Skip to main content

Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Quorum-Sensing Signals in Food Spoilage

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Implication of Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Formation in Medicine, Agriculture and Food Industry

Abstract

Food spoilage is a complex process occurs due to microbial activities. Microorganisms synthesize several proteolytic, pectinolytic, lipolytic and saccharolytic enzymes whose activity is associated with deterioration of foods. The synthesis of these enzymes is controlled by quorum sensing (QS) signifying a possible role of cell-to-cell communication in spoilage of foods. A diverse variety of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial species coordinate communal behaviour based on population density. Microbes communicate among them by producing the signalling molecules, Quorum-sensing molecules (QSM). This review focuses on QS molecules and techniques for their detection and quantification.

All authors contributed equally

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahmed N, Singh J, Kour H, Gupta P (2013) Naturally occurring preservatives in food and their role in food preservation. Int J Pharm Biol Arch 4(1):22–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Ammor MS, Michaelidis C, Nychas G-JE (2008) Insights into the role of quorum sensing in food spoilage. J Food Prot 71(7):1510–1525. http://jfoodprotection.org/doi/abs/10.4315/0362-028X-71.7.1510

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anbazhagan D, Mansor M, Yan GO, Md Yusof MY, Hassan H, Sekaran SD (2012) Detection of QS signal molecules and identification of an AI synthase gene among biofilm forming clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. PLoS One 7(7):e36696

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bai AJ, Ravishankar Rai V (2011) Bacterial quorum sensing and food industry. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 10(3):183–193

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barnby-Smith FM (1992) Bacteriocins: applications in food preservation. Trends Food Sci Technol 3:133–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barrett DM, Lloyd B (2012) Advanced preservation methods and nutrient retention in fruits and vegetables. J Sci Food Agric 92(1):7–22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bassler BL, Wright M, Silverman MR (1994) Multiple signalling systems controlling expression of luminescence in Vibrio Harveyi: sequence and function of genes encoding a second sensory pathway. Mol Microbiol 13(2):273–286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bassolé IHN, Juliani HR (2012) Essential oils in combination and their antimicrobial properties. Molecules 17(4):3989–4006

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bezkorovainy A (1989) Biochemistry and physiology of bifidobacteria. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruhn JB et al (2004) Presence of Acylated Homoserine lactones (AHLs) and AHL-producing bacteria in meat and potential role of AHL in spoilage of meat. Appl Environ Microbiol 70(7):4293–4302

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess NA et al (2002) LuxS-dependent quorum sensing in Porphyromonas Gingivalis modulates protease and Haemagglutinin activities but is not essential for virulence. Microbiology 148(3):763–772

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burmølle M, Hansen LH, Oregaard G, Sørensen SJ (2003) Presence of N-acyl homoserine lactones in soil detected by a whole-cell biosensor and flow cytometry. Microb Ecol 45(3):226–236

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Camilli A, Bassler BL (2006) Bacterial small-molecule signaling pathways. Science 311(5764):1113–1116

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cataldi TRI, Bianco G, Palazzo L, Quaranta V (2007) Occurrence of N-acyl-l-homoserine lactones in extracts of some gram-negative bacteria evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem 361(2):226–235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chung YC, Yeh JY, Tsai CF (2011) Antibacterial characteristics and activity of water-soluble chitosan derivatives prepared by the Maillard reaction. Molecules 16(10):8504–8514

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke MB, Sperandio V (2005) Transcriptional autoregulation by quorum sensing Escherichia Coli regulators B and C (QseBC) in Enterohaemorrhagic E. Coli (EHEC). Mol Microbiol 58(2):441–455

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Vugst L, Vandamme EJ (1994) Bacteriocins of lactic acid Bacteria: microbiology. Genetics and Applications Blackie Academics and Professional, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Deng Y, Zhao Y, Padilla-Zakour O, Yang G (2015) Polyphenols, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of leaf and bark extracts of Solidago canadensis L. Ind Crop Prod 74:803–809

