"In-Group" Communication in Marine Vibrio: A Review of N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones-Driven Quorum Sensing.

Jianfei Liu,Lijun Zhou,Kaifei Fu,Fei Li,Kewei Qin,Chenglin Wu

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2018.00139

Abstract

N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones (N-AHLs) are an important group of small quorum-sensing molecules generated and released into the surroundings by Gram-negative bacteria. N-AHLs play a crucial role in various infection-related biological processes of marine Vibrio species, including survival, colonization, invasion, and pathogenesis. With the increasing problem of antibiotic abuse and subsequently the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, studies on AHLs are therefore expected to bring potential new breakthroughs for the prevention and treatment of Vibrio infections. This article starts from AHLs generation in marine Vibrio, and then discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and trends in the future development of various detection methods for AHLs characterization. In addition to a detailed classification of the various marine Vibrio-derived AHL types that have been reported over the years, the regulatory mechanisms of AHLs and their roles in marine Vibrio biofilms, pathogenicity and interaction with host cells are also highlighted. Intervention measures for AHLs in different stages are systematically reviewed, and the prospects of their future development and application are examined.

Highlights

N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones (N-AHLs) are an important group of small quorum-sensing molecules generated and released into the surroundings by Gram-negative bacteria
Quorum Sensing (QS) is a phenomenon that allows bacterial communities to sense small autosecreting molecules in the environment, allowing monitoring of population density and regulating expressions of related genes (Bassler, 1999). These small molecules involved in bacterial QS, known as AutoInducers (AIs) (Nealson, 1977), are classified into three types based on their synthesis pathways, namely AutoInducer-1 (AI-1), AutoInducer-2 (AI-2), and AutoInducing Peptides (AIPs) (Williams, 2007)
AHLs are important QS signaling molecules produced by many bacteria genera, especially as the foremost type of QS molecules in a variety of Gram negative bacteria, such as P. aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii (Smith et al, 2002; Chan et al, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones (N-AHLs) are an important group of small quorum-sensing molecules generated and released into the surroundings by Gram-negative bacteria. They produce N-Acyl Homoserine Lactones (N-AHLs, AI-1) to mediate QS, to regulate various functions such as biofilm formation, toxin expression, and to escape from host immune response.

Results

Conclusion