Evolution of LuxR solos in bacterial communication: receptors and signals

Cell–cell communication in bacteria needs chemical signals and cognate receptors. Many Gram-negative bacteria use acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) and cognate LuxR-type receptors to regulate their quorum sensing (QS) systems. The signal synthase-receptor (LuxI–LuxR) pairs may have co-evolved together. However, many LuxR solo (orphan LuxR) regulators sense more signals than just AHLs, and expand the regulatory networks for inter-species and inter-kingdom communication. Moreover, there are also some QS regulators from the TetR family. LuxR solo regulators might have evolved by gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer. An increased understanding of the evolutionary roles of QS regulators would be helpful for engineering of cell–cell communication circuits in bacteria.