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Quorum Sensing as a Potential Antimicrobial Target
By
Navneet RaiResearch Scholar
School of Biosciences and Bioengineering
Indian Institute of Technology, BombayPowai, Mumbai 400 076
iGEM 2007 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition
National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India
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Organization
1: Introduction
2: Quorum sensing controlled processes
3: Quorum sensing molecules
4: Quorum sensing in bacterial pathogenesis
5: Inhibition of quorum sensing
5.1 : Strategies for quorum sensing inhibition
6: Conclusion and future perspectives
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Introduction
Quorum sensing is cell to cell signaling mechanism that enables the bacteria to collectively control gene expression.
This type of bacterial communication is achieved only at higher cell densities.
Bacteria release various types of molecules called as autoinducers in the extracellular medium, these molecules are mediators of quorum sensing.
When concentration of these signaling molecules exceed a particular threshold value, these molecules are internalized in the cell and activate particular set of genes in all bacterial population, such as genes responsible for virulence, competence, stationary phase etc .
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Cell density and quorum sensing
R gene I gene
R protein I protein
AHL diffuse out
R gene I gene
R protein I protein
AHL diffuse out
+
AHL diffuse in
Cell density
Time
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QS upregulates virulence gene expression
Quorum sensing controlled processes
Bioluminescence
Biofilm formation
Virulence gene expression
Sporulation
Competence
Virulence gene expression
It occurs in various marine bacteria such as Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio fischeri.Takes place at high cell density.
It iscompact mass of differentiated microbial cells, enclosed in a matrix of polysaccharides. Biofilm resident bacteria are antibiotic resistant. Quorum sensing is responsible for development of thick layered biofilm.
QS upregulates spore-forming genes in Bacillus subtilis
It is ability to take up exogenous DNAQS Increase competence in Bacillus subtilis
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Quorum sensing molecules
Three types of molecules :
1: Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)
2: Autoinducer peptides (AIPs)
3: Autoinducer-2 (AI-2)
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Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)
Mediate quorum sensing in Gram-negative bacteria.
Mediate exclusively intracellular communication.
These are of several types depending on their length of acyl side chain.
Able to diffuse through membrane.
These are synthesized by an autoinducer synthase LuxI and recognized by a
autoinducer receptor/DNA binding transcriptional activator protein LuxR.
AHL core molecule
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Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) cont….
AHL mediated quorum sensing cycle
AILuxI
+
promoter target genes
LuxR
RNA polymerase
Transcription
AI
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Autoinducer peptides
These are small peptides, regulate gene expression in Gram-positive
bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureuas etc.
Recognized by membrane bound histidine kinase as receptor.
Regulates competence and sporulating gene expressions.
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Autoinducer peptides cont…
AIPs signaling mechanism in Bacillus subtilisIn Bacillus subtilis QS is mediated by two AIPs :
1: ComX: involve in competence development
2: CSF (competence and sporulation factor): regulates spore
formation
Christopher et al.,2005Figure: ComX and CSF pathway in Bacillus subtilis
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Autoinducer-2 (AI-2)
Involve in interspecies communication among bacteria.
Present in both Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria.
Chemically these are furanosylborate diester.
S-ribosyl-homocysteine (SRH)
4,5-dihydroxyl-2,3 pentanedione (DPD)
Autoinducer-2 (AI-2)
LuxS
Cyclization
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Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) cont…
AI-2 controlled processes Induces mini cell formation
Induces expression of stationary phase genes
Inhibition of initiation of DNA replication
Figure: AI-2 signaling in E. coli
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Quorum sensing in bacterial pathogenesis
QS is involved in expression of virulence genes in various bacteria,
indicating the possible role of quorum sensing as a drug target.
Several QS system mutant bacteria show the heavily reduced pathogenicity.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa mutant in synthesis of autoinducer molecules
shows heavy reduction in pathogenesis.
