A quorum-quenching approach to investigate the conservation of quorum-sensing-regulated functions within the Burkholderia cepacia complex.

ABSTRACT: Taxonomic studies of the past few years have shown that the Burkholderia cepacia complex, a heterogeneous group of B. cepacia-like organisms, consists of at least nine species. B. cepacia complex strains are ubiquitously distributed in nature and have been used for biocontrol, bioremediation, and plant growth promotion purposes. At the same time, B. cepacia complex strains have emerged as important opportunistic pathogens of humans, particularly those with cystic fibrosis. All B. cepacia complex species investigated thus far use quorum-sensing (QS) systems that rely on N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) signal molecules to express certain functions, including the production of extracellular proteases, swarming motility, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity, in a population-density-dependent ma

SUBMITTER: Wopperer J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1392939 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature