munication外文文献.pdf

Intercellular Nanotubes Mediate Bacterial
Communication
Gyanendra P. Dubey1 and Sigal Ben-Yehuda1,*
1Department of Microbiology and Molecular ics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew
University-Hadassah Medical School, POB 12272, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
*Correspondence: ******@
DOI .
SUMMARY various inhabitants (Kolter and Greenberg, 2006; Kuchma
and O’Toole, 2000; Lemon et al., 2008; Straight and Kolter,
Bacteria are known municate primarily via 2009).
secreted extracellular factors. Here we identify a Multicellular activity is achieved by the ability of group
previously uncharacterized type of mu- members to exchange information in order to synchronize their
nication mediated by nanotubes that bridge neigh- behavior. Importantly, bacteria are not limited municate
boring cells. Using Bacillus subtilis as a model within their own species but are also capable of sending and
organism, we visualized transfer of cytoplasmic receiving messages in an interspecies manner. In both Gram-
positive and -negative bacteria, cell-to-cell exchange of informa-
fluorescent molecules between adjacent cells. Addi-
tion is mediated primarily by signaling molecules belonging to
tionally, by coculturing strains harboring different the general classes of low molecular weight autoinducers and
antibiotic resistance genes, we demonstrated that signaling oligopeptides (Bassler and Losick, 2006; Fuqua and
molecular exchange enables cells to transiently Greenberg, 2002; Lazazzera, 2001; Ng and Bassler, 2009). In
acquire nonhereditary resistance. Furthermore, non- a process known as quorum sensing (QS), the production and
conjugative plasmids could be transferred from detection of these signaling molecules is employed by bacteria
one cell to another, thereby conferring hereditary to monitor population density and modulate gene expression
features to recipient cells.