dATP/ATP, a multifunctional nucleotide, stimulates bacterial cell lysis, extracellular DNA release and biofilm development.
BACKGROUND
Signaling by extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphase (eATP) is very common for cell-to-cell communication in many basic patho-physiological development processes. Rapid release of ATP into the extracellular environment from distressed or injured eukaryotic cells due to pathogens or other etiological factors can serve as a "danger signal", activating host innate immunity. However, little is known about how or whether pathogenic bacteria respond to this "danger signal".


RESULTS
Here we report that extracellular dATP/ATP can stimulate bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation via increased cell lysis and extracellular DNA (eDNA) release. We demonstrate that extracellular dATP/ATP also stimulates bacterial adherence in vitro to human bronchial epithelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that bacteria may sense extracellular dATP/ATP as a signal of "danger" and form biofilms to protect them from host innate immunity. This study reveals a very important and unrecognized phenomenon that both bacteria and host cells could respond to a common important signal molecule in a race to adapt to the presence of one another. We propose that extracellular dATP/ATP functions as an "inter-domain" warning signal that serves to induce protective measures in both Bacterial and Eukaryotic cells.
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. cxi@umich.edu
Chuanwu
C
Xi
Jianfeng
J
Wu
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004247:DNA