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Mathematical Modelling of Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Review

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Abstract

Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) refers to the process of cell-to-cell bacterial communication enabled through the production and sensing of the local concentration of small molecules called autoinducers to regulate the production of gene products (e.g. enzymes or virulence factors). Through autoinducers, bacteria interact with individuals of the same species, other bacterial species, and with their host. Among QS-regulated processes mediated through autoinducers are aggregation, biofilm formation, bioluminescence, and sporulation. Autoinducers are therefore “master” regulators of bacterial lifestyles. For over 10 years, mathematical modelling of QS has sought, in parallel to experimental discoveries, to elucidate the mechanisms regulating this process. In this review, we present the progress in mathematical modelling of QS, highlighting the various theoretical approaches that have been used and discussing some of the insights that have emerged. Modelling of QS has benefited almost from the onset of the involvement of experimentalists, with many of the papers which we review, published in non-mathematical journals. This review therefore attempts to give a broad overview of the topic to the mathematical biology community, as well as the current modelling efforts and future challenges.

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Notes

  1. A mathematical framework was used before to address QS in the context of evolution, see Sect. 2.4.

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Acknowledgments

RGC was supported by a grant from SEP/CONACyT-Mexico No. 152794. JPV wants to thank Stephen Starck (TUM) for his patience and help revising the document.

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  1. Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany

    Judith Pérez-Velázquez & Meltem Gölgeli

  2. Centre for Mathematical Science, Technical University Munich, M12 Boltzmannstr. 3, 85747, Garching, Germany

    Judith Pérez-Velázquez

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, SB2, 06800, Ankara, Turkey

    Meltem Gölgeli

  4. Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, CP. 04510, Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico

    Rodolfo García-Contreras

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Pérez-Velázquez, J., Gölgeli, M. & García-Contreras, R. Mathematical Modelling of Bacterial Quorum Sensing: A Review. Bull Math Biol 78, 1585–1639 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-016-0160-6

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