| Autor: |
Tan CH; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore., Oh HS; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.; Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 01811 Seoul, South Korea., Sheraton VM; Complexity Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore., Mancini E; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, 1012 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands., Joachim Loo SC; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore., Kjelleberg S; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.; The School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.; Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, The Schools of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, and Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, 2031 Sydney, Australia., Sloot PMA; Complexity Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, 1012 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands.; ITMO University, 197101 St. Petersburg, Russian Federation., Rice SA; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.; The School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.; The ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, 2007 Sydney, Australia. |
| Abstrakt: |
The mechanisms and impact of bacterial quorum sensing (QS) for the coordination of population-level behaviors are well studied under laboratory conditions. However, it is unclear how, in otherwise open environmental systems, QS signals accumulate to sufficient concentration to induce QS phenotypes, especially when quorum quenching (QQ) organisms are also present. We explore the impact of QQ activity on QS signaling in spatially organized biofilms in scenarios that mimic open systems of natural and engineered environments. Using a functionally differentiated biofilm system, we show that the extracellular matrix, local flow, and QQ interact to modulate communication. In still aqueous environments, convection facilitates signal dispersal while the matrix absorbs and relays signals to the cells. This process facilitates inter-biofilm communication even at low extracellular signal concentrations. Within the biofilm, the matrix further regulates the transport of the competing QS and QQ molecules, leading to heterogenous QS behavior. Importantly, only extracellular QQ enzymes can effectively control QS signaling, suggesting that the intracellular QQ enzymes may not have evolved to degrade environmental QS signals for competition. |
