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Review
. 2009 Apr;12(2):192-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2009.01.006. Epub 2009 Mar 21.

Inter-kingdom signaling: chemical language between bacteria and host

Alline R Pacheco  1 , Vanessa Sperandio
Affiliations
Review

Inter-kingdom signaling: chemical language between bacteria and host

Alline R Pacheco et al. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Chemical communication between cells ensures coordination of behavior. In prokaryotes, this chemical communication is usually referred to as quorum sensing, while eukaryotic cells signal through hormones. In the past years, a growing number of reports have shown that bacterial quorum sensing signals, called autoinducers, signal to eukaryotic cells, mimicking hormones. Conversely, host hormones can signal to bacterial cells through converging pathways to autoinducer signaling. This inter-kingdom signaling mediates symbiotic and pathogenic relationships between bacteria, mammalian and plant hosts.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical signals used in cell-to-cell communication between bacteria and host.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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