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Matthew P DeLisa1, William E Bentley
1Center for Biosystems Research, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 20742. bentley@eng.umd.edu
Microbial Cell Factories
|January 23, 2003
Summary
Microorganisms use cell-to-cell signaling, known as quorum sensing, to regulate various functions. This process is crucial for cellular adaptation and impacts recombinant protein production by influencing stress responses.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Cell-to-cell communication is vital for microbial communities.
- Density-dependent signaling molecules regulate diverse microbial processes like antibiotic production, biofilm formation, and virulence.
- Quorum sensing pathways are increasingly recognized for their role in microbial adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the central role of quorum sensing in microbial adaptation.
- To explain the overlap between quorum sensing and stress/starvation circuits.
- To underscore the impact of quorum sensing on recombinant protein expression.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent evidence on microbial cell-to-cell signaling.
- Analysis of quorum sensing pathway integration with stress and starvation responses.
- Examination of the effects of stress responses on cellular productivity.
Main Results:
- Cell-to-cell signaling is a fundamental microbial activity.
- Quorum sensing regulates specialized processes and integrates with stress circuits for adaptation.
- Stress responses elicited by quorum sensing significantly affect recombinant protein production.
Conclusions:
- Quorum sensing plays a central role in microbial adaptation to environmental changes.
- Understanding quorum sensing is critical for optimizing biotechnological processes, particularly recombinant protein expression.
- The interplay between quorum sensing and stress responses is a key factor in cellular productivity.