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Self-sensing in Bacillus subtilis quorum-sensing systems
#MMPMID29038467
Bareia T
; Pollak S
; Eldar A
Nat Microbiol
2018[Jan]; 3
(1
): 83-89
PMID29038467
show ga
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 cells. Combining genetic and quantitative analyses, we
demonstrate this effect to be a direct result of self-sensing and rule out an
indirect regulatory effect of the autoinducer production genes on response
sensitivity. In addition, self-sensing in the ComQXP system affects persistence
to antibiotic treatment. Together, these findings indicate the existence of
self-sensing in the two most common designs of quorum-sensing systems of
Gram-positive bacteria.
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