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Can't you hear me knocking: contact-dependent competition and cooperation in bacteria
Allison M Jones1, David A Low1,2, Christopher S Hayes1,2
1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9625, USA.
Abstract:
Microorganisms are in constant competition for growth niches and environmental resources. In Gram-negative bacteria, contact-dependent growth inhibition (CDI) systems link the fate of one cell with its immediate neighbor through touch-dependent, receptor-mediated toxin delivery. Though discovered for their ability to confer a competitive growth advantage, CDI systems also play significant roles in inter-sibling cooperation, promoting both auto-aggregation and biofilm formation. In this review, we detail the mechanisms of CDI toxin delivery and consider how toxin exchange between isogenic sibling cells could regulate gene expression.
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