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Quorum sensing in bacterial pathogenesis cont…
Quorum sensing in P. aeruginosa
3-O-C12-HSL (AI)
LasI
+
promoter target virulence genes
LasR
RNA polymerase
Transcription
RhlI
AI
AI
RNA polymerase
RhIR
C4-HSL(AI)
+
In P. aeruginosa QS molecules are synthesized by two autoinducer
synthase; LasI and RhlI
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Quorum sensing in P. aeruginosa cont..
In an in-vivo study, using two strains P. aeruginosa; PAO1 (virulent), and PAOR (lasI and rhII double mutant, avirulent), it was seen that rats infected with PAOR are much immunologically active and number of P. aeruginosa also reduced.
POA1
POAR
Wu et al., 2001
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Inhibition of quorum sensing
Inhibition of quorum sensing has been proved to be very potent method
for bacterial virulence inhibition.
Several QS inhibitors molecules has been discovered.
QS inhibitors have been synthesized and have been isolated from several
natural extracts such as garlic extract.
QS inhibitors have shown to be potent virulence inhibitor both in in-vitro
and in-vivo,using infection animal models.
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Antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic
Antibiotic
Antibiotic sensitive bacteria
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
Now a days most of bacteria are antibiotic resistant
Penicillin resistant bacteria developed in 1942, just after 2 years of its introduction
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Strategies for quorum sensing inhibition
3 strategies can be applied
Targeting AHL signal
dissemination
Targeting the signal
receptor
Targeting signal
generation
Signal precursor
Signal
Signal receptor
Signal precursor Signal precursor
Signal Signal
Signal receptor Signal receptor
X
X
X
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Targeting signal generation
Signal generation can be inhibited by using analogue of precursor of
signal molecule.
AHL signals are generated from precursors : acyl –ACP and SAM.
Analogues of acyl-ACP and SAM can be used to reduce synthesis of
quorum sensing signals.
Several analogues of SAM are S- adenosylhomocysteine, S-
adenosylcysteine, sinefungin and butyryl-SAM.
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Effect of substrate analogues on RhlI activity in P. aeruginosa
Inhibitors Inhibition,%
In P. aeruginosa RhlI acts as autoinducer synthase
Parsek et al., 1999
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Targeting AHL signal dissemination
QS molecules can be degraded by:
Increasing pH (>7): as at higher pH AHL molecules undergo lactonolysis
in which its biological activity is lost.
At higher temperature AHL undergoes lactonolysis.
Some plants infected by pathogenic bacteria E. carotovora, increase the
pH at the site of infection, resulting in lactonolysis of AHL molecules.
Some bacteria produces lactonolysing enzymes, such as AiiA.
Eg: Bacillus cereus, B. thuriengiensis.
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AiiA as antipathogenic agent
Potato Tobacco Tobacco lines
expressing AiiA
Corresponding Wild-
type Tobacco sps.
Potato lines
expressing AiiA
Corresponding Wild-
type Tobacco sps.
Transgenic plants have lesser maceration areas than corresponding
wild types.
(Dong et al., 2001)
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Targeting the signal receptor
Targeting QS signal receptor by the QS antagonists is highly
investigated and promising strategy.
Several AHL analogues have been synthesized which binds with
receptor/DNA transactivator, LuxR, but this complex is not activated,
which can not activate virulence genes expression.
Some analogues have been synthesized by substitutions in HSL ring or
in acyl side chain and in some analogues HSL ring has been replaced by
alternative rings.
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Rasmussen et al. (2005), screened several QSIs among natural and synthetic compound libraries.
The two most active were garlic extract and 4-nitro-pyridine-N-oxide (4-NPO).
Microarrays analysis revealed that garlic extract and 4-NPO reduced QS-controlled virulence genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
These two QSIs also significantly reduced P. aeruginosa biofilm tolerance to tobramycin treatment as well as virulence in a Caenorhabditis elegans pathogenesis model.
Targeting the signal receptor cont….
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Conclusions and future perspectives
Q S inhibitors have provided evidence of alternative method for fighting
bacterial infections.
QS inhibitors can be isolated from the huge natural pool of chemicals.
Most compounds are unsuitable for human use.
We are lacking in selection of human compatible QS inhibitors.
Further research in this area and isolation of proper QS inhibitors, may
replace the antibiotics.