Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 19, 2025
11:16
A Hydroponic Co-cultivation System for Simultaneous and Systematic Analysis of Plant/Microbe Molecular Interactions and Signaling
Published on: July 22, 2017
14.4K
Quorum Sensing Regulation in Phytopathogenic Bacteria.
Julie Baltenneck1, Sylvie Reverchon1, Florence Hommais1
1Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSA-Lyon, CNRS, UMR5240 MAP, F-69622 Villeurbanne CEDEX, France.
Microorganisms
|January 27, 2021
Summary
Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) coordinates gene expression for virulence and adaptation. This review details QS systems in key plant pathogens, including N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), diffusible signal factor (DSF), and virulence factor modulating (VFM) systems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Plant Pathology
Background:
- Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication mechanism used by bacteria to regulate gene expression.
- Pathogenic bacteria utilize QS to control virulence factors and adapt to environmental changes.
- QS systems are crucial for understanding bacterial pathogenesis in plants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and describe the diverse quorum sensing systems found in phytopathogenic bacteria.
- To highlight the specific signal molecules and regulatory mechanisms involved in these QS systems.
- To focus on major plant-pathogenic genera such as Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, and Erwinia.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on quorum sensing in phytopathogenic bacteria.
- Analysis of characterized QS systems, including N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL), diffusible signal factor (DSF), and virulence factor modulating (VFM).
- Examination of regulatory mechanisms, targeted functions, and regulation of QS in key bacterial genera.
Main Results:
- Detailed description of AHL, DSF, and VFM quorum sensing systems in phytopathogenic bacteria.
- Identification of targeted functions, including virulence factor expression and environmental adaptation.
- Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms controlling quorum sensing.
Conclusions:
- Quorum sensing is a vital regulatory mechanism in phytopathogenic bacteria.
- Understanding these QS systems provides insights into bacterial pathogenicity and potential control strategies.
- The review covers major bacterial genera, offering a comprehensive overview of their QS mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
244
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,...
244
01:30Bacterial Signaling
38.6K
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...
38.6K
01:28Global Regulatory Systems
341
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...
341
01:17Gene Regulation During Sporulation
248
Sporulation is a complex developmental process that allows certain Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium species, to survive extreme environmental conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a series of signaling cascades and transcriptional controls, ensuring the formation of a highly resistant endospore.Sporulation is triggered by unfavorable conditions, such as nutrient depletion, and is governed by a phosphorelay system. One of the sensor kinases, such as...
248
01:30Other Stress Responses in Bacteria
187
Bacteria have global regulatory systems that control several types of stress mechanisms. These include Pho regulon and the heat shock response, which are essential systems for environmental adaptation, such as nutrient limitation and proteotoxic stress. The Pho regulon and the heat shock response exemplify bacterial resilience, enabling rapid adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions.Pho RegulonBacteria require phosphorus for essential cellular processes, including nucleic acid...
187
01:28Yeast Signaling
16.6K
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...
16.6K