Microbial disease resistance mechanisms with special reference to quorum sensing and quorum quenching: a review
C. Valli Nachiyar, Swetha Sunkar, Jayshree Nellore, K. Renugadevi, S. Karthick Raja Namasivayam, M. Bavanilatha, P. Prakash, D. Prabavathy, S. Sudha
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents one of the most significant global health challenges of the twenty-first century. The emergence of drug-resistant pathogens, particularly multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, threatens to undermine decades of progress in medicine, rendering infections once easily treatable with antibiotics increasingly difficult to manage. In addition, Climatic change and surrounding environmental conditions have led to a pragmatic shift to evolve through, adapt to new environments and surface new pathogenic emerging infectious diseases by existing pathogens. These pathogens acquire certain traits by various gene transfer mechanisms exhibiting wide host specificity and thereby influence surfacing epidemics or pandemics upon appropriate favourable conditions. Efforts to combat diseases are primarily focused on developing countries by medical sectors. This review summarizes various microbial disease resistance mechanisms, with emphasis on quorum sensing as one the important mechanism of resistance to drugs. In addition, advances in quorum sensing inhibitors/quenchers involving small molecules, bio-actives from microbial sources, natural compounds and quenching enzymes inhibiting microbial infections were discussed.