Quorum sensing (QS) is an important way of interaction between microbial populations and between microbial communities and plants. The signaling molecules that regulate the quorum sensing process are called autoinducers (AIs), which play important regulatory roles in bioluminescence, virulence factor secretion, spore formation, secondary metabolite synthesis, and biofilm formation. Autoinducing peptides (AIPs) are one kind of the quorum sensing signaling molecules that specifically communicate between bacterial communi-ties. This article reviewed the research progress in the source, structure, function and mechanisms of AIPs, and discussed their application potentials in plant growth promotion and biocontrol. It would be beneficial for better understanding the ecological function of microbial community and the molecular mechanism of in-teraction with plants, and may provide some help for the application of quorum sensing signaling molecules in ecological agriculture.