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Devi MP, Bhowmick N, Bhanusree MR, Ghosh SK (2015) Preparation of value-added products through preservation. In Value addition of horticultural crops: recent trends and future directions. Springer, New Delhi, pp 13–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhall RK (2013) Advances in edible coatings for fresh fruits and vegetables: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 53(5):435–450

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dong YH, Zhang XF, Soo HML, Greenberg EP, Zhang LH (2005) The two-component response regulator PprB modulates quorum-sensing signal production and global gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Microbiol 56(5):1287–1301

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunny GM, Leonard BAB (1997) Cell-cell communication in gram-positive bacteria. Microbiology 51:–527, 564

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher MP, Diggle SP, Cámara M, Williams P (2007) Biosensor-based assays for PQS, HHQ and related 2-alkyl-4-quinolone quorum sensing signal molecules. Nat Protoc 2(5):1254

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fong K, Chung W, Lamont R (2001) Intra-and interspecies regulation of gene expression by actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans LuxS. Infect Immun 69(12):7625–7634. http://iai.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/69/12/7625

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gambuteanu C, Borda D, Alexe P (2013) The effect of freezing and thawing on technological properties of meat: review. J Agroaliment Process Technol 19(1):88–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Globisch D, Lowery CA, McCague KC, Janda KD (2012) Uncharacterized 4,5-Dihydroxy-2,3-Pentanedione (DPD) molecules revealed through NMR spectroscopy: implications for a greater signaling diversity in bacterial species. Angew Chemie Int Ed 51(17):4204–4208

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gopu V, Meena CK, Shetty PH (2015) Quercetin influences quorum sensing in food borne bacteria: in-vitro and in-silico evidence. PLoS One 10(8):1–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hakovirta J, Reunanen J, Saris PEJ (2006) Bioassay for nisin in milk, processed cheese, salad dressings, canned tomatoes, and liquid egg products. Appl Environ Microbiol 72(2):1001–1005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Henke JM, Bassler BL (2004) Three parallel quorum-sensing systems regulate gene expression in Vibrio harveyi. J Bacteriol 186(20):6902–6914

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Henning S, Metz R, Hammes WP (1986) Studies on the mode of action of nisin. Int J Food Microbiol 3(3):121–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hintz T, Matthews KK, Di R (2015) Review: the use of plant antimicrobial compounds for food preservation. Hindawi (BioMed Res Int) 2015:1–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoang HH, Becker A, González JE, Gonza JE (2004) The LuxR homolog ExpR, in combination with the sin quorum sensing system, plays a central role in Sinorhizobium Meliloti gene expression. J Bacteriol 186(16):5460–5472

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holden MT, Sr C, de Nys R, Stead P, Bainton NJ, Hill PJ, Manefield M, Kumar N, Labbate M, England D, Rice S, Givskov M, Salmond GPC, Stewart GSAB, Bycroft BW, Kjellberg S, Williams P (1999) Quorum-sensing cross talk: isolation and chemical characterization of cyclic dipeptides from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other gram-negative bacteria. Mol Microbiol 33:1254–1256

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Immonen N, Karp M (2007) Bioluminescence-based bioassays for rapid detection of nisin in food. Biosens Bioelectron 22(9–10):1982–1987

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Inetianbor JE, Yakubu JM, Ezeonu SC (2015) Effects of food additives and preservatives on man–a review. Asian J Sci Technol 6(2):1118–1135

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • James IF (2003) AD03E preservation of fruit and vegetables. Agromisa Foundation

    Google Scholar 

  • Juneja VK, Dwivedi HP, Yan X (2012) Novel natural food antimicrobials. Annu Rev Food Sci Technol 3(1):381–403. http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-food-022811-101241

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kareb O, Aïder M (2019) Quorum sensing circuits in the communicating mechanisms of Bacteria and its implication in the biosynthesis of Bacteriocins by lactic acid Bacteria: a review. In: Probiotics Antimicrobial Proteins, pp 1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Lingeng L, Hume ME, Pillai SD (2004) Autoinducer-2–like activity associated with foods and its interaction with food additives. J Food Prot 67(7):1457–1462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Llamas I, Quesada E, Martínez-Cánovas MJ, Gronquist M, Eberhard A, Gonzalez JE (2005) Quorum sensing in halophilic bacteria: detection of N-acyl-homoserine lactones in the exopolysaccharideproducing species of Halomonas. Extremophiles 9(4):333–341

