Quorum quenching and proactive host defense

• Autores: Lian-Hui Zhang
• Localización: Trends in plant science, ISSN 1360-1385, Vol. 8, Nº. 5, 2003, págs. 238-244
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Both plants and humans have inducible defense mechanisms. This passive defense strategy leaves the host unprotected for a period of time until resistance is activated. Moreover, many bacterial pathogens have evolved cell–cell communication (quorum-sensing) mechanisms to mount population-density-dependent attacks to overwhelm the host's defense responses. Several chemicals and enzymes have been investigated for years for their potential to target the key components of bacterial quorum-sensing systems. These quorum-quenching reagents, which block bacterial cell–cell communications, can disintegrate a bacterial population-density-dependent attack. It has now been shown that a quorum-quenching mechanism can be engineered in plants and might be used as a strategy in controlling bacterial pathogens and to build up a proactive defense barrier.