Westhoff Sanne, van Wezel Gilles P, Rozen Daniel E
Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylvius Laboratory, Sylviusweg 72, 2300 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylvius Laboratory, Sylviusweg 72, 2300 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
Curr Opin Microbiol. 2017 Apr;36:95-101. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.02.002. Epub 2017 Mar 1.
The last decade has seen a resurgence in our understanding of the diverse mechanisms that bacteria use to kill one another. We are also beginning to uncover the responses and countermeasures that bacteria use when faced with specific threats or general cues of potential danger from bacterial competitors. In this Perspective, we propose that diverse offensive and defensive responses in bacteria have evolved to offset dangers detected at different distances. Thus, while volatile organic compounds provide bacterial cells with a warning at the greatest distance, diffusible compounds like antibiotics or contact mediated killing systems, indicate a more pressing danger warranting highly-specific responses. In the competitive environments in which bacteria live, it is crucial that cells are able to detect real or potential dangers from other cells. By utilizing mechanisms of detection that can infer the distance from danger, bacteria can fine-tune aggressive interactions so that they can optimally respond to threats occurring with distinct levels of risk.
在过去十年里，我们对细菌用于相互杀灭的多种机制的理解有了复兴。我们也开始揭示细菌在面对特定威胁或来自细菌竞争者的潜在危险的一般线索时所采用的反应和对策。在这篇观点文章中，我们提出细菌中多样的进攻性和防御性反应已经进化以抵消在不同距离检测到的危险。因此，虽然挥发性有机化合物在最大距离为细菌细胞提供了一个警告，但像抗生素这样的可扩散化合物或接触介导的杀伤系统，则表明存在更紧迫的危险，需要高度特异性的反应。在细菌生存的竞争环境中，细胞能够检测来自其他细胞的真实或潜在危险至关重要。通过利用能够推断与危险距离的检测机制，细菌可以微调攻击性相互作用，以便它们能够最佳地应对具有不同风险水平的威胁。
