gacggcttcg ccctcacccc cagcggcaag 5940 cgcgacgacg ccgccctgcg cgcactgccg ctggagcacg ggacgaacat cgagtacctg 6000 gccccgcgcg acgactacga gcgcaccctg gccggactcc tcggcgagtt gctggatcgt 6060 ccccgggtag gcatccgcga cagcttcttc gacctcggcg gcacctcgct cagcgcgatg 6120 cgcttcatgc tgctgatcga gaagcgctat ggcgtcgacc tgccgatggc cgcgctgatc 6180 gagacgccga ccgtggaggg cctggccgaa cgcctgcggg aacgctcggc ggtgcgcgcc 6240 ttcgacccgc tggtaccgat ccgtgccggc ggcagccgcc cgccgctgtt cctcgtccac 6300 ccgctcggcg gccacgtgct ctgctacctg ccgctggtcc gcgcactgcc gccggaccag 6360 ccggtatatg ccctgcaggc ggccggcacc ggccagggca gtacgccgct ggcggtcctc 6420 gaggacatcg ccgccagtta cctcgcggcc atccgccggg tgcagccgga aggcccctat 6480 tacctcggcg gctggtcgtt cggcggcttc gtcgcctacg agatggcccg gcaactgcgc 6540 gcgctcgacc cgcaggcggt cgcccaactg atcgtgctcg actccatcac cgtcgaccgc 6600 aaccacgccg gcagcgccag cgacgaagcc ctgctgctgt tcttctactg ggaactggtc 6660 tggttcgagc gcagcgacaa ggaggtcgag ccgctgcctg aaggcgcgag cctggagcag 6720 aaactcgacc acatcgtcga acgcgccatc gaggccggcg tacttcccgc cggcaccccg 6780 cgcgccaccg tgcagcggct ctacgagctg ttccgggcga gctggcaggc actcatcggc 6840 tatcgcccgg aagtcagcga ccaggacatg accctgctgc gcgcggacgg cccgctgccg 6900 ctggcgctga agccgatgca cgacgccgcc ggcacccact acggcgaccc gaagaacggc 6960 tggcagcact ggaccagtgg ccgcctcgat gtgatcgacg tccccggcga ccacctggtg 7020 ctgatgaaag aaccctatgt cgagacggtc gcggcagaga tcgccgcgtt gctcgaaccc 7080 tccacctcca gcgaacggac ccgcccatga 7110 27 1404 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27 atgaaaacgc ccgcctggac gcgccatgcc ctctgggtca tgccgctcgc cctggggctg 60 caatccgccg tggtcgcggg ggatgagcag ccaagcaaga cttccagcta ttcgccggtg 120 gtgatcaatg aggacttcgc caccatcatg aagcgcatga cggcgaacaa accgtcgatc 180 gaacaggccc acaagacgct tctcgagcag cgttacgatc tcagcgacag gccggccaag 240 ggcgccagca tgacgcgcgg caagccgctg caggagggga tccgggtgaa gctgccggcc 300 ggcaccagct gggaggaact ggccaggctg agccccgagg aaatccgcaa gcaggggctg 360 ttccccggtg gcttcctgcc gctgccgcac cccaaccatg ccgaaggcgg gatggtcttt 420 cccaagttcc tcatcgacga gatcaagcgc caggaaagcc gcgacctgac ccgtttcgac 480 ctcgactacg acctgccgga ccacttcctg ccggaattcc cggcaccgat gttccttacc 540 acccggcctg acctgggcga tgtgtccaag ggcaagctgg tgaccatcga caactatttc 600 gagttgttca acgggattct caatcccaag cagctggaag ggctgcgcct gctgctaacg 660 gcctttccgc agcagcagtt caacctcacc gacgatcgcc gtagcgagca tccgagccgc 720 ggcgtagcct gcttcgactg ccatgcgaac ggccacacca atgccgctac tcacctggcc 780 ggcgatgtgc gcccgcagcc gttccgccac cgcatcgaca caccgacgct gcgcggggtg 840 aacatccagc ggttgttcgg ctcgcagagg gcgctgaaga ccgtcgagga cttcaccgag 900 ttcgagcagc gcgccgccta cttcgacggt gatccggtaa tcgccaccaa gaagggggtg 960 aacgtgctcg agcgtggcag tcaagtgcat ttcatgggtg agttccaggc gctgctggac 1020 ttccccccgg caccgaagct ggatgtggag gggcggctcg atccgggcaa ggccagcgag 1080 caggaattgc gtggcgaaaa gctgttctac ggcaaggcgg cctgcgccgg gtgccatgcg 1140 ccgccttact tcaccgacaa cctgatgcac aacctgaagg tggagcgctt ctacgatccg 1200 aaactggtca atggcgtgat ggcgtccgcc gacgggccga tcaagacctt cccgttgcgc 1260 gggatcaagg attcgccgcc gtacctgcac gacgaccgcc tgctgaccct ggaggacacc 1320 gtggagttct tcaacctggt actggagcgc aagctgtccg cggaagagaa gggcgacctg 1380 gtggcctacc tgcgtaccct gtga 1404 28 1386 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 28 atgctcacgg tgtgtgcgaa ccccaagggt atttcccgac cagctccccc gcggtcggga 60 tttttttttg cctgtcgctc agcgcttcgg gtcgaagggc gaatagcccc gccggcgcag 120 gctcgccagg ggcgcgaaca gcggctccgg cagatcggcc caatcgaacc aggcccagcc 180 gtcgcacttg tccggctcca tgaggcgcgc ctcggcatcc tccgcgcaac cggccaggat 240 gaacgcggtg aggtagtggc gcccctcgaa gacgtcattg ctgaacgggc cgtggcgcag 300 ttcgctcagc gccaggtcgg tctcttccag ggcttcgcgc agggcgcagt cctccaccgc 360 ctcgccgaac tcgagatggc cgccgggcgc cgaccagcag ccagcgccat gactgccctt 420 gcggcgcccc agcaacacct tgccgtcccg caagatcagg acgcccacgc ctacctgcgg 480 tgccggcatc gtcgtactcc tgcttcggga tcagagatgg agcgtaccgc tcatgtacaa 540 cgccgccttg ccggagatga ccacccgctc gccgcgcacg tcgcattcca ggcgcccctt 600 gcgcgccccg ccctgctcgg cgctcagccg ggtcttgccc aggcgctgcg cccagtacgg 660 cgccagggag gtatgcgcgg agccggtcac cgggtcttcg ttgacgccga cgttgggccc 720 gaaccagcgc gagacgaaat cgaagcgctg gctgcgcgcg gtcaccgcca ccccgcggca 780 cggcaagccc ttcagccggg cgaagtcagg cgccagggcg gcgatcgtct tttcgtcgtc 840 gaccaccacg aggtaatcgt cggtcttcag cacttccgcc tcggcaatac ccagcgcctc 900 cagcagtccg tccggtgtcg cgcaaggctc cggacgcttg gccgggaagt ccatcgccag 960 cgagtcgccc tcgcgccgca cgctcagctc accgctacgg gtagcgaaac gcagtaccgg 1020 ggaagcgtcg tcgagcttgt ggatcagtac ccaggccgtc gccagggtcg catgaccgca 1080 caggtccacc tcgacctgcg gcgtgaacca gcgcaatcga tagtcgccgt cgcggccgac 1140 gacaaaggcg gtttccgaaa gattgttctc ttccgcgatg gcctgcaggc gctcgtcgtc 1200 cagccaggca tcgagggggc agaccgccgc cggattgccc tggaagggac tgtcggcgaa 