Quorum Quenching

Speech disorders in the world of microbes

Abstract

Bacteria are able to sense their conspecifics in the environment via different signalling molecules and to react collectively to increasing cell growth via certain signalling pathways. This process is called Quorum Sensing and is a kind of bacterial language. In pathogenic organisms, this usually leads to processes that are not desirable for the host, such as us humans. These processes include, for example, biofilm formation on implants or catheters as well as induction of virulence factors that enable the development of pneumonia and many other infectious diseases. Until now, treatment with antibiotics has been used to try to control these infections, but this often leads to antibiotic resistance in the bacteria. In nature, however, where there are signals, there are also ways to destroy them. This process is called Quorum Quenching (QQ) and is a suitable approach to reduce or even prevent the pathogenic behaviour of organisms without the use of antibiotics.