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Related Concept Videos

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...
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,...
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...
Types of Signaling Molecules01:32

Types of Signaling Molecules

In multicellular organisms, many molecules transmit signals between cells to pass information. These signals vary in complexity and include small peptides, nucleotides, steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and dissolved gases such as nitric oxide. Some signaling molecules diffuse through the plasma membrane to act locally between neighboring cells or travel long distances. Others remain attached to the cell surface, transmitting information to other cells only when they make contact. In some...
Types of Signaling Molecules01:32

Types of Signaling Molecules

In multicellular organisms, many molecules transmit signals between cells to pass information. These signals vary in complexity and include small peptides, nucleotides, steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and dissolved gases such as nitric oxide. Some signaling molecules diffuse through the plasma membrane to act locally between neighboring cells or travel long distances. Others remain attached to the cell surface, transmitting information to other cells only when they make contact. In some...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

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Time-lapse Imaging of Bacterial Swarms and the Collective Stress Response
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Published on: May 23, 2020

Pyrones as bacterial signaling molecules.

Alexander O Brachmann1, Sophie Brameyer, Darko Kresovic

  • 11] Merck Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany. [2].

Nature Chemical Biology
|July 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered that the orphan receptor PluR in Photorhabdus luminescens detects α-pyrones, a novel signaling molecule. This finding reveals a new bacterial communication system, expanding our understanding of quorum sensing mechanisms.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Communication
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Bacteria utilize quorum sensing for group behavior, typically involving N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) and LuxR-type receptors.
  • Many proteobacteria possess LuxR homologs but lack known AHL synthases, suggesting alternative signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the signaling molecules and cognate synthase for the orphan LuxR-type receptor PluR in Photorhabdus luminescens.
  • To characterize a novel bacterial cell-cell communication system.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the orphan LuxR-type receptor PluR in Photorhabdus luminescens.
  • Identified α-pyrones as signaling molecules and PpyS as the pyrone synthase.
  • Reconstituted the signaling system in Escherichia coli.

Main Results:

  • PluR was shown to detect endogenously produced α-pyrones at low nanomolar concentrations.
  • The ketosynthase PpyS was identified as the enzyme responsible for pyrone synthesis.
  • The entire communication circuit, including PluR, its target operon (pcf), and PpyS, was successfully reconstituted in E. coli, demonstrating portability.

Conclusions:

  • This study deorphanizes a bacterial signaling system, identifying α-pyrones as novel quorum sensing molecules.
  • The findings suggest that diverse and undiscovered bacterial communication mechanisms exist.
  • The portable nature of this system opens avenues for synthetic biology applications.