1260 tgcgtctacc tggaagatcg tcagttccat gttccggact cctgtatcga tgggctgcgc 1320 accttagcag ccggaccgag accaggacaa tgccgcgccc cgcgcaggcg cctcgctcag 1380 atctga 1386 29 1104 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 29 atgaaaaaag tttgtgcact ggcgttatcg atcctgacga cgatcggtgc gacagcggcg 60 gacagtgcat gggctgcgca aaccagcgtc catctttaca actggtatga cttcatcgcc 120 ccggaaacgc ccaaggcttt ccagaaggaa accggcaccc gtgtcgtcct cgacaccttc 180 gacagcgccg agaccgcgca gggcaagctg atggtcggcc gctccggcta cgacgtggtg 240 gtgatcacct ccaacatcct gcccgggctg atcaaggcgg gcgtcctcca ggaactcgac 300 cgcgaccggc tcccccactg gaagaacctc gacgcggaca tcctcgggaa gcttcaggcc 360 aacgatcccg gcaatcgcta tgccgtacct tatctctggg gaaccaccgg gatcgcctac 420 gatgtggaca aggtccgcaa gctgctcggc cccgacgcgc cggtcgactc ctgggacctg 480 gtcttcaagg aggagaacat ctcccgcctc agccagtgcg gcgtggccac gctggactcc 540 tccaccgagc tggtgtccat cgccctcaac tacctgggcc tgccgcacaa cagccagaat 600 cccgaggact accagaaagc ccaggaactg ttgctgaagg ttcgccccta cattcgctat 660 ttcgactcct ccagagtcga caccgatctc tccaacggca acgtctgcgt ggtggtcggc 720 tggcagggca cggcctacat ggcccaggtc aacaacgaac aggccgggaa cggtcgccat 780 atcgcctaca gcattccccg ggaaggctcg ctggtctggg ccgagaacat ggtgctgctc 840 aaggatgcac cgcatccgca gcagggttat gcgctgatcg actacctgct gcgtccggag 900 gtcatcgcca ggacctccaa ctacgtgggc tatccgaatg gcaaccaggc ggcgctgccg 960 ctggtagagc ggaaactgcg ggaaaacccg gcggtttacc tgagcaagga aaccatggcg 1020 accctcttcc cgctggaaac cctgccactg aaggtcgaga gaatccgtac ccgggtctgg 1080 agccgggtca agaccgggag ctga 1104 30 1251 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 30 gtgggctgtc cggggcggct aggatggaca ttttcatcgt ctcgggcagg cctgtcgcga 60 ccgcgcgaag tcgcgacgga tgccgctgct aaggagcaac ggatgaccgt tcttatccag 120 ggggccggga tcgccggcct ggcgctggcg cgcgaattca ccaaggcagg catcgactgg 180 ctgctggtcg agcgggccag cgagatcagg cccatcggta ccggcatcac cctggcgagc 240 aatgcgttga cggcgttgtc cagcaccctg gatctcgacc ggctgttccg ccgtggcatg 300 ccgttggccg gcatcaacgt atacgcccac gacggttcga tgctgatgtc gatgccttcc 360 agtctgggtg ggaattcccg cggcggcctg gcgttgcagc gccacgaact gcatgcggcg 420 ctactggagg ggctggatga gtcgcgcatt cgggtcgggg tctccatcgt gcagatcctc 480 gacggactcg accacgaacg cgtgaccctg agcgacggca ctgtccacga ctgttcgctg 540 gtggtcggtg cggatggcat tcgttcgagc gtgcgacgtt atgtctggcc ggaggcgacc 600 ttgcgtcatt ccggcgaaac ctgctggcgc ctggtcgttc cccatcggct ggaggacgcc 660 gagctggcgg gagaggtctg ggggcacggc aagcgcctcg gcttcatcca gatcagcccg

720 cgcgagatgt atgtctacgc gaccctgaag gtgcgccggg aggagcccga ggacgaggag 780 ggcttcgtaa ccccgcaacg gctggccgcc cactacgcgg acttcgacgg catcggcgcg 840 agcatcgccc ggctcatacc gagcgccacc acgctggtgc acaacgacct cgaggagttg 900 gccggcgcct cctggtgccg cggacgggta gtgctgatcg gtgacgccgc acacgccatg 960 acgccgaacc tggggcaggg cgcggccatg gccctggagg acgccttcct gctggcgcgc 1020 ctgtggtgcc tggcgccgcg cgccgagacg ctgatcctgt tccagcagca acgcgaggcg 1080 cggatcgagt tcatcaggaa gcaatcctgg atcgtcggcc gccttggtca gtgggaatcg 1140 ccctggagcg tctggctgag gaataccctc gttcgcctgg tgccgaatgc cagtcgcagg 1200 cgcctccacc agcgtctttt caccggtgtc ggtgagatgg ccgcacagta g 1251 31 1754 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 31 atgatggacg ccttcgaact tcccaccacc ctggtccagg ccctgcgtcg ccgcgctgtc 60 caggagcccg agcgcctggc gctgcgcttc ctcgccgagg acgatggcga aggcgtggtc 120 ctcagctatc gcgatctcga cctgcgcgcg cggagcatcg ccgcggccct gcaggcccat 180 gcgcagctgg gcgatcgcgc ggtactgctg tttcccagcg gccccgacta cgtcgcggcg 240 ttcttcggtt gcctgtatgc cggggtcatc gcggtgccgg cctacccgcc ggaatcggcg 300 cgccgccatc accaggaacg cctgttgtcg atcatcgccg acgccgagcc gcgcctggtc 360 ctgaccaccg ctgacctgcg cgagccattg ctgcagatga acgcgcaact gtccgccgcc 420 aacgccccgc aactgctctg cgtcgaccag ttggacccgg ccgttgccga ggcctgggac 480 gagccgcaag tgcgtcccga gcacatcgcc ttcctccagt acacctccgg ttcaaccgca 540 ttgcccaagg gcgtgcaggt cagccatggc aacctggtcg ccaacgaggt gctgatccgc 600 cgaggcttcg gcatcggtgc cgacgacgtg atcgtcagct ggctgccgct gtaccacgac 660 atgggcctga tcggcggcct gctgcaaccg atcttcagcg gcgtaccctg cgtgctgatg 720 tcgccgcgct acttcctcga acgtccggtg cgctggctgg aagccatcag ccagtacggc 780 ggcaccgtca gcggcggtcc cgatttcgcc taccggctgt gcagcgagcg ggtcgccgag 840 tcggccctgc agcgtctcga cctgagcggt tggcgggtag ccttctccgg ttccgagccg 900 atccgccagg acagcctgga acgcttcgcc gagaaattcg ccgccagccg cttcgacgcg 960 tccagtttct tcgcctgcta cggcctcgcc gaggcgaccc tgttcgtcac cggcggccag 1020 cgcggccagg gcattcccgc cctggcggtg gatggcgagg cgctggcgcg caaccgcatc 1080 gccgaaggcg aaggcagcgt gctgatgtgc tgcggccgca gccagccgga acacgccgtg 1140 ctgatcgtcg acgcggcgag cggcgaggtc ctcggcgacg acaacgtcgg cgagatctgg 1200 gccgccgggc cgagcatcgc ccacggctac tggcgcaacc cggaagcttc ggcgaaggcc 1260 ttcgtcgagc gtgacgggcg cacctggctg cgcaccggcg acctcggctt cctccgcgac 1320 ggcgaactgt tcgtcaccgg