Pheromones among the procaryotes.

A pheromone is a chemical excreted by an organism into the environment that acts to elicit a specific response from other organisms of the same species. The importance of pheromones in the life cycle of various species of mammals, insects, and fungi is well known. In the past decade, it has become apparent that pheromones influence the behavior and development of prokaryotes. Pheromones excreted by myxobacteria, actinomycetes, and cyanobacteria elicit specific developmental responses from these organisms. In addition, pheromones excreted by Streptococcus faecalis function in conjugation, and pheromones of luminescent bacteria regulate bioluminescence of these organisms.