Application of Quorum Sensing in Metabolic Engineering

Abstract

Metabolic engineering is widely utilized in the food and other fields and has the benefits of low-cost substrates, ecofriendly fermentation processes, and efficient substrate synthesis. Microbial synthesis by metabolic engineering requires maintaining the productive capacity of the microorganism. Moreover, economic reasons limit the use of inducers in the exogenous synthesis pathway. Most unicellular microorganisms can interact by emitting signaling molecules; this mechanism, known as quorum sensing (QS), is an autoinduced system of microorganisms. With the deepening research on QS systems of different microorganisms, its components are widely used to regulate the metabolic synthesis of microorganisms as a dynamic regulatory system. In this Review, we described the typical bacterial QS mechanisms. Then, we summarized various regulatory strategies for QS and their applications to metabolic engineering. Finally, we underlined the potential for QS modularity in future metabolic engineering and suggested stimulating research on fungal QS systems.

The Phase-Dependent Regulation of Lux-Type Genes on the Spoilage Characteristics of Hafnia alvei

“…QS is a common regulatory mechanism of biological functions in the microorganism kingdom [ 11 , 12 ]. QS plays a key role in coordinating group behavior and addressing changes in external and internal environments [ 13 , 14 ].…”