Lecture 5. Cell-Cell Communication and Development in Bacteria Flashcards
What is quorum sensing ?
A process that allows microbes to control behaviors as a function of signal molecule concentration
What is another name for the quorum sensing molecule ?
Autoinducer
Can a single bacterium make enough of the quorum sensing molecule to affect behavior ?
No
What can make enough of the quorum sensing molecule to exceed the concentration threshold for a behavioral change ?
A group of bacteria
What is the variable in the quorum sensing molecule system ?
The concentration of the signalling molecule
What does the concentration of the signalling molecule act as ?
A proxy for microbes in an effective range
Does the autoinducer have to be produced by bacteria of the same species ?
No
What is the advantage of the autoinducer not being produced by bacteria of the same species ?
Allows complex community structures
What must bacteria possess to participate in quorum sensing ?
The means to detect the signals and alter cellular function
What is a disadvantage of bacteria making its own signal ?
Leads to cheating
What are the four examples of behaviors controlled by quorum sensing ?
- Bioluminescence
- Biofilm formation
- Conjugation
- Virulence
What is the bioluminescence behavior controlled by quorum sensing and give an example ?
- Some bacteria generate light
2. Aliivibrio fischeri
What is the behavior surrounding biofilm formation that is controlled by quorum sensing ?
The transition from plankton (free swimming) to a community based lifestyle
What is the conjugation behavior controlled by quorum sensing and give an example?
- DNA transfer from one bacterium to another in the gram-positive organism
- Enterococcus
What is the virulence behavior controlled by quorum sensing ?
The expression of a virulent phenotype by a pathogenic bacteria
When may virulence behavior controlled by quorum sensing occur ?
When a large number of bacteria is needed to establish a successful infection
Are quorum sensing reaction limited to just bacteria ?
No - they can be between organisms of completely different kingdoms
Give an example of quorum sensing behaviour between organisms of different kingdoms ?
The symbiotic relationship between the Hawaiian Bobtail squid and the Aliivibrio fischeri
What does the Alviibrio fischeri do to the Hawaiian bobtail squid ?
Colonise the squids light producing organ
What are the two states that the Alviibrio fischeri can exist in ?
- Naturally, free living, planktonic state
2. Symbiont of certain luminescent squid or fish
What are the advantages of bioluminescence to the squid ?
- Attraction of prey
- Camoflague
- During nocturnal feeding, prevents a shadow of squid on sea floor by mimicing moonlight
What is the source of luminesce in the Hawaiian bobtail squid and Aliivibrio fischeri ?
The bacteria themselves
In the marine environment, when do the bacteria only luminesce ?
When colonising the light organs and they do not emit light in the free living state
Why does it make good evolutionary sense for bacteria to tightly regulate bioluminescence as the mechanism by which the light is produced ?
It is a very energy intensive process
How did the research carried out to show that the Aliivibrio fischeri regulate bioluminescence lead to the discovery of bacterial quorum sensing ?
Via acyl homoserine lactones
What does the quorum sensing rely on ?
The synthesis, accumulation and the subsequent sensing of the signal molecule
In the Aliivibrio fischeri, what is the acyl homoserine lactone synthesised by ?
LuxI enzyme
In the Aliivibrio fischeri, what is the acyl homoserine lactone sensed by ?
The luxR regulatory protein
At low cell densities how is the acyl homoserine lactone signal produced ?
Bacteria produces it at low levels
When the acyl homoserine lactone signal is produced at low levels in the Aliivibrio fischeri what state is it in ?
Free living
What happens to the acyl homoserine lactone when the Aliivibrio fischeri is in the free state ?
The acyl homoserine lactone diffuses into the surrounding environment
What happens when the bacterial cell density increases ?
The acyl homoserine lactone signal accumulates in the areas surrounding the bacteria.
When does cell density increase in the Aliivibrio cholerae ?
Colonising an organism
What happens when the acyl homoserine lactone signal reaches a critical threshold concentration ?
