Correlated phenotypic transitions to competence in bacterial colonies.
Genetic competence is a phenotypic state of a bacterial cell in which it is capable of importing DNA, presumably to improve survival under stress. Motivated by several colony-level known responses, we present a model for the influence of quorum sensing on the transition to competence of B. Subtilis. Coupling to the external signal creates an effective inhibitory mechanism, which results in anticorrelation between the cycles of adjacent cells. We show that this is consistent with recent experimental measurements and propose measurement methods to verify the role of quorum-sensing signals.
Hecht
Inbal
I
Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.
Ben-Jacob
Eshel
E
Levine
Herbert
H
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010641:Phenotype; D010675:Pheromones; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010675:Pheromones; D014157:Transcription Factors