Courtesy of Kendra Rumbaugh
Eukaryotic and prokaryotic signaling molecules have similar functions. Mammalian steroid hormones bind to cognate nuclear hormone receptors;
Mammals possess sophisticated endocrine networks in which hormonal signals modulate hundreds of biological effects such as cell differentiation, reproduction, and immune responses. Disrupting these pathways often leads to dire consequences such as birth defects and cancer. Though bacteria are unicellular, they also possess signaling pathways that can be likened to tiny endocrine systems.
Bacterial quorum sensing (QS) pathways allow bacteria to sense their cell density and respond by coordinating protein expression. Thus bacteria communicate and can coordinate their efforts in diverse activities such as building biofilms, transferring DNA, or causing infections. QS has forced microbiologists to view bacteria not as single entities but as ...
