Interference with AI-2-mediated bacterial cell-cell communication. Author Karina Xavier, Bonnie Bassler Publication Year 2005 Type Journal Article Abstract Bacteria communicate by means of chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. This process, called quorum sensing, allows bacteria to count the members in the community and to alter gene expression synchronously across the population. Quorum-sensing-controlled processes are often crucial for successful bacterial--host relationships--both symbiotic and pathogenic. Most quorum-sensing autoinducers promote intraspecies communication, but one autoinducer, called AI-2, is produced and detected by a wide variety of bacteria and is proposed to allow interspecies communication. Here we show that some species of bacteria can manipulate AI-2 signalling and interfere with other species' ability to assess and respond correctly to changes in cell population density. AI-2 signalling, and the interference with it, could have important ramifications for eukaryotes in the maintenance of normal microflora and in protection from pathogenic bacteria. Keywords Repressor Proteins, Vibrio, Escherichia coli, Signal Transduction, Lactones, Bacteria, Homoserine, Escherichia coli Proteins, Biological Factors, Coculture Techniques, Peptide Hydrolases Journal Nature Volume 437 Issue 7059 Pages 750-3 Date Published 2005 Sep 29 ISSN Number 1476-4687 DOI 10.1038/nature03960 Alternate Journal Nature PMCID PMC1388276 PMID 16193054 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML