Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, along with various other gram-negative bacterial species, utilizes the process of quorum sensing to sense the surrounding environment and respond accordingly, which ultimately promotes its survival and virulence in human hosts. The small, lipid-diffusible signaling molecules known as acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) play an integral role in regulating the quorum sensing system in P. aeruginosa. 3OC12-HSL is recognized by the AHL receptors LasR and QscR. The crystallographic structure of full-length QscR revealed a unique, symmetrical criss-crossed homodimer that is poised to bind DNA. Thus, QscR is the only full-length quorum sensing receptor bound to its endogenous signaling ligand (3OC12-HSL) that has been captured in the activated state. This chapter discusses the lessons learned from the structural studies of QscR, which have provided valuable insights into the varied mechanisms that QscR and other AHL receptors, including P. aeruginosa LasR, may use to respond to AHLs.
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