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The metabolism of a high density population of bacteria is regulated by a quorum sensing mechanism. Cell-to-cell communication of microorganisms regulates the process of production of pathogenicity factors including formation and differentiation of bacterial biofilms. The role of the quorum sensing system in the expression of virulence features is described in this paper. The possibility of application of the quorum sensing mechanism in medicine is also discussed.

Iron and heme are essential nutrients for most pathogenic microorganisms and play a pivotal role in microbial pathogenesis. To survive within the iron-limited environment of the host, bacteria utilize iron-siderophore complexes, iron-binding proteins (transferrin, lactoferrin), free heme and heme bound to hemoproteins (hemoglobin, haptoglobin, hemopexin). A mechanism of iron and heme transport depends on the structures of Gram-negative bacterial membranes. Siderophores, hemophores and outer membrane receptors take part in iron or heme binding. The transport of these ligands across the outer membrane involves outer membrane receptors. The energy for this transport is delivered from the inner membrane by a TonB-ExbB-ExbD complex. The transport across the cytoplasmic membrane involves periplasmic and inner membrane proteins comprising the ABC systems, which utilize the energy derived from ATP hydrolysis. The major regulatory role in iron homeostasis plays a Fur-Fe2+ repressor.

On the basis of the literature survey, the present state of knowledge of the part played by psychrophilic bacteria in the fish spoilage process was described. Furthermore, the role of psychrophilic bacteria in the formation of histamine was discussed.