Can Bacteria Evolve Resistance to Quorum Sensing Disruption?

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000989
• Publication Date: 2010-07-08T20:49:24Z
• Authors: Tom Defoirdt; Nico Boon; Peter Bossier
• Keywords: Pathogenic bacteria; Autoinducer

Traditional treatment of bacterial infections relies heavily on the use antibacterial compounds that either kill bacteria (bactericidal) or inhibit their growth (bacteriostatic). Typically, targets for main conventional antibiotics are essential cellular processes such as cell wall biosynthesis, protein synthesis, and DNA replication repair. However, resistance to these drugs arises spreads very rapidly, even an extent have been identified simultaneously resistant all available [1]. The increasing occurrence gradually renders ineffective in treating has enormous human economic consequences worldwide. As a result, identification novel drug development therapeutics constitute important area current scientific research. An alternative killing inhibiting pathogenic is specific attenuation virulence, which can be attained by targeting key regulatory systems mediate expression virulence factors. One target quorum sensing (QS), cell-to-cell communication. QS mechanism gene regulation coordinate certain genes response presence absence small signal molecules (Figure 1).

Figure 1

General scheme system.

Quorum Sensing: Bacterial Cell-to-Cell Communication QS was first discovered marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri thought restricted only limited series species. Later on, similar were found present many other Gram-negative bacteria. These acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) (for review see [2]). AHLs typically produced homolog V. LuxI detected LuxR. In addition AHL-mediated bacteria, some Gram-positive also regulate variety QS. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, instance, extensively studied [3]). A different kind system vibrios. multichannel types produced. at surface membrane-bound, two-component receptor proteins feed common phosphorylation/dephosphorylation transduction cascade vibrios, [4]). signals vibrios so-called autoinducer 2 (AI-2), furanosyl borate diester [5]. AI-2 activity species (Gram-negative well Gram-positive), although its function not generally accepted detailed discussion [6]). language seems more diversified new systems, using molecules, still being [7].