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lu L, Hume ME, Pillai SD (2004) Autoinducer-2–like activity associated with foods and its interaction with food additives. J Food Prot 67(7):1457–1462

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Massai F, Imperi F, Quattrucci S, Zennaro E, Visca P, Leoni L (2011) A multitask biosensor for micro-volumetric detection of N-3-oxo-dodecanoylhomoserine lactone QS signal. Biosens Bioelectron 26(8):3444–3449

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meijler MM, Hom LG, Kaufmann GF, McKenzie KM, Sun C, Moss JA et al (2004) Synthesis and biological validation of a ubiquitous quorum-sensing molecule. Angew Chem Int Ed 43(16):2106–2108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McClean KH, Winson MK, Fish L, Taylor A, Chhabra SR, Camara M, Daykin M, Lamb JH, Swift S, Bycroft BW, Stewart GS, Williams P (1997) QS and Chromobacterium violaceum: exploitation of violacein production and inhibition for the detection of N-acylhomoserine lactones. Microbiology 143(Pt 12):3703–3711

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nassar A, Farrag SA (1995) Nisin as inactivator to Listeria Monocytogenes in broth and in ground beed. Assiut Vet Med J 32:198–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazir F et al (2018) Natural antimicrobials for food preservation. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry JPP 6(66):2078–2082. http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2017/vol6issue6/PartAC/6-6-335-952.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazzaro F, Fratianni F, Coppola R (2013) Quorum sensing and phytochemicals. Int J Mol Sci 14(6):12607–12619

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey AK, Kumar S (2013) Perspective on plant products as antimicrobials agents: a review. Pharmacologia 4(7):469–480. http://pharmacologia.com/abstract.php?doi=pharmacologia.2013.469.480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parveen N, Cornell KA (2011) Methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase, a critical enzyme for bacterial metabolism. Mol Microbiol 79(1):7–20

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearson JP, Gray KM, Passador L, Tucker KD, Eberhard A, Iglewski BH, Greenberg EP (1994) Structure of the AI required for expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 91(1):197–201

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira CS, Thompson JA, Xavier KB (2013) AI-2-mediated signalling in bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 37(2):156–181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto UM, de Souza Viana E, Martins ML, Vanetti MCD (2007) Detection of acylated homoserine lactones in gram-negative proteolytic psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from cooled raw milk. Food Control 18(10):1322–1327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman MS (2007) Food preservation: overview. In: Handbook of food preservation. CRC Press, pp 21–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Rai N, Anand R, Ramkumar K, Sreenivasan V, Dabholkar S, Venkatesh KV, Thattai M (2012) Prediction by promoter logic in bacterial QS. PLoS Comput Biol 8(1):e1002361

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rajamani S, Zhu J, Pei D, Sayre R (2007) A LuxP-FRETbased reporter for the detection and quantification of AI-2 bacterial quorum-sensing signal compounds. Biochemistry 46:3990–3997

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rambaugh KP (2011) Qorum sensing: methods and protocols. Springer, New York/Dordrecht/Heidelberg/London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rasch M et al (2005) Involvement of bacterial quorum-sensing signals in spoilage of bean sprouts. Appl Environ Microbiol 71(6):3321–3330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ravn L et al (2001) Methods for detecting acylated homoserine lactones produced by gram-negative Bacteria and their application in studies of AHL-production kinetics. J Microbiol Methods 44(3):239–251

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosa SR (2006) Postharvest management of fruit and vegetables in the Asia-Pacific, 1st edn. Tokyo, Asian Productivity Organization

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford ST, Bassler BL (2012) Bacterial QS: its role in virulence and possibilities for its control. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2(11)

