Quorum sensing-driven metabolic reprogramming coordinates flavor formation in yogurt fermentation.
Weitao Zhao1, Liang Tan2, Jiaojiao Hu3
1College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410114, China; State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China.
Journal of Dairy Science
|March 18, 2026
Summary
Quorum sensing signals, autoinducing peptides (AIPs) and autoinducer-2 (AI-2), enhance lactic acid bacteria growth and flavor compound production in yogurt fermentation. This research provides insights for developing better-tasting fermented dairy products.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Science
- Metabolic Engineering
Background:
- Quorum sensing (QS) regulates bacterial communication and metabolism in fermented foods.
- The precise impact of exogenous QS molecules on flavor development in yogurt is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how external autoinducing peptides (AIPs) and autoinducer-2 (AI-2) influence microbial behavior and flavor metabolism in a binary yogurt fermentation.
- To elucidate the roles of intraspecies and interspecies QS signaling in modulating metabolic networks and flavor profiles.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a binary yogurt fermentation model with Levilactobacillus brevis 54 and Lacticaseibacillus casei 56.
- Supplemented with strain-specific AIPs and exogenous AI-2.
- Employed metabolomic analyses and gene transcription profiling (RT-qPCR).
Main Results:
- AIP supplementation boosted bacterial growth, casein hydrolysis, and amino acid metabolite accumulation.
- AI-2 stimulated growth, activated the AI-2/LuxS cascade, and upregulated key genes (luxS, plnB, plnC).
- AIPs primarily affected amino acid metabolism, while AI-2 influenced broader metabolic pathways, leading to enhanced formation of flavor compounds (alcohols, ketones, organic acids).
Conclusions:
- Coordinated AIP and AI-2 signaling reshapes metabolic networks, enhancing flavor compound production in yogurt.
- This study provides mechanistic insights into signal-driven flavor modulation in fermented dairy.
- Offers a framework for designing fermented dairy systems with enhanced flavors through QS manipulation.
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