Short-range quorum sensing controls horizontal gene transfer at micron scale in bacterial communities

Open access
Date
2021-04-19Type
- Journal Article
Citations
Cited 17 times in
Web of Science
Cited 20 times in
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ETH Bibliography
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Abstract
In bacterial communities, cells often communicate by the release and detection of small diffusible molecules, a process termed quorum-sensing. Signal molecules are thought to broadly diffuse in space; however, they often regulate traits such as conjugative transfer that strictly depend on the local community composition. This raises the question how nearby cells within the community can be detected. Here, we compare the range of communication of different quorum-sensing systems. While some systems support long-range communication, we show that others support a form of highly localized communication. In these systems, signal molecules propagate no more than a few microns away from signaling cells, due to the irreversible uptake of the signal molecules from the environment. This enables cells to accurately detect micron scale changes in the community composition. Several mobile genetic elements, including conjugative elements and phages, employ short-range communication to assess the fraction of susceptible host cells in their vicinity and adaptively trigger horizontal gene transfer in response. Our results underscore the complex spatial biology of bacteria, which can communicate and interact at widely different spatial scales. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000481854Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Nature CommunicationsVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
SpringerSubject
Bacteria; Microbial communitiesOrganisational unit
03743 - Ackermann, Martin / Ackermann, Martin
Funding
169978 - A microscale analysis of the causes and consequences of the spatial arrangement of biological functions in microbial consortia (SNF)
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Citations
Cited 17 times in
Web of Science
Cited 20 times in
Scopus
ETH Bibliography
yes
Altmetrics