The role of Quorum Sensing in marine bacteria, Archaea and inter-kingdom communication

Abstract

Excerpt from Discission: Species-specific cell-cell signalling is involved in pathogenic or symbiotic interactions between a variety of bacteria and their plant and animal hosts [Parsek M.R. and Greenberg E.P. 2000]. It has been demonstrated that QS molecules are involved in attraction of zoospores of green seaweed Ulva and the detection of AHLs results in calcium influx into the zoospore. That was the first example of a calcium signalling event in a eukaryote in response to bacterial QS molecules [Joint I. et al. 2007]. Moreover, it has been showed that the interdial surfaces colonized by Ulva are dominated by α-Proteobacteria, and that this diverse assemblage both produces and degrades AHLs. These results suggested that AHLdegrading strains can affect bacterial community behaviour by interfering with QS between neighbouring bacteria [Tait K. et al. 2009]. It may therefore be the case that some kind of “communication” also exists between marine sponges and microorganisms that are specifically associated with them. From α- and γ-Proteobacteria isolated from marine sponges Mycale laxissima and Ircinia strobilina was detected a range of AHLs molecules, and among the bacteria tested, AHL production was more frequently observed for the Proteobacteria associated with M. laxissima than those with I. strobolina [Mohamed N.M. et al. 2008]. In the case of specific sponge-bacteria association, it is possible that specifically associated bacteria may thrive or at least survive with sponge. In fact a ribosomal RNA study of axenic cell cultures of Suberites domuncula showed a 16S rRNA band specific for bacteria [Thakur N.L. et al. 2003]. ...