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Nature Reviews. Microbiology Aug 2016Bacteria use quorum sensing to orchestrate gene expression programmes that underlie collective behaviours. Quorum sensing relies on the production, release, detection... (Review)
Review
Bacteria use quorum sensing to orchestrate gene expression programmes that underlie collective behaviours. Quorum sensing relies on the production, release, detection and group-level response to extracellular signalling molecules, which are called autoinducers. Recent work has discovered new autoinducers in Gram-negative bacteria, shown how these molecules are recognized by cognate receptors, revealed new regulatory components that are embedded in canonical signalling circuits and identified novel regulatory network designs. In this Review we examine how, together, these features of quorum sensing signal-response systems combine to control collective behaviours in Gram-negative bacteria and we discuss the implications for host-microbial associations and antibacterial therapy.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Proteins; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Pheromones; Quorum Sensing; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 27510864
DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.89 -
Current Biology : CB Aug 2017The reality of invisible chemical signals, pheromones, between members of the same species was recognized long before they could be identified. Charles Darwin proposed...
The reality of invisible chemical signals, pheromones, between members of the same species was recognized long before they could be identified. Charles Darwin proposed that the breeding season sexual smells of male crocodiles, goats and other animals, too, could have evolved by sexual selection of the smelliest males through female choice. But it's not just sex. We now know that pheromones are used by species all across the animal kingdom, in every habitat, and in a wide range of biological contexts, from trail, alarm, and queen pheromones in social insects to the mammary pheromone produced by mother rabbits. Pheromones have provided fascinating examples of signal evolution. In some model organisms, such as moths, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Mus musculus, a complete signaling system can be genetically dissected, from the enzymes producing pheromones, perception by chemosensory receptors, through to the neural circuits processing the signals.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Pheromones; Pheromones, Human
PubMed: 28787598
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.039 -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Mar 2022Fungi exhibit an enormous variety of morphologies, including yeast colonies, hyphal mycelia, and elaborate fruiting bodies. This diversity arises through a combination... (Review)
Review
Fungi exhibit an enormous variety of morphologies, including yeast colonies, hyphal mycelia, and elaborate fruiting bodies. This diversity arises through a combination of polar growth, cell division, and cell fusion. Because fungal cells are nonmotile and surrounded by a protective cell wall that is essential for cell integrity, potential fusion partners must grow toward each other until they touch and then degrade the intervening cell walls without impacting cell integrity. Here, we review recent progress on understanding how fungi overcome these challenges. Extracellular chemoattractants, including small peptide pheromones, mediate communication between potential fusion partners, promoting the local activation of core cell polarity regulators to orient polar growth and cell wall degradation. However, in crowded environments, pheromone gradients can be complex and potentially confusing, raising the question of how cells can effectively find their partners. Recent findings suggest that the cell polarity circuit exhibits searching behavior that can respond to pheromone cues through a remarkably flexible and effective strategy called exploratory polarization.
Topics: Cell Communication; Cell Fusion; Chemotaxis; Pheromones; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
PubMed: 35138122
DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00165-21 -
Natural Product Reports May 2017The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans produces tens, if not hundreds, of different ascarosides as pheromones to communicate with other members of its species. Overlapping... (Review)
Review
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans produces tens, if not hundreds, of different ascarosides as pheromones to communicate with other members of its species. Overlapping mixtures of these pheromones affect the development of the worm and a variety of different behaviors. The ascarosides represent a unique tool for dissecting the neural circuitry that controls behavior and that connects to important signaling pathways, such as the insulin and TGFβ pathways, that lie at the nexus of development, metabolism, and lifespan in C. elegans. However, the exact physiological roles of many of the ascarosides are unclear, especially since many of these pheromones likely have multiple functions depending on their concentrations, the presence of other pheromones, and a variety of other factors. Determining these physiological roles will be facilitated by top-down approaches to characterize the pheromone receptors and their function, as well as bottom-up approaches to characterize the pheromone biosynthetic enzymes and their regulation.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Molecular Structure; Pheromones
PubMed: 28386618
DOI: 10.1039/c7np00007c -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Jun 2019Algal blooms have severe impacts on the utilization of water resources. The discovery of allelopathy provides a new dimension to solving this problem due to its high... (Review)
Review
Algal blooms have severe impacts on the utilization of water resources. The discovery of allelopathy provides a new dimension to solving this problem due to its high efficiency, safety and economy. Allelopathy can suppress the growth of microalgae by impairing the structure, photosynthesis and enzyme activity of algal cells. In the current work, we first demonstrate the allelopathy and allelochemicals derived from both plants and algae. We then expound the potential mechanisms of allelopathy on microalgae. Next, the potential application of allelochemicals in water environment is proposed. Finally, the key challenge and future perspective are presented.
Topics: Allelopathy; Environmental Restoration and Remediation; Harmful Algal Bloom; Microalgae; Pheromones; Plants
PubMed: 30688632
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000776 -
Microbiology Spectrum Mar 2017Although at the level of resolution of genes and molecules most information about mating in fungi is from a single lineage, the Dikarya, many fundamental discoveries... (Review)
Review
Although at the level of resolution of genes and molecules most information about mating in fungi is from a single lineage, the Dikarya, many fundamental discoveries about mating in fungi have been made in the earlier branches of the fungi. These are nonmonophyletic groups that were once classified into the chytrids and zygomycetes. Few species in these lineages offer the potential of genetic tractability, thereby hampering the ability to identify the genes that underlie those fundamental insights. Research performed during the past decade has now established the genes required for mating type determination and pheromone synthesis in some species in the phylum Mucoromycota, especially in the order Mucorales. These findings provide striking parallels with the evolution of mating systems in the Dikarya fungi. Other discoveries in the Mucorales provide the first examples of sex-cell type identity being driven directly by a gene that confers mating type, a trait considered more of relevance to animal sex determination but difficult to investigate in animals. Despite these discoveries, there remains much to be gleaned about mating systems from these fungi.
Topics: Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; Homologous Recombination; Mucorales; Pheromones
PubMed: 28332467
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.FUNK-0041-2017 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Oct 2015Understanding how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain to instruct appropriate behavior is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Drosophila has become a powerful... (Review)
Review
Understanding how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain to instruct appropriate behavior is a fundamental question in neuroscience. Drosophila has become a powerful model system to address this problem. Recent advances in characterizing the circuits underlying pheromone processing have put the field in a position to follow the transformation of these chemical signals all the way from the sensory periphery to decision making and motor output. Here we describe the latest advances, outline emerging principles of pheromone processing and discuss future questions.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Drosophila; Pheromones; Sex Characteristics
PubMed: 26143522
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.06.009 -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Dec 2022Most ascomycete fungi, including the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, secrete two peptidyl mating pheromones: C-terminally modified and unmodified peptides. S.... (Review)
Review
Most ascomycete fungi, including the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, secrete two peptidyl mating pheromones: C-terminally modified and unmodified peptides. S. pombe has two mating types, plus and minus, which secrete two different pheromones, P-factor (unmodified) and M-factor (modified), respectively. These pheromones are specifically recognized by receptors on the cell surface of cells of opposite mating types, which trigger a pheromone response. Recognition between pheromones and their corresponding receptors is important for mate discrimination; therefore, genetic changes in pheromone or receptor genes affect mate recognition and cause reproductive isolation that limits gene flow between populations. Such genetic variation in recognition via the pheromone/receptor system may drive speciation. Our recent studies reported that two pheromone receptors in S. pombe might have different stringencies in pheromone recognition. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanism of pheromone response and mating behavior, emphasizing pheromone diversification and its impact on reproductive isolation in S. pombe and closely related fission yeast species. We speculate that the "asymmetric" system might allow flexible adaptation to pheromone mutational changes while maintaining stringent recognition of mating partners. The loss of pheromone activity results in the extinction of an organism's lineage. Therefore, genetic changes in pheromones and their receptors may occur gradually and/or coincidently before speciation. Our findings suggest that the M-factor plays an important role in partner discrimination, whereas P-factor communication allows flexible adaptation to create variations in S. pombe. Our inferences provide new insights into the evolutionary mechanisms underlying pheromone diversification.
