A Bacterial Tower of Babel: Quorum-Sensing Signaling Diversity and Its Evolution.

A Bacterial Tower of Babel: Quorum-Sensing Signaling Diversity and Its Evolution.
Annu Rev Microbiol. 2020 Jul 17;:
Authors: Aframian N, Eldar A
Abstract
Quorum sensing is a process in which bacteria secrete and sense a diffusible molecule, thereby enabling bacterial groups to coordinate their behavior in a density-dependent manner. Quorum sensing has evolved multiple times independently, utilizing different molecular pathways and signaling molecules. A common theme among many quorum-sensing families is their wide range of signaling diversity-different variants within a family code for different signal molecules with a cognate receptor specific to each variant. This pattern of vast allelic polymorphism raises several questions-How do different signaling variants interact with one another? How is this diversity maintained? And how did it come to exist in the first place? Here we argue that social interactions between signaling variants can explain the emergence and persistence of signaling diversity throughout evolution. Finally, we extend the discussion to include cases where multiple diverse systems work in concert in a single bacterium. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 74 is September 8, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
PMID: 32680450 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Annual Review of Microbiology - July 16, 2020 Category: Microbiology Authors: Aframian N, Eldar A Tags: Annu Rev Microbiol Source Type: research