Intercellular signalling. Knowing that you're among friends.
Factors that are simultaneously secreted and sensed are used by cells to monitor local cell density; a recently discovered factor of this type controls the transformation-competence of Bacillus subtilis.
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892.
D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000502:physiology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000502:physiology; D004023:Dictyostelium / Q000502:physiology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D016941:Myxococcus xanthus / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D014733:Vibrio / Q000502:physiology
D000596:Amino Acids; D001685:Biological Factors; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D010455:Peptides; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C052291:cell cohesion molecule, Dictyostelium; C030654:N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-3-aminodihydro-2(3H)-furanone; D015107:4-Butyrolactone