The talking language in some major Gram-negative bacteria

• Published in: Archives of Microbiology Vol. 198; no. 6; pp. 489 - 499
• Main Authors: Banerjee, Goutam, Ray, Arun Kumar
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 4-Butyrolactone - analogs & derivatives; 4-Butyrolactone - metabolism; Acyl-Butyrolactones - metabolism; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Biochemistry; Biofilms; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cell Biology; Ecology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - metabolism; Humans; Life Sciences; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Mini-Review; Mode of action; Natural environment; Nutrient uptake; Physiology; Quorum Sensing - drug effects; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Toxins; Quorum quenching; Gram-negative bacteria; Bacterial cross talk; Quorum-sensing circuit
• ISSN: 0302-8933; 1432-072X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00203-016-1220-x

Cell–cell interaction or quorum sensing (QS) is a vital biochemical/physiological process in bacteria that is required for various physiological functions, including nutrient uptake, competence development, biofilm formation, sporulation, as well as for toxin secretion. In natural environment, bacteria live in close association with other bacteria and interaction among them is crucial for survival. The QS-regulated gene expression in bacteria is a cell density-dependent process and the initiation process depends on the threshold level of the signaling molecule, N -acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL). The present review summarizes the QS signal and its respective circuit in Gram-negative bacteria. Most of the human pathogens belong to Gram-negative group, and only a few of them cause disease through QS system. Thus, inhibition of pathogenic bacteria is important. Use of antibiotics creates a selective pressure (antibiotics act as natural selection factor to promote one group of bacteria over another group) for emerging multidrug-resistant bacteria and will not be suitable for long-term use. The alternative process of inhibition of QS in bacteria using different natural and synthetic molecules is called quorum quenching. However, in the long run, QS inhibitors or blockers may also develop resistance, but obviously it will solve some sort of problems. In this review, we also have stated the mode of action of quorum-quenching molecule. The understanding of QS network in pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria will help us to solve many health-related problems in future.