title: Bacteria clustering by polymers induces the expression of quorum-sensing-controlled phenotypes.
abstract: Bacteria deploy a range of chemistries to regulate their behaviour and respond to their environment. Quorum sensing is one method by which bacteria use chemical reactions to modulate pre-infection behaviour such as surface attachment. Polymers that can interfere with bacterial adhesion or the chemical reactions used for quorum sensing are therefore a potential means to control bacterial population responses. Here, we report how polymeric 'bacteria sequestrants', designed to bind to bacteria through electrostatic interactions and therefore inhibit bacterial adhesion to surfaces, induce the expression of quorum-sensing-controlled phenotypes as a consequence of cell clustering. A combination of polymer and analytical chemistry, biological assays and computational modelling has been used to characterize the feedback between bacteria clustering and quorum sensing signalling. We have also derived design principles and chemical strategies for controlling bacterial behaviour at the population level.
authors.affiliation: School of Computer Science, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Leong T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winzer
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Howdle
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Trillo
authors.forename: Natalio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krasnogor
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049449:Luminescence; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014733:Vibrio / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers