A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation

Bacteria constantly monitor the environment they reside in and respond to potential changes in the environment through a variety of signal sensing and transduction mechanisms in a timely fashion. Those signaling mechanisms often involve application of small, diffusible ch...

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Main Authors: Yun Chen, Kevin Gozzi, Yunrong Chai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Shared Science Publishers OG 2015-09-01
Series:Microbial Cell
Subjects:
Online Access:http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/a-bacterial-volatile-signal-for-biofilm-formation/
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author Yun Chen
Kevin Gozzi
Yunrong Chai
author_facet Yun Chen
Kevin Gozzi
Yunrong Chai
author_sort Yun Chen
collection DOAJ
description Bacteria constantly monitor the environment they reside in and respond to potential changes in the environment through a variety of signal sensing and transduction mechanisms in a timely fashion. Those signaling mechanisms often involve application of small, diffusible chemical molecules. Volatiles are a group of small air-transmittable chemicals that are produced universally by all kingdoms of organisms. Past studies have shown that volatiles can function as cell-cell communication signals not only within species, but also cross-species. However, little is known about how the volatile-mediated signaling mechanism works. In our recent study (Chen, et al. mBio (2015), 6: e00392-15), we demonstrated that the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses acetic acid as a volatile signal to coordinate the timing of biofilm formation within physically separated cells in the community. We also showed that the bacterium possesses an intertwined gene network to produce, secrete, sense, and respond to acetic acid, in stimulating biofilm formation. Interestingly, many of those genes are highly conserved in other bacterial species, raising the possibility that acetic acid may act as a volatile signal for cross-species communication.
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spelling doaj-art-2efdaec7f00a4a0ebcaa1ccb24f05c1d2025-08-20T02:53:21ZengShared Science Publishers OGMicrobial Cell2311-26382015-09-0121040640810.15698/mic2015.10.233123455678A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formationYun Chen0Kevin Gozzi1Yunrong Chai2Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.Bacteria constantly monitor the environment they reside in and respond to potential changes in the environment through a variety of signal sensing and transduction mechanisms in a timely fashion. Those signaling mechanisms often involve application of small, diffusible chemical molecules. Volatiles are a group of small air-transmittable chemicals that are produced universally by all kingdoms of organisms. Past studies have shown that volatiles can function as cell-cell communication signals not only within species, but also cross-species. However, little is known about how the volatile-mediated signaling mechanism works. In our recent study (Chen, et al. mBio (2015), 6: e00392-15), we demonstrated that the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses acetic acid as a volatile signal to coordinate the timing of biofilm formation within physically separated cells in the community. We also showed that the bacterium possesses an intertwined gene network to produce, secrete, sense, and respond to acetic acid, in stimulating biofilm formation. Interestingly, many of those genes are highly conserved in other bacterial species, raising the possibility that acetic acid may act as a volatile signal for cross-species communication.http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/a-bacterial-volatile-signal-for-biofilm-formation/volatilesacetic acidbiofilm formationBacillus subtilis
spellingShingle Yun Chen
Kevin Gozzi
Yunrong Chai
A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
Microbial Cell
volatiles
acetic acid
biofilm formation
Bacillus subtilis
title A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
title_full A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
title_fullStr A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
title_full_unstemmed A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
title_short A bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
title_sort bacterial volatile signal for biofilm formation
topic volatiles
acetic acid
biofilm formation
Bacillus subtilis
url http://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/a-bacterial-volatile-signal-for-biofilm-formation/
work_keys_str_mv AT yunchen abacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation
AT kevingozzi abacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation
AT yunrongchai abacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation
AT yunchen bacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation
AT kevingozzi bacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation
AT yunrongchai bacterialvolatilesignalforbiofilmformation