Quorum sensing going wild
Summary: The first discovered and well-characterized bacterial quorum sensing (QS) system belongs to Vibrio fischeri, which uses N-acyl homo-serine lactones (AHLs) for cell-cell signaling. AHL QS cell-cell communication is often regarded as a cell density–dependent regulatory switch. Since the disco...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-10-01
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| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223020771 |
| _version_ | 1797647818617257984 |
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| author | Mihael Spacapan Cristina Bez Vittorio Venturi |
| author_facet | Mihael Spacapan Cristina Bez Vittorio Venturi |
| author_sort | Mihael Spacapan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: The first discovered and well-characterized bacterial quorum sensing (QS) system belongs to Vibrio fischeri, which uses N-acyl homo-serine lactones (AHLs) for cell-cell signaling. AHL QS cell-cell communication is often regarded as a cell density–dependent regulatory switch. Since the discovery of QS, it has been known that AHL concentration (which correlates imperfectly with cell density) is not necessarily the only QS trigger. Additionally, not all cells respond to a QS signal. Bacteria could, via QS, exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity, resulting in sub-populations with unique phenotypes. It is time to ascribe greater importance to QS-dependent phenotypic heterogeneity, and its potential purpose in natura, with emphasis on the division of labor, specialization, and “bet-hedging”. We hope that this perspective article will stimulate the awareness that QS can be more than just a cell-density switch. This basic mechanism could result in “bacterial civilizations”, thus forcing us to reconsider the way bacterial communities are envisioned in natura. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:21:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cb6972ae01b4e108e968feead1e1534 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-0042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:21:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | iScience |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cb6972ae01b4e108e968feead1e15342023-10-28T05:09:15ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422023-10-012610108000Quorum sensing going wildMihael Spacapan0Cristina Bez1Vittorio Venturi2International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; Corresponding authorInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, ItalyInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Padriciano 99, 34149 Trieste, Italy; Corresponding authorSummary: The first discovered and well-characterized bacterial quorum sensing (QS) system belongs to Vibrio fischeri, which uses N-acyl homo-serine lactones (AHLs) for cell-cell signaling. AHL QS cell-cell communication is often regarded as a cell density–dependent regulatory switch. Since the discovery of QS, it has been known that AHL concentration (which correlates imperfectly with cell density) is not necessarily the only QS trigger. Additionally, not all cells respond to a QS signal. Bacteria could, via QS, exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity, resulting in sub-populations with unique phenotypes. It is time to ascribe greater importance to QS-dependent phenotypic heterogeneity, and its potential purpose in natura, with emphasis on the division of labor, specialization, and “bet-hedging”. We hope that this perspective article will stimulate the awareness that QS can be more than just a cell-density switch. This basic mechanism could result in “bacterial civilizations”, thus forcing us to reconsider the way bacterial communities are envisioned in natura.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223020771MicrobiologyCell biology |
| spellingShingle | Mihael Spacapan Cristina Bez Vittorio Venturi Quorum sensing going wild iScience Microbiology Cell biology |
| title | Quorum sensing going wild |
| title_full | Quorum sensing going wild |
| title_fullStr | Quorum sensing going wild |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quorum sensing going wild |
| title_short | Quorum sensing going wild |
| title_sort | quorum sensing going wild |
| topic | Microbiology Cell biology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004223020771 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mihaelspacapan quorumsensinggoingwild AT cristinabez quorumsensinggoingwild AT vittorioventuri quorumsensinggoingwild |