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The Mechanisms and Applications of Quorum Sensing (QS) and Quorum Quenching (QQ)

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Abstract

Quorum sensing (QS) is a regulatory system that regulates the behavior of microbial populations by sensing the concentration of signal molecules that are spontaneously produced and released by bacteria. The strategy of blocking the QS system and inhibiting the production of virulence factors is termed as quorum quenching (QQ). This strategy attenuates virulence without killing the pathogens, thereby weakening the selective pressure on pathogens and postponing the evolution of QQ-mediated drug resistance. In recent years, there have been significant theoretical and practical developments in the field of QS and QQ. In particular, with the development and utilization of marine resources, more and more marine microbial species have been found to be regulated by these two mechanisms, further promoting the research progress of QS and QQ. In this review, we described the diversity of QS signals and QS-related regulatory systems, and then introduced mechanisms related to QS interference, with particular emphasis on the description of natural QQ enzymes and chemicals acting as QS inhibitors. Finally, the exploitation of quorum sensing quenchers and the practical application of QQ were introduced, while some QQ strategies were proposed as promising tools in different fields such as medicine, aquaculture, agriculture and biological pollution prevention areas.

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Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Dr. Yunxuan Xie in Tianjin University for his suggestions and language modification. This work was supported by the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) (No. YESS20160009), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31870023, 31571970 and 41506160).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Jingjing Zhang, Tao Feng, Jiayi Wang, Yan Wang & Xiao-Hua Zhang

  2. Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Yan Wang & Xiao-Hua Zhang

  3. Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China

    Yan Wang & Xiao-Hua Zhang

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  1. Jingjing Zhang
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  2. Tao Feng
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  3. Jiayi Wang
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  4. Yan Wang
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Correspondence to Yan Wang.

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Zhang, J., Feng, T., Wang, J. et al. The Mechanisms and Applications of Quorum Sensing (QS) and Quorum Quenching (QQ). J. Ocean Univ. China 18, 1427–1442 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-019-4073-5

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