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Continuous Measurement of Biological Noise in Escherichia Coli Using Time-lapse Microscopy
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How fast is a collective bacterial state established?

Mikkel Lindstrøm Sørensen1,2, Peter Dahl1,2, Thomas Sams1

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Bacteria use quorum sensing to coordinate group behaviors. This study shows that in large colonies, the "ignition" of this system happens almost simultaneously across the entire biofilm, not just at the center.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Systems Biology
  • Mathematical Biology

Background:

  • Bacterial biofilms exhibit collective behaviors regulated by quorum sensing systems.
  • Quorum sensing involves signal molecule production, diffusion, and detection, often with positive feedback loops.
  • These systems enable coordinated responses like attacks or defense based on colony size.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the ignition process of a basal quorum sensing system in bacterial biofilms.
  • To analyze the dynamics of signal molecule diffusion and detection in large colonies.
  • To examine the influence of approximations on the timing of quorum sensing activation.

Main Methods:

  • Numerical solutions of a reaction-diffusion model for a basal quorum sensing loop.
  • Analysis of the ignition dynamics under different approximations (exact vs. quasistatic binding).
  • Assessment of the effect of signal molecule buffering on ignition.

Main Results:

  • Ignition of the quorum sensing system in large biofilms occurs rapidly, within a minute.
  • The ignition process is delayed in exact calculations compared to quasistatic approximations.
  • Contrary to expectation, ignition is not initiated at the center but occurs almost simultaneously across the entire biofilm after the threshold is approached colony-wide.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial biofilms exhibit a rapid, near-simultaneous ignition of quorum sensing across the entire colony.
  • The spatial dynamics of signal molecule detection, rather than central accumulation, drive this synchronized response.
  • Understanding this rapid activation is crucial for predicting bacterial collective behaviors and host-pathogen interactions.