Bacterial quorum sensing signaling pathways (QS)

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) signaling pathways are sophisticated communication systems used by bacteria to coordinate collective behaviors based on population density. This process relies on the production and detection of extracellular signaling molecules called autoinducers, such as acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) in Gram-negative bacteria and oligopeptides in Gram-positive bacteria (Miller & Bassler, 2001, Annual Review of Microbiology). When these molecules reach a critical threshold concentration, they bind to cognate receptors, typically transcription factors, triggering the synchronized expression of genes involved in virulence, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance (Rutherford & Bassler, 2012, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine). In human disease, QS is central to the pathogenesis of chronic infections, particularly those involving Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis and Staphylococcus aureus in skin infections (Whiteley et al., 2017, Nature). Therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways, often termed quorum quenching, aim to attenuate bacterial virulence without exerting the strong selective pressure for resistance associated with traditional bactericidal antibiotics (Grandclément et al., 2016, FEMS Microbiology Reviews). Drugs like azithromycin have been shown to possess secondary QS-inhibitory effects, and various synthetic inhibitors and enzymes are currently under investigation to disrupt these signaling networks (Imperi et al., 2014, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy).

Other names

Quorum sensingBacterial cell-to-cell communicationAutoinductionQuorum sensing system

Inhibition of autoinducer synthesis, enzymatic degradation of signaling molecules (quorum quenching), or competitive antagonism of signal receptors to prevent the activation of downstream virulence genes.