Diseases caused by pathogenic vibrios result in major losses in aquaculture. The use of antibiotics in order to control these infections has led to the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, rendering antibiotic treatments ineffective and causing problems for food safety. Therefore, novel methods to control vibriosis are needed. A promising alternative is the interference with quorum sensing, bacterial cell-to-cell communication. Indole is one of the cell-to-cell signaling molecules produced by vibrios. Recent research has shown that indole controls virulence-related phenotypes such as motility and biofilm formation, and virulence towards various aquatic organisms. Consequently, interfering with indole signaling is a valid strategy for the control of vibriosis in aquaculture. Several indole analogues have been investigated in order to identify more potent virulence inhibitors. These included both natural indoles (such as auxins) and synthetic compounds (such as halogenated indoles). Several of these compounds have been shown to protect aquatic organisms against vibriosis without affecting the growth of the vibrios. The latter is important as it implies that the selective pressure for resistance development will be lower than for antibiotics.
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