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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
08:51
Applying an Inducible Expression System to Study Interference of Bacterial Virulence Factors with Intracellular Signaling
Published on: June 25, 2015
Inter-kingdom signaling: chemical language between bacteria and host
Alline R Pacheco1, Vanessa Sperandio
1Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 75390-9048, USA.
Current Opinion in Microbiology
|March 26, 2009
Summary
Bacteria and host cells communicate using chemical signals. Bacterial autoinducers mimic host hormones, and host hormones influence bacterial signaling, mediating crucial inter-kingdom relationships.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cellular communication is vital for coordinating behavior in both prokaryotes (via quorum sensing) and eukaryotes (via hormones).
- Recent research highlights cross-kingdom signaling where bacterial quorum sensing autoinducers interact with eukaryotic cells, and host hormones influence bacterial signaling pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the bidirectional chemical communication between bacterial and eukaryotic cells.
- To understand the mechanisms and implications of inter-kingdom signaling in host-microbe interactions.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on quorum sensing and hormonal signaling.
- Analysis of molecular pathways involved in inter-kingdom signal transduction.
Main Results:
- Bacterial autoinducers can act as hormone mimics in eukaryotic cells.
- Host hormones can modulate bacterial autoinducer signaling pathways.
- Inter-kingdom signaling is integral to both symbiotic and pathogenic host-microbe relationships.
Conclusions:
- Chemical crosstalk between bacteria and host cells is a fundamental biological process.
- This signaling influences the dynamics of host-microbe interactions, impacting health and disease.
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