Vibrio_wodanis_and_Moritella_viscosa_transcriptomics

Bacteria coordinate activities as a population which likely provides a selective advantage in the natural environment by allowing them to alter their morphology and physiology quickly to adapt to environmental changes. In order to adapt, bacteria need a wide variety of mechanisms for sensing and responding to these changes. Recent work has clarified many aspects of how bacteria communicate and synchronize cell behaviour through an elegant process known as quorum sensing (QS). QS mediated by signal molecules, referred to as Autoinducers (AI), enable bacteria to control and synchronize behaviour such as motility, biofilm formation, virulence factor production and bioluminescence under different environmental conditions. Although some details of QS are known for a few model organisms, the understanding of the broader role of QS in gene regulation and behaviour of cell populations and the diversity of adaptive responses remains fragmented.