gcgcctgaag gacatgctca tcgtccgcgg ccacaacctc 1380 tatccgcagg acatcgaacg caccgtcgag agcgaggtgc cgtcggcgcg caagggcagg 1440 gtcgcggcct tcgcggtcac ggtcgatggc gaggaaggca tcggcatcgc cgccgagatc 1500 ggtcgcggcg tccagaaatc ggtgccggcc caggagctga tcgactcgat ccgccaggcg 1560 gtggccgagg cctaccagga agcgccgaag gtggtggcgc tgctcaatcc cggcgccttg 1620 ccgaagacgt ccagcggcaa gctgcaacgt tccgcctgcc gcctgcgcct ggaagacggc 1680 agcctggaca gctatgcgct gtttcccggc ctccaggccg tgcaggaggc gcagccgccg 1740 gcaggcgacg acga 1754 32 7335 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 32 gtgttggtca tcacccagca ccatatcgtg tccgacggtt ggtcgatgca ggtgatggtc 60 gacgaactgc tccaggccta tgccgcggcg cgccgcggcg aacaaccgac gctggcgcca 120 ttgacgctgc agtacgccga ctatgctgcc tggcatcgcg cctggctgga cagcggcgag 180 ggcgcgcggc agctggatta ctggcgtgag cgcctgggcg ccgagcagcc ggtcctggaa 240 ctgcccgccg accgggtgcg cccggcccag gccagcggac gcgggcagcg tctggacatg 300 gcgctgccgg tgtcattatc ggaggagctg ctggcctgcg cccggcggga gggtgtcacc 360 ccgttcatgc ttctattggc ctcgttccag gtgctgttga agcgctatag cgggcagtcg 420 gacattcgcg tcggggtacc tatcgccaac cgcaaccgcg ccgaggtcga gcgcctgatc 480 ggcttcttcg tcaataccca ggtgctgcgt tgccaggtcg atgctggcct ggctttccgc 540 gatctactgg gccgcgtgcg cgaggcggcg ctgggcgcgc aggcgcacca ggatctgccg 600 ttcgagcaat tggtcgatgc cttgcagccc gaacgcaatc tcagccacag cccgttgttc 660 caggtgatgt ataaccacca gagcggcgag cggcaggatg cccaagtcga tggtttgcac 720 atcgagagtt ttgcctggga tggtgctgcc gcacagttcg atcttgccct cgatacctgg 780 gaaaccccgg acggccttgg ggcggcgctg acctacgcga ccgacctgtt cgaggcgcgg 840 accgtcgagc gcatggcgcg gcattggcag aacctgctgc gcggcatgct ggaaaacccg 900 caggccagcg tcgactcgct gccgatgctc gatgccgagg agcgtggcca gttgctggaa 960 ggctggaacg ccactgccgc cgagtacccg ctgcaacgcg gcgtgcaccg gttgttcgag 1020 gagcaggtcg agcgcacgcc gacggcgccg gcgctggcct tcggcgagga acgcctggac 1080 tacgccgagc tgaaccgccg ggccaaccgc ctggcgcatg ccctgatcga gcgcggggtc 1140 ggtgcggacc gcctggtggg cgtggccatg gagcgttcca tcgagatggt cgtggccctg 1200 atggcgatcc tcaaggccgg cggcgcctac gtgccggtgg acccggagta ccccgaggag 1260 cgccaggcct acatgctgga ggacagcggc gtgcagctgc tgctcagcca gtcgcacctg 1320 aagctgccgc tggcgcaagg cgtgcagcgg atcgacctgg accaggccga tgcctggctg 1380 gaaaaccatg ccgagaacaa tccggggatc gagctgaacg gcgagaatct tgcctatgtc 1440 atctacacct ccggctccac cggcaagccc aagggtgccg gcaaccgcca ttcggcgctg 1500 agcaaccgct tgtgctggat gcagcaggcc tacggcctgg gcgtcggcga cacggtgttg 1560 cagaagaccc cgttcagctt cgacgtgtcg gtctgggagt tcttctggcc gctgatgagt 1620 ggggcacgtt tggtggtggc cgcgccgggt gaccatcgcg acccggcgaa gctggtggcg 1680 ctgatcaacc gcgaaggggt cgacacgctg cacttcgtgc cgtcgatgct gcaggccttc 1740 ctgcaggacg aagacgtcgt ctcctgcacc agcctgaaac gcatcgtttg cagcggcgag 1800 gcgctgtcgg cggacgccca gcagcaggtg ttcgccaagc tgccgcaggc cggcctctat 1860 aacctctatg gcccgaccga ggcggccatc gacgtcaccc actggagctg cgtggaggag 1920 ggcaaggacg cggtgccgat cggccggccg atcgccaacc tgggctgcta catcctcgat 1980 ggcgacctgg agccggtgcc ggtgggcgtg ctcggcgagc tgtacctggc cggtcggggc 2040 ctggctcgtg gctaccacca gcgtccgggg ctgactgccg agcgtttcgt cgccagcccg 2100 ttcgtggctg gggagcggat gtaccgcacc ggcgacctgg cgcgctaccg cgccgatggg 2160 gtgatcgagt acgccgggcg gatcgaccac caggtgaagc tgcgcggcct gcgcatcgag 2220 ctgggcgaga tcgaggcgcg cctgctggag catccgtggg tgcgcgaggc ggcggtgctg 2280 gcggtggaca gcaggcagtt ggtcggctac gtggtgctgg agagcgaggg cggcgactgg 2340 cgcgaagcgc tggccgcgca cctggcgaca agcctgccgg aatacatggt gccggcgcag 2400 tggctggcgc tggagcggat gccgctgagt ccgaacggca agctggatcg caaggcgctg 2460 ccgcgaccgc aagctgctgc ggggcagacg catgttgcgc cgcagaatga aatggagcga 2520 cgtatcgcgg ccgtctgggc ggacgtgctg aagctggagg aggtgggcgc caccgacaac 2580 ttctttgccc tgggtggcga ttccatcgtt tcgatccagg tggtgagtcg atgccgtgcg 2640 gcgggcatcc agttcactcc gaaggacctg ttccaacaac agaccgtaca ggggctggcg 2700 cgagtcgccc gcgtaggggc tgcggtgcaa atggagcagg ggcctgtgag cggcgagacg 2760 gtgttgttgc cgttccagcg gttgttcttc gaacagccga ttcccaatcg ccagcactgg 2820 aaccagtcat tgctgttgaa gccgcgcgag gccctgaatg cgaaggcact cgaagcggcc 2880 ttgcaggccc tggttgaaca tcacgacgca ttgcgtctgc gcttccatga aacggacgga 2940 acctggcatg ccgaacatgc cgaagcaacg ctgggcggtg cgctgctctg gcgtgccgag 3000 gcggtggacc gacaagcgct ggagtcgctc tgcgaggagt cgcagcgcag cctggacctg 3060 gccgacggcc cactgttgcg gagcctgttg gtggatatgg ccgacggcgg ccagcgtctg 3120 ttgttggtga tccaccatct ggtggtggac ggggtgtcct ggcgcattct gctggaggat 3180 ttgcaaaggg cttaccagca gagcctccgt ggagaagctc cgcggctgcc tggcaagacc 3240 agcccgttca aggcctgggc cggccgagtg agcgagcatg cccgtggtga gtcgatgaag 3300 gcgcaattgc agttttggcg cgagctgctg gaaggtgcgc cggccgagct tccgtgcgag 3360 catccgcaag gcgctctgga gcagcgtttc gctacctccg tgcagagtcg cttcgaccgc 3420 agcttgaccg aacgcttgct gaagcaggcg ccggcagcct accggaccca ggtcaacgat 3480 cttctgctga ccgccctggc gcgagtggtc tgccgttgga gcggcgcctc ttcaagcctg 3540 gtacagctgg aagggcatgg gcgcgaggag ctgttcgccg atatcgacct gagtcgcacc 3600 gtgggttggt tcaccagttt gttcccggtg cgcctgagcc cggtcgcgga tcttggcgag 3660 tccctgaagg cgatcaagga acagttgcgt gcgattcccg acaagggcct gggttatggc 3720 ttgctgcgct atctggctgg agaggaaagt gcccgggtcc tggcggggtt gccgcaggcg 3780 cggatcactt tcaattacct gggccagttc gacgctcagt tcgacgagat ggctctgctg 3840 gacccggctg gcgaaagcgc gggggcagag atggaccccg gcgctccgct ggacaactgg 3900 ctgagtctca atggccgggt gttcgacggt gaactgagta tcgactggag cttcagctcg 3960 cagatgttcg gcgaggacca ggtgcgtcgc ctggccgatg actatgtggc tgagctgacg 4020 gcgctggtcg acttctgctg cgattcgcca cggcatggcg cgacgccttc cgatttcccg 4080 ctggcggggt tggaccaggc gcgtctggat gccctgccgg tcgcgctgga agaggtcgag 4140 gacatctatc cgctgtcacc catgcagcag ggcatgctgt tccattcgct gtacgagcag 4200 gcatcgagcg actacatcaa tcagatgcgt gtggatgtgt ccggcctcga tctcccgcgc 4260 ttccgcgcag cctggcagtc cgccctggac cggcacgcga tcctgcgcag tggtttcgcc 4320 tggcaggggg agctgcagca gcccttgcag atcgtctatc gacagcgcca gttgcccttc 4380 gccgaagagg acctgagcca ggcggcgaat cgggacgccg cgctgctcgc gctggctgcg 4440 gccgagcgcg aacgcggttt cgaactgcag cgtgcgccac tgttgcggct gctgttggtg 4500 aagactgccg aaggtgagca tcacctgatc tacacccatc atcacatcct gctggacgga 4560 tggagcaatg cccagttgct cagcgaggtg ctggagtcct atgccggacg ctcgccggag 4620 cagctccggg atggccgcta tagcgactac atcgcctggt tgcagcggca ggacgcggca 4680 gctaccgagg cattctggcg cgagcagatg gcggctctgg acgagccgac gcgattggtc 4740 gaggcactgg ctcagccggg actgacatcg gccaacggcg tcggagagca cctgcgtgag 4800 gtggacgcaa cggctaccgc gcggctccgg gatttcgccc ggcgccacca ggtcactctc 4860 aataccctgg tccaggcggg ctgggcgctg ctcctgcaac gctataccgg acaacacacc 4920 gtggtcttcg gcgccaccgt ctccgggcgc cctgccgatc tgccgggtgt cgagaaccag 4980 gtcgggttgt tcatcaatac cttgccggtg gtggtaacgc tggctccaca gatgaccctc 5040 gacgaactgc tgcaagggct gcaacggcag aacctggcgt tgcgcgaaca ggagcacacg 5100 cctctgttcg agctgcagcg ctgggcgggg ttcggcggcg aggcggtttt cgacaacctg 5160 ttggtgttcg aaaactaccc ggtggacgag gtgctcgaac ggtcctccgc tggaggcgtg 5220 cgtttcggtg ccgtagcgat gcacgagcag accaactatc cgctggccct ggcgctgggt 5280 ggcggggata gcttgtcact gcaattcagc tacgatcgcg gactgttccc ggccgctacg 5340 atcgagcgcc tgggtcgcca cctgacgact ctgctggagg cattcgccga acatccgcag 5400 cgacgtctgg tcgatctgca gatgctcgag aaggcggagc ttagcgctat cggcgctatc 5460 tggaaccgca gcgattcggg ctatccggca acgccgctgg tacaccagcg agtggccgag 5520 cgggcgcgta tggcgccgga tgcggtggcg gtgatcttcg acgaggaaaa gctcacctac 5580 gccgagctgg atagccgggc caaccgcctg gcacatgcgt tgatcgcccg aggcgtcggc 5640 cccgaagtgc gtgtggcgat cgccatgcag cgcagcgcgg agatcatggt ggcgttcctg 5700 gcggtactga aggccggcgg cgcctacgtg ccgctggaca tcgaataccc gcgcgagcgc 5760 ctgctgtaca tgatgcagga cagtcgcgcg cacctgctgc tgacccatag ccacctgctg 5820 gagcgtctgc cgatccccga ggggttgtcc tgcctgtccg tggatcgcga ggaggagtgg 5880 gccggcttcc ccgcccatga tccagaggtg gcgctgcacg gcgacaacct ggcctatgtg 5940 atctacacct ccggctccac cggcatgccc aagggcgtgg cggtgtccca cggtccgttg 6000 atcgcccata tcgtggctac cggcgagcgc tacgagatga ccccggagga ctgcgagctg 6060 cacttcatgt cgttcgcctt cgacggttcc cacgaaggct ggatgcaccc gttgatcaac 6120 ggcgcgcggg tgctgatccg cgacgacagc ctgtggctgc cggaacggac ctacgccgag 6180 atgcatcgcc acggggtaac ggtgggggtg ttcccgccgg tgtacctgca gcaactggcc 6240 gagcatgccg agcgcgacgg caatccgccg ccggtacggg tctattgctt cggcggcgac 6300 gcggtggcgc aggccagcta tgacctggcg tggcgggcgc tgaagccgaa gtacctgttc 6360 aacggctacg gcccgaccga gacggtggtg acgccgctgc tgtggaaagc acgggcgggc 6420 gatgcctgcg gcgcggccta catgccgatc ggtacgctgc tgggcaaccg tagcggctac 6480 atcctcgacg ggcagttgaa cctgctgccg gtaggcgtgg cgggcgaact gtacctgggc 6540 ggggaagggg tggcgcgcgg ctacctggag cgtccggcgc tgaccgccga gcgtttcgtg 6600 ccggatccct ttggcgcgcc gggcagccgg ctgtaccgca gcggcgacct gacccgtggg 6660 cgtgcggatg gggtggtgga ctacctcgga cgggtggacc accaggtgaa gatccgaggc 6720 ttccgcatcg aactgggaga gatcgaggcg cgcctgcgcg agcatccgtc ggtgcgcgag 6780 gcggtggtgg tggcccagcc gggcgcggtg ggccagcagt tggtgggcta cgtggtggcg 6840 caggcgccag cggtcgcgga ttcgccggaa gcgcaggcgg agtgccgggc gcagttgaag 6900 acggcgctgc gcgagcgcct gccggaatac atggtgccgt cgcacctgtt gttcctggcg 6960 cggatgccgc tgacgccgaa cggcaagctg gaccgcaagg gcctgccaca gccggatgcg 7020 agcctgttgc agcaggtcta cgtggcgccg cgaagcgatc tggagcaaca ggtcgcgggg 7080 atctgggcgg aggtcctgca attgcaacag gtcgggctcg acgacaactt cttcgagctt 7140 ggcggccact cgttgctggc gatccaggtg actgcccgga tgcagagcga ggtcggcgtg 7200 gagctgccgc tggcggcgct gttccagacc gagtcgctgc aagcctatgc cgagcttgcc 7260 gcggcgcaga cttccagcaa tgacaccgat ttcgatgacc ttcgtgaatt catgagcgaa 7320 ctagaggcga tctga 7335 33 2556 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 33 atgctttcca atccaaacct ggacctcgtg tcccgcttcg