Chitinivorax: The New Kid on the Block of Bacterial 2-Alkyl-4(1<i>H</i>)-quinolone Producers

2-Alkyl-4(1<i>H</i>)-quinolones play a key role in bacterial communication, regulating biofilm formation, and virulence. Their antimicrobial properties also support bacterial survival and interspecies competition in microbial communities. In addition to the human pathogen <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> various species of <i>Burkholderia</i> and <i>Pseudoalteromonas</i> are known to produce 2-alkyl-4(1<i>H</i>)-quinolones. However, the evolutionary relationships of their biosynthetic gene clusters remain largely unexplored. To address this, we investigated the phylogeny of 2-alkyl-4(1<i>H</i>)-quinolone biosynthetic gene clusters, leading to the discovery of <i>Chitinivorax</i> as a fourth genus capable of producing 2-alkyl-4(1<i>H</i>)-quinolones, expanding our knowledge of the diversity of bacteria involved in quinolone-biosynthesis.