Milton Debra L
Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
Int J Med Microbiol. 2006 Apr;296(2-3):61-71. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2006.01.044. Epub 2006 Feb 17.
N-acylhomoserine lactone-dependent quorum sensing was first discovered in two luminescent marine bacteria, Vibrio fischeri and Vibrio harveyi. The LuxI/R system of V. fischeri is the paradigm of Gram-negative quorum-sensing systems; however, it is not found in all vibrios. A more complex quorum-sensing regulation is found in V. harveyi. Three parallel systems transmit signals via phosphorelays that converge onto one regulatory protein LuxO. Components of the three systems are found only in vibrios. Of the five Vibrio strains analysed, the number and types of signal circuits found in each strain are diverse. The signalling systems have different regulatory responses depending on the type of association the Vibrio strains have with an animal host, which may reflect the diverse roles the vibrios have in structuring and maintaining microniches within the aquatic milieu. Further studies are likely to show that the diversity and complexity of the Vibrio quorum-sensing systems coordinate intraspecies behaviour, niche occupation, and possibly evolution.
N-酰基高丝氨酸内酯依赖性群体感应最初是在两种发光海洋细菌——费氏弧菌和哈氏弧菌中发现的。费氏弧菌的LuxI/R系统是革兰氏阴性菌群体感应系统的范例；然而，并非所有弧菌中都存在该系统。在哈氏弧菌中发现了更复杂的群体感应调控。三个平行系统通过磷酸化信号转导途径传递信号，这些信号转导途径汇聚到一个调节蛋白LuxO上。这三个系统的组成部分仅在弧菌中发现。在所分析的五种弧菌菌株中，每种菌株中发现的信号回路的数量和类型各不相同。信号系统根据弧菌菌株与动物宿主的关联类型具有不同的调节反应，这可能反映了弧菌在构建和维持水生环境中的微生境方面所起的不同作用。进一步的研究可能会表明，弧菌群体感应系统的多样性和复杂性协调了种内行为、生态位占据以及可能的进化。
