Interception of quorum sensing in Staphylococcus aureus: a new niche for peptidomimetics.

Pathogenesis in Staphylococcus aureus is dependent on local cell density and is regulated in part by small macrocyclic peptides. Natural and artificial peptide inhibitors of this quorum sensing response have been synthesized and evaluated in structure-activity relationship studies. These investigations have illuminated the quorum sensing mechanism and set the stage for the design of biostable, peptidomimetic inhibitors that could be developed ultimately as therapeutics.