The signal is able to interact with the LuxR protein
Where dos the LuxR AHL complex bind to ?
Lux box
What is the Lux box made up of ?
A region of DNA
What is the function of the Lux box ?
Causes the luminescence genes to switch on
What else does the LuxR AHL complex also cause ?
The acyl homoserine lactone via Lux to be produced at higher levels.
What is the acyl homoserine lactone said to do ?
To autoinduce its own synthesis
What can quorum sensing explain ?
Why the bacteria is dark in free living and light in the light organ
How do bacteria measure their cell density ?
By measuring the amount of the signal present
What are some other examples of bacteria which use the acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing ?
- The AI2 molecule from the fibrio harveyi and fibrio cholerae
- The AIP1 molecule from the stephylcoccus aureus
What is the problem with quorum sensing for gram positive organisms ?
They need to actively transport out of the cell using ATP binding casette? transporter system (ABC transporter)
What happens as biofilm begins to mature ?
Accumulation of quorum sensing signalling molecules causes the bacteria to display co-operative behavior
When do bacteria turn on their virulence genes ?
When they have sufficient numbers
What happens to biofilm formation when virulence is high ?
Biofilm formation is shut down as well as virulence
How can bacteria share information ?
Horizontal gene transfer
What is the process of conjugation ?
The sharing of mobile genetic elements such as plasmids between neighbouring bacteria
What else can bacteria do to take in genetic material ?
They can have sample genetic material floating around the environment freely. They plug these newly acquired genes into their own genome in the hope they find something useful
What is the name of the plasmid used in the Enterococcus ?
Pcf10
Where is PCF10 plasmid contained ?
Donor cell
What is the first step of the plasmid transfer process in Enterococcus ?
The recipient cell secreted high amount of the pheromone CCF10 which is encoded in its genome
What is the second step in plasmid transfer in Enterococcus ?
The pheromone CCF10 diffuses into the environment. If a donor cell is close enough for he pheromone to be in sufficient concentration, it initiates conjugation and transfers the plasma to the recipient resulting in both cells containing the plasmid
Where does the vibrio cholerae attack ?
Gut/small intestine
Where do the vibrio cholerae move from ?
The lumen of the small intestine to the surface of the microvilli
What secretion system do vibrio cholerae use ?
Type 6 secretion system
What is the function of the type 6 secretion system ?
To target and kill gut commensal bacteria on the surface of the microvilli
What is the main reason for the killing of bacteria by vibrio cholerae ?
To reduce competition for resources and make space for themselves on the surface of microvilli
What do signals from the microvillus environment do in bacterial virulence in vibrio cholerae ?
Induces expression of toxin co-regulated pili
What do vibrio cholerae do to cholera toxin ?
Produce and export cholera toxin
What does toxin co-regulated pili do to vibrio cholerae ?
Toxin co-regulated pili anchor the vibrio cholerae cells to host surface and a biofilm begins to form
What does cholera toxin do ?
Disrupts the metabolism of the human cells, causing increased production of cAMP
What does the rise in cAMP concentration signify in bacterial virulence in vibrio cholerae ?
Triggers the loss of water and electrolytes from the gut cells
Vibrio Cholerae, low cell density: What is low at the start of biofilm production ?
The concentration of autoinducer-2
What is autoinducer-2 synthesised by ?
LuxS protein and cholera autoinducer(CAI1)
Vibrio Cholerae, low cell density: What happens when the autoinducer levels are low ?
The AI receptor LuxP functions as a kinase
Vibrio Cholerae, low cell density: What is the function of the AI receptor LuxP ?
Funnels phosphate to the response regulator LuxO through a phospho-relay using LuxQ and LuxU
Vibrio Cholerae, low cell density: What does phosphorylated LuxO activate ?
The expression of four genes encoding the QRR sRNAs
Vibrio Cholerae, low cell density: What aids the expression of four genes encoding the QRR sRNAs ?
The nucleoid associative protein (FIS)
What is FIS associated with ?
Early exponential growth