Short-range quorum sensing controls horizontal gene transfer at micron scale in bacterial communities

Jordi van Gestel (), Tasneem Bareia (), Bar Tenennbaum, Alma Dal Co, Polina Guler, Nitzan Aframian, Shani Puyesky, Ilana Grinberg, Glen G. D’Souza, Zohar Erez, Martin Ackermann and Avigdor Eldar ()
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Jordi van Gestel: ETH Zürich
Tasneem Bareia: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Bar Tenennbaum: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Alma Dal Co: ETH Zürich
Polina Guler: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Nitzan Aframian: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Shani Puyesky: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Ilana Grinberg: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University
Glen G. D’Souza: ETH Zürich
Zohar Erez: Weizmann Institute of Science
Martin Ackermann: ETH Zürich
Avigdor Eldar: The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel-Aviv University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract In bacterial communities, cells often communicate by the release and detection of small diffusible molecules, a process termed quorum-sensing. Signal molecules are thought to broadly diffuse in space; however, they often regulate traits such as conjugative transfer that strictly depend on the local community composition. This raises the question how nearby cells within the community can be detected. Here, we compare the range of communication of different quorum-sensing systems. While some systems support long-range communication, we show that others support a form of highly localized communication. In these systems, signal molecules propagate no more than a few microns away from signaling cells, due to the irreversible uptake of the signal molecules from the environment. This enables cells to accurately detect micron scale changes in the community composition. Several mobile genetic elements, including conjugative elements and phages, employ short-range communication to assess the fraction of susceptible host cells in their vicinity and adaptively trigger horizontal gene transfer in response. Our results underscore the complex spatial biology of bacteria, which can communicate and interact at widely different spatial scales.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22649-4

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