Synthesis of the lux gene autoinducer in Vibrio fischeri is positively autoregulated

The enzymes for luminescence in Vibrio fischeri are induced only after the accumulation of a sufficient concentration of a metabolic product (the autoinducer) generated by the bacteria themselves. Genetic analyses by others have previously suggested that biosynthesis of the autoinducer is catalyzed by a single gene product (autoinducer synthetase) presumably from precursors typically present in the bacterial cell. Also, the biosynthesis was predicated to be autocatalytic such that in the presence of autoinducer, more autoinducer synthetase should be produced. We have directly tested these predictions and found that autoinducer synthesis is indeed positively autoregulated.