ttcgcctgcc tctggcgcag 60 cagaaattgt tctatcagcg tgtccaggcc aagggcatga gcttcgcccg cctgccgatc 120 ccgcagactc gccaggagat ggacaacctg ccgctgtcct atgcccaaga gcggcagtgg 180 ttcctctggc agctggagcc ggagagttcc gcctaccaca ttcctaccgc cctgcgcctg 240 cgcggcaggt tggacattgc gtccttgcag cgcagcttcg cggcgctcgt cgagcggcac 300 gaaagcctgc gcacgcggat cgcgcggatg ggtgatgaat gggtgcaggt cgtctccgcc 360 gacgtctcgc tggcgctcga agtcgaagtg caacggggac tcgacgaaca gcgattgctg 420 gagcgggtcg aggcggagat cgcacgaccc ttcgatctcg aacagggacc gttactgcgg 480 gtgactttgc tggaggtgga cgccgacgag catgtgctgg tcatggtcca gcaccatatc 540 gtctccgacg gttggtcgat gcaattgatg gtcgaggaac tggtccagct ctatgccgcc 600 tatagccaag ggctcgacgt ggtgttgccg gccctgccga tccagtacgc ggactacgcc 660 ctgtggcagc gcagctggat ggaggcgggg gaaaaggagc gccagttggc gtactggacc 720 ggcctgctgg gcggcgagca gccggtgatc gagttgcccc tcgatcaccc gcggcagccg 780 ctgcgcagct atcgtggagc gcaattggac ctggagctgg agccacacct ggcccttgcc 840 ttgaaacagc tggttcagcg caagggtgtg accatgttca tgctgttgct ggcttccttc 900 caggcgctgt tgcatcgcta tagcggacag gcggatatcc gtgtcggcgt gcctatcgcc 960 aaccgtaacc gggttgaaac cgagcggctg atcggtttct tcgtcaacac ccaggtgctc 1020 aaggccgaca tcaatggccg gatgggtttc gacgagttgc tggcccaggc ccgccagcgc 1080 gcgctggagg cacaggctca ccaggacctg ccgttcgagc aactggtgga ggctttgcag 1140 ccggaacgca gcctcggcca caacccgttg ttccaggtca tgttcaatca ccaggccgac 1200 tctcgttcgg ccaaccaggg cgtgcaactg ccaggcctgt cgctggagcg gatggagtgg 1260 cggagcagct ccgtggcctt cgacctgacg ctggacgtgc acgaggccga ggacggtatc 1320 tgggcatcgt tcggctatgc cacggatctg ttcgaggcct cgaccgtcga gcgcctggct 1380 cggcactggc agaatctcct gcgcggcatc gtggccgaac cgggccggcc ggtcgccgag 1440 ttgccgctgt tgctggacga ggagcgcgat tgcctgtcgc gggcctgggc agagaacgcc 1500 gacgagggtg ggttgccgcc cctggtccag ttgcagatcc aggagcaggc ccgtctgcgt 1560 ccgcaggcgc aagcactggc gctggagggg caggccttga gctacgccga gctcaacgcc 1620 cgcgccaatc gtctggctca ctgcctgata gcgcgtggcg tcggtcccga tgtgctggtg 1680 ggaatcgccg tcgagcgctc gctggacatg gtggtcggtc tgctggcgat cctcaaggcc 1740 ggtggtgcct atgtgccgct ggacccgacc tatccgcagg accgtttgcg tcacatgctc 1800 gaggacagcg ccgtcggcct gttgctcagc caggagcatt tgctgcccgg gctgcctttg 1860 cacgaagggc tggaggtgct ctccatcgac cgcctggaac gggacgcatc ggtgtctacg 1920 gatgatccgg tggtgaacct gcggccggag aacctggcct atgtgatcta cacctccggc 1980 tccaccggaa aacccaaggg cgtggccatc agccatgcgg cgcttgcgca gttctcgcgt 2040 atcgccagtg gttattccgc gctcaccccg gaggatcgga tattgcagtt cgccaccctg 2100 agcttcgacg gcttcgtcga acagctctat ccggcgctga cccgtggtgc ctgcgtggtc 2160 ctgcgtggcg gcgacctctg ggataccggt gagctgtatc ggcagatagt cgagcagggc 2220 gtgacccttg ccgacctgcc cacggcgtac tggaacctgt tcctgctcga tgccctggcc 2280 gagccacggc gttcctacgg tgccttgcgg cagatccaca tcggtggcga agccatgcca 2340 ctggaggggc cgaagctctg gcggcaagcc ggcatgggcc gggtgaggtt gctcaatacc 2400 tatggaccga ccgaggccac ggtggtgtcc agcgtcttcg attgttccgc cgagaacgcc 2460 cgggtgggca atgccagtcc tatcggccag gcgctacccg gccgtacgtt gctggtgctg 2520 gatgaacatc tcggcctact gcccgtaggg cggtag 2556 34 2334 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 34 atgtcccggc cgttccggcc accactttgc agagaaacga catcgatggg gatgcgtacc 60 gtactgaccg gcctggccgg catgctgttg ggttcgatga tgccggtcca ggccgatatg 120 ccgcggccga ccgggctggc cgcggatatc cgctggaccg cctatggcgt gccgcacatc 180 cgggccaagg atgagcgcgg cctgggctat ggcatcggct acgcctacgc gcgcgacaac 240 gcctgcctgc tggccgagga gatcgtcacc gcgcgcggcg agcgggcgcg ctatttcggc 300 agcgagggca agtcgtcggc cgagctggac aacctgccgt ccgacatctt ctacgcctgg 360 ctcaaccaac ccgaggcgct gcaagccttc tggcaggcgc agacgcccgc ggtacgccag 420 ttgctcgaag gctacgccgc cggtttcaac cgcttcctcc gcgaggccga cggcaagacc 480 accagttgcc ttggccagcc ctggctgcgg gccatcgcga ccgatgacct gctgcgcctg 540 acccggcgcc tgctggtcga aggcggggtc ggccagttcg ccgacgcgct ggtggccgcc 600 gcgccgcccg gagcggagaa ggtcgccttg agcggcgagc aggcgttcca ggtcgccgag 660 cagcggcgcc agcgcttccg cctggagcgc ggcagcaacg ccattgccgt tggcagcgaa 720 cgttcggcgg acggcaaggg catgctcctg gccaacccgc acttcccctg gaacggcgcg 780 atgcgtttct accagatgca cctgaccatt cccggccggc tcgacgtgat gggggcctcg 840 ctgcccggcc tgccggtggt caacatcggc ttcagccgcc acctggcctg gacccacacg 900 gtggatacct ccagccactt caccctgtat cgcctggcgc tggacccgaa ggacccgcgg 960 cgctacctgg tcgacggtcg ttcgctgccg ctggaggaga agtccgtcgc gatcgaggtg 1020 cgcggcgccg acggcaagct gtcgcgcgtc gagcacaagg tctaccagtc gatctacggc 1080 ccgctggtgg tctggcccgg caagctggac tggaaccgca gcgaggccta tgcgctgcgt 1140 gacgccaacc tggagaacac ccgggtactg caacagtggt actcgatcaa ccaggccagc 1200 gacgtcgccg acctgcgccg gcgcgtcgag gcgctacagg ggatcccctg ggtcaacacc 1260 ctggccgcgg acgagcaggg caacgccctg tacatgaacc agtcggtggt gccctacctg 1320 aagccggaac tgattcccgc ctgcgccatt ccgcaactgg tcgccgaagg cctgccggcc 1380 ctccaggggc aggacagccg ctgtgcctgg