title: Bacterial danger sensing.
abstract: Here we propose that bacteria detect and respond to threats posed by other bacteria via an innate immune-like process that we term danger sensing. We find support for this contention by reexamining existing literature from the perspective that intermicrobial antagonism, not opportunistic pathogenesis, is the major evolutionary force shaping the defensive behaviors of most bacteria. We conclude that many bacteria possess danger sensing pathways composed of a danger signal receptor and corresponding signal transduction mechanism that regulate pathways important for survival in the presence of the perceived competitor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LeRoux
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: S Brook
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: mougous@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mougous
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C079792:PhoQ protein, Bacteria; D004247:DNA
keywords: Gac/Rsm; competence; interbacterial; subinhibitory antibiotics; type VI secretion