    Google Scholar 

  • Savka MA, Le PT, Burr TJ (2011) LasR receptor for detection of long-chain quorum-sensing signals: identification of N-acyl-homoserine lactones encoded by the avsI locus of agrobacterium vitis. Curr Microbiol 62(1):101–110

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Senna MMH, Al-Shamrani KM, Al-Arifi AS (2014) Edible coating for shelf-life extension of fresh banana fruit based on gamma irradiated plasticized poly(vinyl alcohol)/carboxymethyl cellulose/tannin composites. Mater Sci Appl 05(06):395–415. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperDownload.aspx?DOI=10.4236/msa.2014.56045

    Google Scholar 

  • Seon Mi Y et al (2015) Effects of various freezing and thawing techniques on pork quality in ready-to-eat meals. Afr J Food Sci 9(11):525–533. http://academicjournals.org/journal/AJFS/article-abstract/0DE7A8D55979

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharif ZIM et al (2017) Review on methods for preservation and natural preservatives for extending the food longevity. Chem Eng Res Bull 19(September):145. https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/CERB/article/view/33809

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw PD et al (1997) Detecting and characterizing N-acyl-homoserine lactone signal molecules by thin-layer chromatography. Proc Natl Acad Sci 94(12):6036–6041. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.94.12.6036

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Skandamis PN, Nychas GJE (2012) Quorum sensing in the context of food microbiology. Appl Environ Microbiol 78(16):5473–5482

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sperandio V, Mellies JL, Nguyen W, Shin S, Kaper JB (1999) Quorum sensing controls expression of the type III secretion gene transcription and protein secretion in enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci 96(26):15196–15201

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Steindler L, Venturi V (2007) Detection of quorumsensing N-acyl homoserine lactone signal molecules by bacterial biosensors. FEMS Microbiol Lett 266(1):1–9

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sun J, Daniel R, Wagner-Döbler I, Zeng AP (2004) Is autoinducer-2 a universal signal for interspecies communication: a comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis of the synthesis and signal transduction pathways. BMC Evol Biol 4:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tello E, Castellanos L, Duque C (2013) Synthesis of cembranoid analogues and evaluation of their potential as QS inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 21(1):242–256

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thiel V et al (2009) Identification, quantification, and determination of the absolute configuration of the bacterial quorum-sensing signal autoinducer-2 by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Chembiochem 10(3):479–485

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tikhonov VE et al (2006) Bactericidal and antifungal activities of a low molecular weight chitosan and its N−/2(3)-(Dodec-2-Enyl)Succinoyl/−derivatives. Carbohydr Polym 64(1):66–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Turovskiy Y, Kashtanov D, Paskhover B, Chikindas ML (2007) QS: fact, fiction, and everything in between. Adv Appl Microbiol 62:191–234

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Vendeville A et al (2005) Making ‘sense’ of metabolism: autoinducer-2, LuxS and pathogenic bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 3(5):383–396

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wahlström G, Saris PEJ (1999) A nisin bioassay based on bioluminescence. Appl Environ Microbiol 65(8):3742–3745

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Walters M, Sircili MP, Sperandio V (2006) AI-3 synthesis is not dependent on luxS in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 188(16):5668–5681

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead NA, Barnard AM, Slater H, Simpson NJ, Salmond GP (2001) Quorum-sensing in gram-negative bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 25:365–404

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winson MK, Swift S, Fish L, Throup JP, Jorgensen F, Chhabra SR, Bycroft BW, Williams P, Stewart GS (1998) Construction and analysis of luxCDABE-based plasmid sensors for investigating N-acyl homoserine lactone–mediated QS. FEMS Microbiol Lett 163:185–192

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Dr. Bramhachari and colleagues are grateful to Krishna University, Machilipatnam, for the extended support.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pallaval Veera Bramhachari .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Prathyusha, A.M.V.N., Annavarapu, H., Bramhachari, P.V. (2019). Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Quorum-Sensing Signals in Food Spoilage. In: Bramhachari, P. (eds) Implication of Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Formation in Medicine, Agriculture and Food Industry . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9409-7_16

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics