title: Can the natural diversity of quorum-sensing advance synthetic biology?
abstract: Quorum-sensing networks enable bacteria to sense and respond to chemical signals produced by neighboring bacteria. They are widespread: over 100 morphologically and genetically distinct species of eubacteria are known to use quorum sensing to control gene expression. This diversity suggests the potential to use natural protein variants to engineer parallel, input-specific, cell-cell communication pathways. However, only three distinct signaling pathways, Lux, Las, and Rhl, have been adapted for and broadly used in engineered systems. The paucity of unique quorum-sensing systems and their propensity for crosstalk limits the usefulness of our current quorum-sensing toolkit. This review discusses the need for more signaling pathways, roadblocks to using multiple pathways in parallel, and strategies for expanding the quorum-sensing toolbox for synthetic biology.
authors: Ira A. Fulton School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ , USA ; Biological Design Graduate Program, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ , USA.
authors: René Michele
authors: RM
authors: Davis
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ , USA ; School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ , USA.
authors: Ryan Yue
authors: RY
authors: Muller
authors: Ira A. Fulton School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ , USA.
authors: Karmella Ann
authors: KA
authors: Haynes
keywords: crosstalk; genetic wire; homoserine lactone; orthogonal; quorum sensing; synthetic gene circuit