Quorum Sensing Signaling in Bacteria - from Mechanism to Future Prospects: A Terse Literature Review

Asian Journal of Biological and Life Sciences,2021,10,1,5-14.
Published:May 2021
Type:Review Article
Authors:
Author(s) affiliations:

Chika Crescence Ogueke1,*, Ijeoma Maureen Agunwah1, Chigozie Emmanuel Ofoedu1,2, Charles Odilichukwu R Okpala3, Małgorzata Korzeniowska3

1Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, NIGERIA.

2School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, CHINA.

3Department of Functional Food Products Development, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, POLAND.

Abstract:

Quorum sensing is when a sufficient population of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, situated in a given environment can trigger a system of cell-cell communication in these micro-organisms. Researchers, increasingly, have shown that bacteria are unable to thrive independently as solitary cells, but as colonial organisms, communicating intercellularly, and enhancing their capacity to adapt to changing environmental conditions. To a great extent, researchers today have come to terms with the intricacies surrounding bacterial conversations, and responses/signals. Herein, the quorum sensing and its signaling in bacteria, from briefs about the mechanism, its discovery, and involved molecules, to its applications/uses has been tersely reviewed. Understanding bacteria quorum sensing mechanisms/processes can be very challenging. Several strategies employed to disrupt quorum sensing in bacteria have involved receptor inactivation, signaled synthesis inhibition including its degradation, blocking of quorum sensing using antibodies, as well as the combination of antibiotics and anti-quorum sensing agents. The future use of quorum sensing is hopeful, given the emerging applications like its use in biofouling reduction, biofuel production, biodegradation as well as winemaking.