agtcgcgacc cggccgcggc ccaggctggc 1440 atcaccccgg cggcgcaact gccggtgctg ttgcgcaggg acttcgtgca gaactccaac 1500 gacagcgcct ggctgaccaa cccggcgagc ccgctgcagg gcttctcgcc cctggtcagc 1560 caggagaagc ccatcggtcc gcgggcgcgc tacgccctga gccggctaca gggcaagcag 1620 ccgctggagg cgaagacgct cgaggagatg gtcaccgcca accatgtctt cagcgccgac 1680 caggtgctgc cggacctgct ccgcctgtgc cgcgacaacc agggcgagaa gtcccttgcc 1740 cgcgcctgcg cggccctggc gcagtgggac cgtggcgcca acctcgacag cggcagcggc 1800 ttcgtctact tccagcgctt catgcaacgc ttcgccgaac tcgacggcgc gtggaaggaa 1860 ccgttcgatg cgcaacgtcc cctggatacg ccgcaaggca tcgccctcga ccggccgcag 1920 gtggcgaccc aggtgcgcca ggcgctggcg gacgcggcgg cggaggtgga gaagagcggg 1980 attcccgacg gcgcgcgctg gggcgacctg caagtgagca cccgtggcca ggaacgcatc 2040 gcgattcccg gcggcgatgg ccatttcggg gtctacaacg cgatccagag cgtccgcaag 2100 ggcgaccacc tggaggtggt cggcggcact agctacatcc agctggtgac cttccccgag 2160 gaagggccca aggctcgcgg gttgctggct ttctcccagt ccagcgatcc gcgctcgccg 2220 cactaccgcg accagaccga gctgttttcc cgccagcaat ggcagacctt gccgttcagc 2280 gacaggcaga tcgacgccga cccgcaactg caacggctaa gcattcgcga atga 2334 35 6390 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 35 gtgcgaggga tagccatgag tgcgtcagaa gacctgcaat ccgctgtgca accggccgcg 60 agcgaagcgc tcgaaggatt cccgctgtct cccttgcaga cccgcgcctg gcgccgccat 120 gccgagcggc cggaaaatac ggttgtcggc gtgcgcctgc acgccccggc cgatcccgtg 180 gcgacgctgg agcggctgcg ccgggcgctg gacggcgagg cgcaactgcg cgtggcctac 240

cggacgatgc cgggcatgag cctgccggtg caggtactgg atgggcgcgc ggccgatctg 300 ctggtcgagc gcctgccggg agacggcgac tgggccggac gcttcgcgcg cgaaagcgcg 360 cgtctcgccg cttcgcccct gggcggggaa ggccagccgg tactggcgct cggcctgctg 420 ctggacgccg ccggagagac gctccagggg ctgttgctgg cggcgccggc gttcgtcgtc 480 gatgcggcca gcctggtggc gctgctgcgc cgcggcctgg ggccggccgg ccaggcgagc 540 gcggacgagg gagacgaggc gctgctgttc cagcatttct ccgagtgggc caacgaggcg 600 ctggccggcg aagacggcga aagcgccagc ggttactggc gagagcaggc ggccgttgcg 660 gcggagagtc cgctggcgct ggcggacgac ctgggcgaag gcgagtggac ggcgcggcgc 720 ctgctgccgc gcgcgctgct cgaacgcctg gccgccaacg gcttgccgga ggcggccgcc 780 ctgctggcct ggacccaggt cgccgggcag ttccagggcg acgagggcct cccgctggaa 840 atggcgcgac tggtctcggg gcgcctgttc aacgagttcg ccgagctggc cggaccgttc 900 gccggggtcg cgccgctgtg cctggagaat gtccgcgcgg gcagcgtcgg cgagcggctc 960 gacgccctcc aggcggcgat cctcgcccag gaggaggcag cggccctgcg cgatcccttt 1020 gcccccgact ggccgctcgc cgagttgggc ttcgcctggc tggcgggcga actggatggc 1080 gccggggtgg ccgagctgga ttgccgtcag ccgccgctgg gcgggttcct cgagttgcag 1140 gtgctgcccc acggcgaagg caggctggcc agcctgcggg tccgtcgcga ccatgacgga 1200 acgctggccg ggcgcttgct cgacgcctgg gtcgaatgcc tggaaagcat cgccgccgac 1260 aggcaactgc cactggccgg gctgccgttg atcggcgcgg ccgagcgcga gcgctaccag 1320 gcctggcagg gcgagcgcgt ggagcccgcg ccggtggaat ccctggtggc cgcgttcgat 1380 ctgcgcgccg ccctgcagcc gcaggcgccg gcgttgctgg atgcccacgg cagcctggat 1440 ttcgccacgc tgcgcgcgcg cagcgaagcg gtcgccgaag cgctgctggc tgccggcgtg 1500 cggcccggcc aggcggtggc ggtgatgacc gggcgcaacc gcgaggcgat cgtcgccctg 1560 ctcggggtga tgcgcgcggc ggcggtgtac accccggtca atccggagtt tccggcggcg 1620 cgggtggagc ggatgcgcga agcgggcggg atcgtcttcg cccttgccga tgccgagtgc 1680 gccgggcgcg cccgcgaggc cttcgccggg gcctgcctgg acctgtcgac gctgccgctt 1740 gccggcagcg gcatgagcct gccggcgccg ggcgggcgcg atgcggccta catgatcttc 1800 acctcgggca ccagcggcca gcccaaaggc gtggtggtcg agcacgccag cgcgctcaac 1860 ctgtcccagg ccctggcgcg cacggtatac gcgaacgtgg tgggcgaggg cctgcgggtg 1920 acggtcaacg cgccgttctc cttcgactcc tcgatcaagc agattctcca gttgctctcc 1980 ggccattgcc tggtcctggt gccgcaggag gtgcgcagcg atccgcagcg gatgctgggg 2040 ttcctcgaag aacggcgcat cgacgtgctc gactgcaccc cgtcgctgtt ccgcctgctg 2100 ctccaggccg gcctcgacga tgcccacccg gcgctgcccg ggcgcatcct ggtagggggc 2160 gagcgcttcg acgaagcgtc ctgggaggtc gccgccggct ggcgccgctg ccaggtgttc 2220 aatctctacg gtcctaccga agccacggtg aacgccagcc tggcgcgggt cgccgagcat 2280 gcgcggccga ccatcggccg cgccctggcc aacgtcgatc tgcatgtggt cgatggcctc 2340 ggtcgtcgca agacccgtgg cgccagcggc gaactgtgga tcggcggcgc cggggtggcg 2400 cgcggctatg ccggcgacgc cggcgaggcg gccgggcgct tcgtcgagga gggctggccg 2460 ggcagcggcc gcctgtaccg cagcggcgac ctggtgcgct ggcgcgccga cggttgcctg 2520 gagttcctcg ggcggatcga cgaacaggtg aagatcaacg gctaccgcat cgaactgggc 2580 gagatccgca gcgcgttgct ggaacacccg gcggtgggcg aggcggcggt actcaccgac 2640 gaggccgatg cggccgaacc gggcgcggat cgccggatcg tcgccttcgt caccgccgcc 2700 gaggagaccg cggacgagtc ctggctggaa gtcgacctgc ccagcgggca ccgggtcgcc 2760 ggactgaacc tcaacgaaac cgagtacgtc taccaggaaa tcttcgtcga cgaggtctac 2820 agccgcgacg gcatcgtcct gccgccggac gcggtggtcc tcgacgtcgg tgccaacatc 2880 ggcctgttct cgctgtacat cgccagccgc gcgccgcgcg cgcgagtggt cgccttcgag 2940 ccgctggcac cgatccgccg gcgcctggag gccaacctcg