Bacterial quorum sensing system (QS)

Bacterial quorum sensing is a sophisticated cell-to-cell communication mechanism that enables bacteria to monitor their population density and coordinate collective behaviors through the secretion and detection of signaling molecules called autoinducers (Miller & Bassler, 2001). This system regulates a wide array of physiological processes, most notably the formation of biofilms and the production of virulence factors, which are critical for the establishment and persistence of infections (Rutherford & Bassler, 2012). In pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, quorum sensing allows the bacterial community to overwhelm host defenses and resist conventional antibiotic treatments. Therapeutic intervention, often termed quorum quenching, focuses on disrupting these signaling pathways using small molecule inhibitors or enzymes to attenuate bacterial pathogenicity without exerting the strong selective pressure for resistance associated with traditional bactericidal agents (Defoirdt, 2018). Consequently, targeting quorum sensing represents a promising anti-virulence strategy for managing chronic and multi-drug resistant infections.

Other names

Bacterial communicationAutoinductionQuorum sensing pathwayCell-to-cell signaling

Inhibition of autoinducer synthases (e.g., LuxI homologs), enzymatic degradation of autoinducers (quorum quenching), and competitive antagonism of autoinducer receptors (e.g., LuxR homologs).