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Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response
Published on: May 23, 2020
Quorum sensing and social networking in the microbial world
Steve Atkinson1, Paul Williams
1Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. steve.atkinson@nottingham.ac.uk
Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|August 14, 2009
Summary
Bacteria communicate using quorum sensing (QS) to coordinate group behaviors. This cell-to-cell signaling extends beyond single species, influencing diverse microbial and eukaryotic interactions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Communication
- Inter-kingdom Signaling
Background:
- Historically, bacteria were viewed as solitary entities.
- Recent research highlights bacterial collective behavior coordinated by intercellular communication.
- This communication relies on small molecules, termed quorum sensing (QS), to regulate gene expression based on population density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the sophisticated intercellular communication networks in bacteria.
- To investigate the phenomenon of quorum sensing (QS) and its control over diverse bacterial phenotypes.
- To examine the cross-species and inter-kingdom communication capabilities of bacteria.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of bacterial intercellular communication mechanisms.
- Investigation of quorum sensing (QS) pathways in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- Review of recent advances in understanding multi-species and inter-kingdom signaling.
Main Results:
- Bacteria engage in complex cell-to-cell communication via quorum sensing (QS).
- QS regulates a wide array of bacterial behaviors and gene expression.
- Bacteria can communicate with and influence unrelated species, and even eukaryotes.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial cells are not isolated but coordinate collective actions through QS.
- Quorum sensing extends beyond single-species interactions, involving cross-species and inter-kingdom communication.
- The study of bacterial signaling with eukaryotes is an emerging field revealing diverse communication pathways.
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