Quorum Sensing Inhibitors from the Sea: Lessons from Marine Symbiotic Relationships

The over-prescription and misuse of microbiostatic or microbicidal chemical compounds led to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and multiresistance in bacterial strains. The genetic resistance of bacterial cells is amplified when they are growing in biofilms, known for the high phenotypic resistance or tolerance to antimicrobial agents, explaining their high incidence in the etiology of infectious diseases. Currently, there are many research groups in the entire world focusing their investigations on the elucidation of different aspects of bacterial intra- and intercellular communication dependent on the cellular density and regulated by the quorum-sensing and response system (QS), including the isolation of natural compounds, as well as the synthesis of biomimetic analogues or antagonists of QS molecules, with potential prophylactic and therapeutic value for the management of animal and human infections, as well as for fighting the negative consequences of biofouling phenomenon occurring in natural environments. Taking into account the vital importance of the antifouling protection of the photosyntetic organisms in the natural marine environment, the screening of marine organisms for finding new anti-pathogenic, non-lethal compounds represents a promising perspective for the development of efficient preventive and therapeutic strategies of bacterial infections produced by resistant phenotypes, associated with biofilm development.