Bacteria communicate with chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. This process, called quorum-sensing, allows bacteria to count the members in the community and to synchronously alter gene expression of the population. Quorum-sensing-controlled processes are often crucial for successful bacterial-host relationships; both symbiotic and pathogenic. Most quorum-sensing autoinducers promote intra-species communication, but one autoinducer, called AI-2, is produced and detected by a wide variety of bacteria and is proposed to allow inter-species communication,. We show here that some species of bacteria can manipulate AI-2 signalling and interfere with other species’ ability to correctly assess and respond to changes in cell population density. AI-2-signalling and interference with it could have important ramifications for eukaryotes in maintaining normal microflora and in protection from pathogenic bacteria.
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