Quorum sensing inhibitors: a patent overview.

BACKGROUND: Quorum sensing (QS) is a microbial cell-cell signaling system that correlates gene expression with cell population density. It plays important roles in intra-species communications and is also involved in inter-species and microbe-host interactions. Because QS controls a wide spectrum of phenotypes including virulence and biofilm formation, inhibition of QS may provide alternative therapeutic methods for treating microbial infections. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of QS inhibitors and their applications. METHODS: Search of databases for patents on QS inhibition submitted between 1999 and 2008. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The reported QS inhibitors include both natural and synthetic agents and can be mainly categorized in three classes: nonpeptide small molecules, peptides and proteins. These inhibitors interrupt QS by repressing signal generation, blocking signal receptors or disrupting QS signals, and provide an alternative approach to controlling microbial pathogenesis.