Bacterial quorum sensing and interference by naturally occurring biomimics |
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Authors: | Diane McDougald Scott A Rice Staffan Kjelleberg |
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Institution: | (1) The Centre for Marine Biofouling and Bio-Innovation, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia;(2) The School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia |
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Abstract: | Bacteria are able to coordinate gene expression as a community through the secretion and detection of signalling molecules
so that the members of the community can simultaneously express specific behaviours. This mechanism of regulation of behaviour
appears to be a key trait for adaptation to specific environments and has been shown to regulate a variety of important phenotypes,
from virulence factor production to biofilm formation to symbiosis related behaviours such as bioluminescence. The ability
to communicate and communally regulate gene expression is hypothesised to have evolved as a way for organisms to delay expression
of phenotypes until numerical supremacy is reached. For example, in the case of infection, if an invading microorganism were
to express virulence factors too early, the host may be able to mount a successful defence and repel the invaders. There is
growing evidence that bacterial quorum sensing (QS) systems are involved in cross-kingdom signalling with eukaryotic organisms
and that eukaryotes are capable of actively responding to bacteria in their environment by detecting and acting upon the presence
of these signalling molecules. Likewise, eukaryotes produce compounds that can interfere with QS systems in bacteria by acting
as agonists or antagonists. An exciting new field of study, biomimetics, takes inspiration from nature’s models and attempts
to design solutions to human problems, and biomimics of QS systems may be one such solution. This article presents the acylated
homoserine lactone and autoinducer 2 QS systems in bacteria, the means of intercepting or interfering with bacterial QS systems
evolved by eukaryotes, and the rational design of synthetic antagonists.
Figure Natural products, furanones, from the red alga Delisea pulchra inhibit the quorum sensing regulated production of violacein by Chromobacterium violaceum
“The proof of evolution lies in those adaptations that arise from improbable foundations”—Stephen Jay Gould |
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Keywords: | Quorum sensing N-acylated homoserine lactone Autoinducer 2 Virulence Quorum sensing antagonist Biomimic |
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