Title | Bacterial social engagements. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2004 |
Authors | Henke, JM, Bassler, BL |
Journal | Trends Cell Biol |
Volume | 14 |
Issue | 11 |
Pagination | 648-56 |
Date Published | 2004 Nov |
ISSN | 0962-8924 |
Keywords | Bacteria, Bacterial Proteins, Cell Communication, Eukaryotic Cells, Gene Expression Regulation, Prokaryotic Cells, Signal Transduction |
Abstract | <p>Quorum sensing is a process that enables bacteria to communicate using secreted signaling molecules called autoinducers. This process enables a population of bacteria to regulate gene expression collectively and, therefore, control behavior on a community-wide scale. Quorum sensing is widespread in the bacterial world and, generally, processes controlled by quorum sensing are unproductive when undertaken by an individual bacterium but become effective when undertaken by the group. Cell-cell communication can occur within and between bacterial species, and between bacteria and their eukaryotic hosts, which suggests that the chemical lexicon is complex. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic mechanisms for enhancing and inhibiting quorum sensing have been identified, which suggests that manipulation of quorum-sensing-controlled processes could be common in bacterial-bacterial and bacterial-eukaryotic associations.</p> |
DOI | 10.1016/j.tcb.2004.09.012 |
Alternate Journal | Trends Cell Biol |
PubMed ID | 15519854 |
Grant List | R01 AI 054442 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States R01 GM 065859 / GM / NIGMS NIH HHS / United States |