Quorum sensing and microbial drug resistance.
Microbial drug resistance has become a serious problem of global concern, and the evolution and regulatory mechanisms of microbial drug resistance has become a hotspot of research in recent years. Recent studies showed that certain microbial resistance mechanisms are regulated by quorum sensing system. Quorum sensing is a ubiquitous cell-cell communication system in the microbial world, which associates with cell density. High-density microbial cells produce sufficient amount of small signal molecules, activating a range of downstream cellular processes including virulence and drug resistance mechanisms, which increases bacterial drug tolerance and causes infections on host organisms. In this review, the general mechanisms of microbial drug resistance and quorum-sensing systems are summarized with a focus on the association of quorum sensing and chemical signaling systems with microbial drug resistance mechanisms, including biofilm formation and drug efflux pump. The potential use of quorum quenching as a new strategy to control microbial resistance is also discussed.
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Yu-fan
YF
Chen
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Shi-yin
SY
Liu
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Zhi-bin
ZB
Liang
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Ming-fa
MF
Lv
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Jia-nuan
JN
Zhou
1. Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; 2. Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Lian-hui
LH
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins