In the most simplified quorum sensing systems, bacteria only need two components to make use of autoinducers. They need a way to produce a signal and a way to respond to that signal. These cellular processes are often tightly coordinated and involve changes in gene expression. The production of autoinducers generally increases as bacterial cell densities increase. Most signals are produced intracellularly and are subsequently secreted in the extracellular environment. Detection of autoinducers often involves diffusion back into cells and binding to specific receptors. Usually, binding of autoinducers to receptors does not occur until a threshold concentration of autoinducers is achieved. Once this has occurred, bound receptors alter gene expression either directly or indirectly. Some receptors are transcription factors themselves, while others relay signals to downstream transcription factors. In many cases, autoinducers participate in forward feedback loops, whereby a small initial concentration of an autoinducer amplifies the production of that same chemical signal to much higher levels.
Gram-positive bacteria that participate in quorum sensing typically use secreted oligopeptides as autoinducers. Peptide autoinducers usually result from posttranslational modification of a larger precursor molecule. In many Gram-positive bacteria, secretion of peptides requires specialized export mechanisms. For example, some peptide autoinducers are secreted by ATP-binding cassette transporters that couple proteolytic processing and cellular export. Following secretion, peptide autoinducers accumulate in extracellular environments. Once a threshold level of signal is reached, a histidine sensor kinase protein of a two-component regulatory system detects it and a signal is relayed into the cell. As with AHLs, the signal ultimately ends up altering gene expression. Unlike some AHLs, however, most oligopeptides do not act as transcription factors themselves.
As mentioned, Gram-negative bacteria primarily use acylated homoserine lactones (AHLs) as autoinducer molecules. The minimum quorum sensing circuit in Gram-negative bacteria consists of a protein that synthesizes an AHL and a second, different protein that detects it and causes a change in gene expression. First identified in V. fischeri, these two such proteins are LuxI and LuxR, respectively. Other Gram-negative bacteria use LuxI-like and LuxR-like proteins (homologs), suggesting a high degree of evolutionary conservation. However, among Gram-negatives, the LuxI/LuxI-type circuit has been modified in different species. Described in more detail below, these modifications reflect bacterial adaptations to grow and respond to particular niche environments.
LasR bound by its autoinducer also activates the expression of the RhlI/RhlR system in P. aeruginosa. This causes the expression of RhlR which then binds its autoinducer, N-(butryl)-homoserine lactone. In turn, autoinducer-bound RhlR activates a second class of genes involved in later stages of infection, including genes needed for antibiotic production. Presumably, antibiotic production by P. aeruginosa is used to prevent opportunistic infections by other bacterial species. N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-homoserine lactone prevents binding between N-(butryl)-homoserine lactone and its cognate regulator, RhlR. It is believed that this control mechanism allows P. aeruginosa to initiate the quorum-sensing cascades sequentially and in the appropriate order so that a proper infection cycle can ensue.
Whereas Gram-negative bacteria primarily use acylated homoserine lactones, Gram-positive bacteria generally use oligopeptides as autoinducers for quorum sensing. These molecules are often synthesized as larger polypeptides that are cleaved post-translationally to produce "processed" peptides. Unlike AHLs that can freely diffuse across cell membranes, peptide autoinducers usually require specialized transport mechanisms (often ABC transporters). Additionally, they do not freely diffuse back into cells, so bacteria that use them must have mechanisms to detect them in their extracellular environments. Most Gram-positive bacteria use a two-component signaling mechanism in quorum sensing. Secreted peptide autoinducers accumulate as a function of cell density. Once a quorum level of autoinducer is achieved, its interaction with a sensor kinase at the cell membrane initiates a series of phosphorylation events that culminate in the phosphorylation of a regulator protein intracellularly. This regulator protein subsequently functions as a transcription factor and alters gene expression. Similar to Gram-negative bacteria, the autoinduction and quorum sensing system in Gram-positive bacteria is conserved, but again, individual species have tailored specific aspects for surviving and communicating in unique niche environments.
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