title: Environmental fate and effects of novel quorum sensing inhibitors that can control biofilm formation.
abstract: The formation of bacterial biofilms can have negative impacts on industrial processes and are typically difficult to control. The increase of antibiotic resistance, in combination with the requirement for more environmentally focused approaches, has placed pressure on industry and the scientific community to reassess biofilm control strategies. The discovery of bacterial quorum sensing, as an important mechanism in biofilm formation, has led to the development of new substances (such as halogenated thiophenones) to inhibit the quorum sensing process. However, there are currently limited data regarding the biodegradability or ecotoxicity of these substances. To assess the environmental fate and effects of thiophenones capable of quorum sensing inhibition, candidate substances were first identified that have potentially high biodegradability and low ecotoxicity using quantitative structure activity relationships. Subsequent confirmatory hazard assessment of these substances, using a marine alga and a marine crustacean, indicated that these estimates were significantly under predicted with acute toxicity values more than three orders of magnitude lower than anticipated combined with limited biodegradability. Therefore, although these quorum sensing inhibitors appear a promising approach to control biofilms, they may also have environmental impacts on certain aquatic organisms.
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: ali@niva.no.
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Lillicrap
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: ama@niva.no.
authors: Ailbhe
authors: A
authors: Macken
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: acw@niva.no.
authors: Aina Charlotte
authors: AC
authors: Wennberg
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: mgr@niva.no.
authors: Merete
authors: M
authors: Grung
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: tru@niva.no.
authors: Jan Thomas
authors: JT
authors: Rundberget
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: lfr@niva.no.
authors: Lene
authors: L
authors: Fredriksen
authors: Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: a.a.scheie@odont.uio.no.
authors: Anne Aamdal
authors: AA
authors: Scheie
authors: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: tore.benneche@kjemi.uio.no.
authors: Tore
authors: T
authors: Benneche
authors: Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: mad@niva.no.
authors: Marc Anglès
authors: MA
authors: d'Auriac
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D017377:Diatoms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D021281:Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D013876:Thiophenes
keywords: Biofilms; Fate and effects; Petroleum industry; Quorum sensing inhibitors; Thiophenones