Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Quorum sensing in bacteria.

M B Miller1, B L Bassler

  • 1Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544-1014, USA. mmiller@molbio.princeton.edu

Annual Review of Microbiology
|September 7, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The clinical impact of maternal COVID-19 on mothers, their infants, and placentas with an analysis of vertical transfer of maternal SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG antibodies.

Placenta·2022
Same author

Diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert<sup>®</sup> MTB/RIF cycle threshold level to predict smear positivity: a meta-analysis.

The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease·2017
Same author

Occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in surface waters near industrial hog operation spray fields.

The Science of the total environment·2016
Same author

Genome-wide association study of lifetime cannabis use based on a large meta-analytic sample of 32 330 subjects from the International Cannabis Consortium.

Translational psychiatry·2016
Same author

Genotype-guided tacrolimus dosing in African-American kidney transplant recipients.

The pharmacogenomics journal·2015
Same author

Genomewide Association Study of Tacrolimus Concentrations in African American Kidney Transplant Recipients Identifies Multiple CYP3A5 Alleles.

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2015
Same journal

Circadian Control of Host-Microbiome Symbioses.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Host-Pathogen Interactions in Malaria: Invasion, Neutralization, and Evasion.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

From an Interest in Molecules to a Fascination with Microbes.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Bacterial Physiology in the Context of Algal Partners.

Annual review of microbiology·2026
Same journal

Introduction.

Annual review of microbiology·2025
Same journal

Decoding Microbial Community Assembly: Insights on Vectors of Infectious Diseases.

Annual review of microbiology·2025
See all related articles

Bacteria use quorum sensing to communicate via chemical signals, coordinating group behaviors like biofilm formation and virulence. This cell-cell communication allows bacterial communities to act collectively, potentially paving the way for multicellularity.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Communication
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Quorum sensing (QS) regulates bacterial gene expression based on population density.
  • Bacteria produce autoinducer molecules; high concentrations trigger altered gene expression.
  • QS controls diverse bacterial activities including virulence, motility, and biofilm formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms and significance of bacterial quorum sensing.
  • To highlight the role of autoinducers in inter- and intra-species communication.
  • To explore the evolutionary implications of QS in bacterial multicellularity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of quorum sensing mechanisms in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
  • Analysis of autoinducer types (homoserine lactones, peptides) and their signaling pathways.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of host-bacteria interactions mediated by QS signals.

    • Main Results:

    • Gram-negative bacteria typically use acylated homoserine lactones, while Gram-positive bacteria use oligo-peptides as autoinducers.
    • QS facilitates coordinated bacterial behaviors such as symbiosis, virulence, and biofilm development.
    • Evidence suggests bacterial autoinducers can influence host organism responses.

    Conclusions:

    • Bacterial quorum sensing enables coordinated community behavior, mimicking higher organisms.
    • QS systems are crucial for bacterial adaptation and interaction with their environment.
    • The evolution of QS may represent an early step towards bacterial multicellularity.