Topics: Schizosaccharomyces; Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; Peptides; Ascomycota; Pheromones
PubMed: 36468849
DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00130-22 -
Biomolecules Feb 2022Sex pheromone receptors are crucial in insects for mate finding and contribute to species premating isolation. Many pheromone receptors have been functionally...
Sex pheromone receptors are crucial in insects for mate finding and contribute to species premating isolation. Many pheromone receptors have been functionally characterized, especially in moths, but loss of function studies are rare. Notably, the potential role of pheromone receptors in the development of the macroglomeruli in the antennal lobe (the brain structures processing pheromone signals) is not known. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to knock-out the receptor for the major component of the sex pheromone of the noctuid moth , and investigated the resulting effects on electrophysiological responses of peripheral pheromone-sensitive neurons and on the structure of the macroglomeruli. We show that the inactivation of the receptor specifically affected the responses of the corresponding antennal neurons did not impact the number of macroglomeruli in the antennal lobe but reduced the size of the macroglomerulus processing input from neurons tuned to the main pheromone component. We suggest that this mutant neuroanatomical phenotype results from a lack of neuronal activity due to the absence of the pheromone receptor and potentially reduced neural connectivity between peripheral and antennal lobe neurons. This is the first evidence of the role of a moth pheromone receptor in macroglomerulus development and extends our knowledge of the different functions odorant receptors can have in insect neurodevelopment.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Moths; Pheromones; Receptors, Pheromone; Sex Attractants
PubMed: 35327533
DOI: 10.3390/biom12030341 -
MBio Dec 2022In , important processes such as competence development, sporulation, virulence, and biofilm formation are regulated by cytoplasmic quorum sensing (QS) receptors of the...
In , important processes such as competence development, sporulation, virulence, and biofilm formation are regulated by cytoplasmic quorum sensing (QS) receptors of the RRNPPA family using peptide-based communication. Although these systems regulate important processes in a variety of bacteria, their origin and diversification are poorly understood. Here, we integrate structural, genomic, and phylogenetic evidence to shed light on RRNPPA protein origin and diversification. The family is constituted by seven different subfamilies with different domain architectures and functions. Among these, three were found in (Rgg, ComR, and PrgX) and four in (AimR, NprR, PlcR, and Rap). The patterns of presence and the phylogeny of these proteins show that subfamilies diversified a long time ago, resulting in key structural and functional differences. The concordance between the distribution of subfamilies and the bacterial phylogeny was somewhat unexpected, since many of the subfamilies are very abundant in mobile genetic elements, such as phages, plasmids, and phage-plasmids. The existence of diverse propeptide architectures raises intriguing questions about their export and maturation. It also suggests the existence of diverse roles for the RRNPPA systems. Some systems encode multiple pheromones on the same propeptide or multiple similar propeptides, suggesting that they act as "chatterers." Many others lack pheromone genes and may be "eavesdroppers." Interestingly, AimR systems without associated propeptide genes were particularly abundant in chromosomal regions not classed as prophages, suggesting that either the bacterium or other mobile elements are eavesdropping on phage activity. Quorum sensing (QS) is a mechanism of bacterial communication, coordinating important decisions depending on bacterial population. QS regulates important processes not only in bacterial behavior but also in genetic mobile elements and host-guest interactions. In , the most important family of QS receptors is the RRNPPA family. Despite the importance of such systems in microbiology, we know little about RRNPPA origin and diversification. In this work, the combination of sequence analysis and structural biology allowed us to identify a very large number of novel systems but also to class of them in functional families and thereby study of their origin and functional diversification. Moreover, peptide pheromone analysis revealed new and intriguing mechanisms of communication, such as "eavesdropper" systems which only listen for the pheromone and "chatterers" that take control of the communication in their microenvironment.
Topics: Phylogeny; Bacterial Proteins; Quorum Sensing; Genomics; Evolution, Molecular; Peptides; Pheromones; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
PubMed: 36259720
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02514-22