gacgctacgc accgcaggtc 3000 gaggtattcg gcatcggtct gtccgacgcc gagcgtgagg aaaccttcac ctactatccg 3060 ggctactcga ccttctccgg gatcgccgag tacgccgacg ccagcggcga acgcgacgtc 3120 atccgacgct acctgagcaa ccagggcgag gagggcgggg ccaacctgct gctggacaac 3180 atcgacgaaa tcctcgacga ccgcctgcgc gccgaagccc accgctgccg cctgcgccgc 3240 ctcgaccagg tgatcggcga actgggcctg gagcgtatcg acctgctgaa gatcgacgtg 3300 cagcgcgcgg aaatggatgt gctgctcggt ctcgacgatg cggcgctggc caaggtccgg 3360 cagatcgtcc tggaggtcca tgacaagcgc gacggtgcca ccgccggccg cgccgatgcc 3420 ttgagcgacc tgctgcgccg ccatggcttc gaggtgagca tccgtcagga cgcgctgctg 3480 gagggtaccg accgttacaa ctgctacgcg gtgcgcccgg gctatgccga gtcgctggct 3540 gagcgcatcg actggcgcgc gctcgcgccg cgccccgccg cggccctcgg cggcgagctg 3600 agcgagcagg ccctgcgtgg cttcctcgag gcgcgcctgc cggcctacat gctgccgagc 3660 cggatcgccc gggtcgaacg cctgccgctg accgccgaag gcaagctcga ccgtcgcgcg 3720 ctgttggcgg cgctggccgc cgaggcggcc gcgcagaccc tggaagcgcc ggccaatgcc 3780 accgaggcgg ccctgctgga gatctggaag agcgtgctga aacgcccggc gatcggcgtc 3840 agcgacaatt tcttccaggt cggcggcgac tccatccgcc tgatccagat gcaggtcatg 3900 gcgcgcgagg cggggcttgc ctttaccctg cgcgacgtgt tcaaccacca gagcatccgc 3960 gaactggcgc gcctgctggc cgctccggcg agtccggcgg atgcgctcgg gacctcggcg 4020 ccgcagtcgc tggagccgtt cgccctgttg tcggcggcgg aacgcaagcg cctgccggag 4080 gggctcgacg acgcctatcc gatgaccagc ctgcaacagg gcatgctcct gcaaagcgag 4140 gccagcggcg atccacggct gttgcacaac gtcgtcctgc acgaggtgca tggacgcctg 4200 gacggcgagt tgctggcgcg cgcctgggcg atcctgatcg gccgccacgc gatcctgcgt 4260 accggcttcg atctgcacgg tggccaggtt cccctgcaat gggtccaccc ggccacggcg 4320 gtcgccgccg aggtgccggt gcacgacctg tgtggcctcg atggggaaac acggcgcctg 4380 cgcctgcgtg cctggatcga ggaagagcag gccaccccgt tcgactggag ccgcccaccg 4440 ctggtgcgcc tcgccgcgct ggcgctggac gagcggcgct tcgccctggg cgtcgccgaa 4500 caccatagcg tgctggacgg ctggagcctg caaagcctgg tggacgagct gctggcggtc 4560 tacgccgacc ttctcgccgg tgtcgtcgcg cgggaagcgg aagcgcccgc ggtaggcttc 4620 cgcgactacg tggcgctgga gcgtgaggcc gaggccaacg ccgcctcggc gctgttctgg 4680 ctcgactacc tggccggcgc ccgctaccgg ccgttgcccg gcctggcgga ggagggaccc 4740 cggcgcatgg cggcggtccg cgtggacgtg ccggccgaca gcctgtcgcg cttgcgcgcc 4800 ctggccgaac gcagcggctt gcccttgcgt tcgttgttgc tggcggcgca tggccgagcg 4860 ttgtgccgct tcagcgatgc cgatgaagta gtcaccggct tcgtcagcca cgggcgcccc 4920 gaggagccgg gagcggaccg cctgctcggc ctgttcctga acaccctgcc gtgccggctg 4980 tcggcttccg tcgatctgct cgacagcgcc cgtcgcgcat tcgactacga gcgcgcgagc 5040 ctggaacatc ggcgccatcc gctggcggcg attcgcaggc gcaaccgcga gttgcgcctg 5100 gacagcctgt tcaacttcgt cgacttccac caggacgacg ccgcgccggc gggagtaagg 5160 cacggcggca tcctcgacca ggtggtggtg gacgtcgacg tgccgctggc ggtggacttc 5220 gaggtggccg gcgagcgcct cgaggtgggc ttccagtatg ccgccggacg tttccccgcc 5280 gagcgcgccg aggcactggc cggcgcctac cgcgaggcgt tgctggcgct gctcggagac 5340 ccggtgcagc cgcccgcggc ggcccaggcc gaggacagcg tggagctgcg gcgggtgctc 5400 aaggtgttgt cccgggtgct cggccggccg ctggcggccg accagggctt cgccagcgcc 5460 ggcgggcatt cgctgctggg cgtgcaggcg atcgccgaat tgcgccggct gaccggcagg 5520 caactgagcc tggggctgtt gcagggcgat ccggatgccc gcgaagtggt gcgccgctgc 5580 catgccgccg acgcgccgcc gttgccgccc gccaccgagc gcgcccgggc cctgtggttg 5640 cagcgcagcg ggagcgcgca gccgcgcctg cgcctgatcg cgctgccgcc cgcgggcggc 5700 aacgccggca ctttccgtgg ttgggacgcg cgcctgccgg cggacgtgga gctgctggcg 5760 atccagtatc cggggcgcca ggaacgccag gacgagccat tcgtcaccga tgtagaggcc 5820 atgctctgtg ccatcgacga cgcgctcctg ccattgctcg accgtccgtt cgccctgatc 5880 ggcgccagcc tcggcggcat gctcgcctac gaactggcgg cacgcctgga aagcctgcac 5940 ggcctgcgcg ccaggcagtt gttcgtgatc agcagccgcg ctccggggcc ggacctggaa 6000 tacccgcgct tccatgcgat gggcgacgcc gagttgctgc gaaccctgcg cgagtacgac 6060 gtgctgccgc tggaagtgct cgacgacccg gagctgcgcg agatcagcct ggccaccctg 6120 cgcgccgatt cgcgcctggc cgccgactat cgctaccgcc cgcgcgagcc gctggccata 6180 ccgatcaccg cgatcctcgg cgagcaggac ccgggcgtct ccagggtggc catcgacggc 6240 tggcggcggc acgccagccg ctacgagctg gagaccctgg ccggcggcca cggcctggtg 6300 gtgacggcgg cggaggaggt ctgcgcgatc ctgcggcagc gcctggcgcc cgatgtgcct 6360 ggcggcgtgc cggcgaacct ggcaacctga 6390 36 1395 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 36 atgaacctgc gcccggtgat cgtcggcggc ggctcggccg gcatggccgc agccatcgag 60 ctggccaggc gcggggtccc ctgcgtcctc ttcgacgagg cctcgcgtcc cggcggggtg 120 gtctatcgcg gccccttgcg ggccggcgtc gatccggcct acctcggcgc gcgctacacc 180 cggatgctgg aaaaactgcg gcgcgatttc tccgcctgcg ccgggcacat cgacctgcgc 240 ctgaacagcc gcgtggtcgg tggcgacggc cagcgcctga tggtcctcga cgaggcggaa 300 cggctgcacg aggtggagta ttcgcacctg ctcctggcca ccggctgcca tgagcgcagc 360 gtgccgtttc ccggctggac cctgcccggg gtgatgctcc tcggcggcct gcaattgcag 420 atcaagagcg gcgtggtgaa gcccctgggc gataccctga tcgccggcag cggcccgctg 480 ctgccactgg