Vendeville Agnès, Winzer Klaus, Heurlier Karin, Tang Christoph M, Hardie Kim R
Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Flowers Building, Armstrong Road, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Nat Rev Microbiol. 2005 May;3(5):383-96. doi: 10.1038/nrmicro1146.
Bacteria exploit many mechanisms to communicate with each other and their surroundings. Mechanisms using small diffusible signals to coordinate behaviour with cell density (quorum sensing) frequently contribute to pathogenicity. However, pathogens must also be able to acquire nutrients and replicate to successfully invade their host. One quorum-sensing system, based on the possession of LuxS, bears the unique feature of contributing directly to metabolism, and therefore has the potential to influence both gene regulation and bacterial fitness. Here, we discuss the influence that LuxS and its product, autoinducer-2, have on virulence, relating the current evidence to the preferred niche of the pathogen and the underlying mechanisms involved.
细菌利用多种机制与彼此及周围环境进行交流。利用可扩散的小信号来根据细胞密度协调行为的机制（群体感应）常常与致病性有关。然而，病原体还必须能够获取营养并进行复制，才能成功入侵宿主。一种基于LuxS的群体感应系统具有直接促进新陈代谢的独特特征，因此有可能影响基因调控和细菌适应性。在此，我们讨论LuxS及其产物自诱导物-2对毒力的影响，将现有证据与病原体的偏好生态位及相关潜在机制联系起来。
