Quorum sensing in Vibrio controls carbon metabolism to optimize growth in changing environmental conditions.

Bacteria sense population density via the cell-cell communication system called quorum sensing (QS). The evolution of QS and its maintenance or loss in mixed bacterial communities is highly relevant to understanding how cell-cell signaling impacts bacterial fitness and competition, particularly under varying environmental conditions such as nutrient availability. We uncovered a phenomenon in which Vibrio cells grown in minimal medium optimize expression of the methionine and tetrahydrofolate (THF) synthesis genes via QS.

Bacterial quorum sensing controls carbon metabolism to optimize growth in changing environmental conditions.

Bacteria sense population density via the cell-cell communication system called quorum sensing (QS). Some QS-regulated phenotypes ( , secreted enzymes, chelators), are public goods exploitable by cells that stop producing them. We uncovered a phenomenon in which cells optimize expression of the methionine and tetrahydrofolate (THF) synthesis genes via QS.