title: The truth about antibiotics.
abstract: Microbes produce millions of organic compounds of low molecular weight--a world of very diverse chemical and biological ecology. We propose that, at the low concentrations likely to be found in the environment, the majority of these compounds play important roles in the modulation of metabolic function in natural microbial communities. The biological diversity is reflected by distinct target responses affecting a variety of transcription regulatory networks by different mechanisms. This provides the basis of chemical signalling processes in the microbial world and may well extend into many prokaryote-eukaryote interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3 Canada.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Helena Huimi
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents