Regulation of gene expression by cell-to-cell communication: acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing.
Quorum sensing is an example of community behavior prevalent among diverse bacterial species. The term "quorum sensing" describes the ability of a microorganism to perceive and respond to microbial population density, usually relying on the production and subsequent response to diffusible signal molecules. A significant number of gram-negative bacteria produce acylated homoserine lactones (acyl-HSLs) as signal molecules that function in quorum sensing. Bacteria that produce acyl-HSLs can respond to the local concentration of the signaling molecules, and high population densities foster the accumulation of inducing levels of acyl-HSLs. Depending upon the bacterial species, the physiological processes regulated by quorum sensing are extremely diverse, ranging from bioluminescence to swarming motility. Acyl-HSL quorum sensing has become a paradigm for intercellular signaling mechanisms. A flurry of research over the past decade has led to significant understanding of many aspects of quorum sensing including the synthesis of acyl-HSLs, the receptors that recognize the acyl-HSL signal and transduce this information to the level of gene expression, and the interaction of these receptors with the transcriptional machinery. Recent studies have begun to integrate acyl-HSL quorum sensing into global regulatory networks and establish its role in developing and maintaining the structure of bacterial communities.
Fuqua
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Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. cfuqua@bio.indiana.edu
Parsek
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Greenberg
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D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014774:Virulence
C088386:homoserine lactone; D015107:4-Butyrolactone