Quorum sensing architecture network in Escherichia coli virulence and pathogenesis

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative commensal bacterium of the normal microbiota of humans and animals. However, several E. coli strains are opportunistic pathogens responsible for severe bacterial infections, including gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. Due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant serotypes that can cause a wide spectrum of diseases, E. coli is considered one of the most troublesome human pathogens worldwide. Therefore, a more thorough understanding of its virulence control mechanisms is essential for the development of new anti-pathogenic strategies. Numerous bacteria rely on a cell density-dependent communication system known as quorum sensing (QS) to regulate several bacterial functions, including the expression of virulence factors. The QS systems described for E. coli include the orphan SdiA regulator, an autoinducer-2 (AI-2), an autoinducer-3 (AI-3) system, and indole, which allow E. coli to establish different communication processes to sense and respond to the surrounding environment. This review aims to summarise the current knowledge of the global QS network in E. coli and its influence on virulence and pathogenesis. This understanding will help to improve anti-virulence strategies with the E. coli QS network in focus. This review highlights the latest findings in the field of cell-to-cell communication systems in Escherichia coli and discusses the relevance of this complicated signalling network for the virulence and pathogenesis of this bacterium.

Automated summary

Escherichia coli is a common bacterium in the human and animal microbiota, but some strains can cause severe bacterial infections. It relies on a cell density-dependent communication system called quorum sensing (QS) to regulate virulence factors expression. Understanding the global QS network in E. coli is important for developing anti-virulence strategies.