Quorum Sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa — An Overlooked Treatment Target?

In mediating the development of antibiotic resistance, bacterial cell communication through quorum sensing may represent a target for adjunctive therapy.

Quorum sensing (QS) refers to the ability of bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa to regulate their gene expression based on cellular density. One such cell–cell signaling system — the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) system — responds directly to quinolone selection pressure.

Xia et al. used QS receptor gene knockout bacteria to show that the PQS system is a key component in the development of quinolone resistance under sublethal ciprofloxacin selection pressure. Phenazine biosynthesis was upregulated with the emergence of quinolone resistance (including pyocyanin, a phenazine pigment virulence factor produced by P. aeruginosa). A pyocyanin-deficient strain exhibited attenuated quinolone resistance under selection pressure t…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases