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New Vocabulary for Bacterial Communication.
Nicholas J Tobias1,2, Jannis Brehm3, Darko Kresovic1
1Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Merck-Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Chembiochem : a European Journal of Chemical Biology
|November 12, 2019
Summary
Bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to communicate. Recent findings reveal that many QS-capable bacteria lack the typical acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) signals, challenging previous understandings of bacterial cell-cell communication.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial communication
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Quorum sensing (QS) is a critical bacterial communication process.
- Acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) have been considered the primary signals in Gram-negative bacteria.
- Genomic data reveals discrepancies between QS capability and the presence of AHL biosynthesis genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in quorum sensing research.
- To highlight new findings regarding bacterial cell-cell communication mechanisms.
- To address the role of LuxR solos in QS.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatics analysis of bacterial genomes.
- Review of recent scientific literature on quorum sensing.
- Identification of novel QS signaling molecules.
Main Results:
- Many QS-capable bacteria lack genes for AHL biosynthesis.
- LuxR-like proteins (LuxR solos) are present without apparent AHL production.
- Several novel signaling molecules for LuxR solos have been identified.
Conclusions:
- The traditional view of AHLs as the sole QS signal in Gram-negative bacteria is incomplete.
- Alternative signaling pathways and molecules are crucial for bacterial communication.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the diversity of QS mechanisms.
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