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New insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the LuxR family of quorum sensing regulators

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Abstract

Bacteria use small signal molecules, referred to as autoinducers, in order to monitor their population density and coordinate gene expression in a process named quorum sensing. In Gram-negative bacteria, acylated homoserine lactones are the most common autoinducer used for cell-to-cell communication. Increasing evidence that many different functions are controlled by acylated homoserine lactone quorum sensing has stimulated intensive investigations into the physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry that underlie this process. Here we review our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms used by the transcriptional regulators responsive to acylated homoserine lactone autoinducers to control gene expression and the structural modifications induced by acylated homoserine lactones binding specifically on these regulators.

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Acknowledgments

We thank A. Buchet, G. Condemine and V. James for critically reading the manuscript and S. Castang and P. Gouet for assistance with graphics. We are grateful to A. Doutheau and L. Soulère for many discussions.

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  1. Unité de Microbiologie et Génétique, UMR CNRS-INSA-Université Lyon 1 5122, Domaine Scientifique de la Doua, 10 rue R. Dubois, bât A. Lwoff, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    William Nasser & Sylvie Reverchon

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  1. William Nasser
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Correspondence to William Nasser.

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Nasser, W., Reverchon, S. New insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the LuxR family of quorum sensing regulators. Anal Bioanal Chem 387, 381–390 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-0702-0

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