tggcctgcca gctgcatgcg gccggggtac gtgtcgccgg ggtctacgag 540 gcctgcgcgt tcggccgcat ggccagggaa agcctggcgc tgctgaacaa gccgcaactg 600 ttcctcgacg gcctgagcat gctcggctat ctcaagctca acggcattcc gctgcactat 660 ggctggggcg tggtggaggc cagcggcgat ggggaactga cggaagtgac ggtagcgccc 720 tacgacgaag agtggcggcc cgacctggaa aacgcgcgac cggtgaaggc cagcaccctg 780 gcggtcggct atggcttcat cccgcgcacc cagctcagcc agcagttggg tctggagcac 840 ggcttcagcg acgacggata cctgcgcgcg gaatgcaacg tctggcagca gagcagccaa 900 ccgcacatcc acctggccgg cgacatggcg ggtatccgcg gcggcgaggc ggcgatgatc 960 ggcgggcgca tcgcggcctt gtcgatcctc ctgcaacgcg aggccatcgc gcccgccgag 1020 gccatcgaac gccgagaatc ccatctcgcc cgcctggagg cgatcaagcg cttccgcgcc 1080 ggagtcgagc gctacaccca gcgcggcgcc cgccaggtcg aactggcgcg ggccgatacg 1140 gtgatctgcc gctgcgaaca ggtcacccgt ggcgacatcg agcgcgcgct cgaacagggc 1200 gtgcaggaca tcgccgggct gaagatgcgc acccgcgccg gcatgggcga ctgccagggg 1260 cggatgtgca tcggctactg cagcgatcgc ctgcgccgtg ccaccggacg ccacgacgtc 1320 ggctggctgc ggccgcgttt cccgatcgat ccgatcccgt tttccgcatt ccagaacctc 1380 ggtacggaag cctga 1395 37 801 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 37 atggcgtccg cccctaagga agaggagata aatatgattt attacttgat cggagtggcg 60 ctattcatct tcatgctgga acagttggtt cccggctgga aattgcccaa ggtgagcacc 120 tgggtggccc gggtgatctt cctcaacatc gtccaggtgt cgatcgccct gctcgccggc 180 atcacctgga acaaatggat gatggggcac agcctgctgc acacctcgga tgccctgcca 240 ccactgctgg ccggcttcgc cgcctacttc gtcaacacct tcgtcaccta ctggtggcat 300 cgcgcgcgcc acgccaacga cacgctctgg cggctgttcc accagttgca ccacgcgccg 360 caacgcatcg aggtattcac ctccttctac aagcatccga ccgagatggt cttcaactcg 420 ctgctgggca gcttcgtcgc ctacgtggtg atgggcatca gcatcgaggc cggcgcctac 480 tacatcatgt tcgccgcgct cggcgagatg ttctaccact cgaacctgcg caccccgcac 540 gtcctcggct acctgttcca gcgcccggag atgcaccgca tccaccacca gcgcgaccgt 600 cacgagtgca actacagcga cttcccgatc tgggacatgt tgttcggcac ctacgagaac 660 ccccgccgca tcgacgagcc gcagggcttc gccggcgaca aggagcagca gttcgtcgac 720 atgctgctgt tccgcgacgt gcacagcctc cccggaaaaa cccagcccgc tcccgtcctg 780 gtcaagcccg acgtcaggtg a 801 38 20 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 38 acctgcccgg aagggcaggt 20 39 468 DNA Pseudomonas aeruginosa 39 ggggtacctg gcacctacca gatcgtgtag ttgagccggt acgagcgttc tgtgttttat 60 gcaatccaca tcagcgacca gggatgctgg ctatttgaaa cacttcacgg aatgacgctg 120 aaagtcttcg cgacctcgtc tgtcgcacct taacgaaagc attgcgaatc cattaccgac 180 aggtttccaa aagaaacccg ggatgaaact cctattgcct ttcgaaaatt ggaaacgaca 240 ggcgaacata tgtaacgcga aatttcaccc tacgtataaa caatgcgccc agcgaatatc 300 gctcccttac cgagcgacga actcctgcgc gccagcgaat aaccgatgcc gcgagggaaa 360 agtttctccg gcatacctgg agagccctct cggaggcggc gcatgaacgg tcagcggtac 420 agggaaacac ccctcgacat cgagccgtct gcggcgcctt ctagagca 468

Claims

1.-45. (canceled)

46. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence, said nucleotide sequence comprising: a regulatory sequence derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein said regulatory sequence regulates a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosome, and wherein said locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36; and a reporter gene operatively linked to said regulatory sequence.

47. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein said locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

48. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide having at least 80% identity to a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein said locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

49. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide that hybridizes under stringent conditions to the complement of a nucleotide sequence comprising a quorum sensing controlled genetic locus derived from the genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, wherein said locus comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ED NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, SEQ ID NO:27, SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:29, SEQ ID NO:30, SEQ ID NO:31, SEQ ID NO:32, SEQ ID NO:33, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:35 and SEQ ID NO:36, operatively linked to a reporter gene.

50. The nucleic acid molecule of any one of claims 46, 47, 48 and 49, wherein said reporter gene is contained in a transposable element.

51. A vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule of any one of claims 46, 47, 48 and 49.

52. A cell containing an isolated nucleic acid molecule of any one of claims 46, 47, 48 and 49.

53.-74. (canceled)

75. The nucleic acid molecule of any one of claims 46, 47, 48 and 49, wherein said reporter gene is lacZ, GFP, or a variant thereof.