Self-sensing in Bacillus subtilis quorum-sensing systems.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial cell-cell signalling, or quorum sensing, is characterized by the secretion and groupwide detection of small diffusible signal molecules called autoinducers. This mechanism allows cells to coordinate their behaviour in a density-dependent manner. A quorum-sensing cell may directly respond to the autoinducers it produces in a cell-autonomous and quorum-independent manner, but the strength of this self-sensing effect and its impact on bacterial physiology are unclear. Here, we explore the existence and impact of self-sensing in the Bacillus subtilis ComQXP and Rap-Phr quorum-sensing systems. By comparing the quorum-sensing response of autoinducer-secreting and non-secreting cells in co-culture, we find that secreting cells consistently show a stronger response than non-secreting cel

SUBMITTER: Bareia T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5739288 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature