TY - JOUR

T1 - Role of quorum sensing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in microbial keratitis and cystic fibrosis

AU - Willcox, M D P

AU - Zhu, H

AU - Conibear, T C R

AU - Hume, E B H

AU - Givskov, M

AU - Kjelleberg, S

AU - Rice, S A

N1 - Keywords: 4-Butyrolactone; Cystic Fibrosis; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Humans; Keratitis; Pseudomonas Infections; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Quorum Sensing; Virulence; Virulence Factors

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium that causes opportunistic infections in a range of host tissues and organs. Infections by P. aeruginosa are difficult to treat and hence there is interest in the development of effective therapeutics. One of the key mechanisms that P. aeruginosa uses to control the expression of many virulence factors is the N-acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) regulatory system. Hence, there is considerable interest in targeting this regulatory pathway to develop novel therapeutics for infection control. P. aeruginosa is the principal cause of microbial keratitis and of infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferers, and AHL-dependent cell-to-cell signalling has been shown to be important for both infection types. However, keratitis tends to be an acute infection whereas infection of CF patients develops into a chronic, life-long infection. Thus, it is unclear whether AHL-regulated virulence plays the same role during these infections. This review presents a comparison of the role of AHL signalling in P. aeruginosa-mediated microbial keratitis and chronic lung infections of CF patients.

AB - Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium that causes opportunistic infections in a range of host tissues and organs. Infections by P. aeruginosa are difficult to treat and hence there is interest in the development of effective therapeutics. One of the key mechanisms that P. aeruginosa uses to control the expression of many virulence factors is the N-acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) regulatory system. Hence, there is considerable interest in targeting this regulatory pathway to develop novel therapeutics for infection control. P. aeruginosa is the principal cause of microbial keratitis and of infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) sufferers, and AHL-dependent cell-to-cell signalling has been shown to be important for both infection types. However, keratitis tends to be an acute infection whereas infection of CF patients develops into a chronic, life-long infection. Thus, it is unclear whether AHL-regulated virulence plays the same role during these infections. This review presents a comparison of the role of AHL signalling in P. aeruginosa-mediated microbial keratitis and chronic lung infections of CF patients.

U2 - 10.1099/mic.0.2008/019281-0

DO - 10.1099/mic.0.2008/019281-0

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18667552

VL - 154

SP - 2184

EP - 2194

JO - Microbiology

JF - Microbiology

SN - 1350-0872

IS - Pt 8

ER -