Fatty Acids as Antibiofilm and Antivirulence Agents

Abstract

Fatty acids (FAs) have emerged as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics. Since many microbes respond differently to a variety of natural and synthetic FAs, substantial efforts have been made to understand the unique features of FAs that function as antimicrobials at high doses and biofilm inhibitors at low doses. Here, we provide an overview of the emerging antibiofilm properties of FAs and their relations to virulence and quorum sensing, such as diffusible signal factors (DSFs), acyl-homoserine lactones, and autoinducer-2 systems. Several FAs mimic DSFs and control motility, fimbriae, hyphae, and biofilm development as well as virulence characteristics of diverse microbes. The findings of FAs as antibiofilm and antivirulence agents will provide a new paradigm to cope with recalcitrant pathogens.

Keywords: antibiofilm; antivirulence; biofilms; diffusible signal factors; fatty acids; quorum sensing.