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Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
Bacterial Signaling01:30

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
Global Regulatory Systems01:28

Global Regulatory Systems

Global regulatory systems in bacteria enable rapid and coordinated responses to environmental changes by integrating sensory inputs with gene expression, ensuring efficient adaptation to fluctuating conditions. Key global regulatory mechanisms include regulons, two-component systems, sigma factors, and secondary messengers.Regulons and Global RegulatorsA regulon is a collection of genes and operons controlled by a common global regulator. These regulators enable bacteria to prioritize resource...
Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses01:22

Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses

The physiological function of a cell and cellular communication are outcomes of a range of extrinsic signals, intracellular signaling pathways, and cellular responses. No two cell types express the same repertoire of signaling components. Receptors are highly selective for their cognate ligands, but once activated, they can alter multiple cellular processes such as DNA transcription, protein synthesis, and metabolic activity. 
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
Overview of Cell Signaling01:23

Overview of Cell Signaling

Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...

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Synthesis and Assay of Vibrio Quorum Sensing Inhibitors
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Published on: May 31, 2024

Does efficiency sensing unify diffusion and quorum sensing?

Burkhard A Hense1, Christina Kuttler, Johannes Müller

  • 1Institute of Biomathematics and Biometry, GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D85764 Neuherberg/Munich, Germany. burkhard.hense@gsf.de

Nature Reviews. Microbiology
|February 17, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Cheater bacteria pose challenges to quorum sensing. A new efficiency sensing hypothesis, supported by microcolony growth, offers a unified explanation for bacterial communication in complex environments.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Mathematical Modeling

Background:

  • Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism used by bacteria.
  • QS faces evolutionary challenges from non-producing or over-producing 'cheater' bacteria.
  • Diffusion sensing is an alternative model, but both QS and diffusion sensing struggle with complex environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate bacterial cell-cell communication in complex environments like the rhizosphere.
  • To propose a unified hypothesis that reconciles conflicting models of bacterial sensing.
  • To explore how microcolony formation impacts bacterial signaling and honesty.

Main Methods:

  • Mathematical modeling was employed to analyze spatial distribution and cell density effects on signaling.
  • Theoretical frameworks were used to compare quorum sensing, diffusion sensing, and the proposed efficiency sensing model.
  • The role of microcolony formation in mitigating signaling challenges was investigated.

Main Results:

  • Spatial cell distribution, rather than just density, is crucial for sensing in complex environments like the rhizosphere.
  • Existing models of quorum sensing and diffusion sensing face limitations in explaining signaling in such environments.
  • Bacterial growth in microcolonies can potentially resolve issues related to signaling efficiency and honesty.

Conclusions:

  • A new hypothesis, 'efficiency sensing,' is proposed to unify existing models and address limitations in complex environments.
  • Efficiency sensing, particularly within microcolonies, may provide a more robust mechanism for bacterial communication.
  • Microcolony formation offers a potential solution for maintaining signaling integrity and overcoming evolutionary pressures in bacterial communities.