Regulation of the RNA chaperone protein Hfq on the spoilage of Pantoea agglomerans in vivo and vitro

Abstract

The RNA chaperone Hfq is a key regulatory factor in bacteria, but its specific role in foodborne spoilage bacteria regulation, particularly concerning chicken meat, is not well understood. This study investigated chicken-derived Pantoea agglomerans strain HJS002 via Hfq knockout, systematically assessing phenotypic differences between WT and ΔHfq strains. Our findings revealed that ΔHfq exhibited slower growth during the initial 8 h of exponential phase. It also showed significantly reduced extracellular protease activity, decreased protein degradation, impaired motility, and diminished swarming. Furthermore, ΔHfq had lower levels of biofilm extracellular polymers, total sugars, and eDNA than WT. Transcriptomic analysis showed Hfq absence caused differential expression of 2153 genes, notably downregulating quorum sensing genes linked to chicken spoilage and biofilm formation (e.g., phzC, crp) and core flagellar assembly genes flhD, flhC. Chicken spoilage tests showed significant colony count differences: WT caused a greater L∗ value decline. Sensory evaluation showed that after 3 days, WT had significantly lower color, odor, texture, and slipperiness scores than ΔHfq. Targeting Hfq to develop small-molecule inhibitors may offer a novel strategy for chicken spoilage prevention and control. These results suggest that Hfq, as a global regulator, may play an important role in P. agglomerans metabolism and chicken spoilage.