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Microorganisms
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Bacterial Communication
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Bacterial Communication

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 7591

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Annabelle Merieau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Laboratory of Microbiology Signals and Microenvironment (LMSM EA 4312), University of Rouen Normandy, F-27000 Evreux, France
2. Research Federations NORVEGE Fed4277 & NORSEVE, Normandy University, F-76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Interests: epigenetics; adaptation; pathogens; cytotoxicity; bacterial secretion systems; Pseudomonas fluorescens

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fabulous adaptability of bacteria is attributable in large part to their ability to communicate with each other as well as with their environment. In response to abiotic, eukaryotic or prokaryotic stimuli, bacteria emit responses to coordinate and modulate their behaviour. This dialog is essential to preserve their niches or to conquer new habitats. Understanding the mechanisms of bacterial communication is therefore one of the major issues in microbiology. Indeed, knowledge on the mechanisms related to signal perception or emission by bacteria is a prerequisite for the optimisation of future biocontrol strategies.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms welcomes researchers to contribute research articles, reviews and opinions addressing the latest knowledge on interbacterial communication, quorum sensing, and plant–bacteria or animal cell–bacteria interactions, both in fundamental research and its applications.

Dr. Annabelle Merieau
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 2577 KiB  
Article
BDSF Analogues Inhibit Quorum Sensing-Regulated Biofilm Production in Xylella fastidiosa
by Conor Horgan, Clelia Baccari, Michelle O’Driscoll, Steven E. Lindow and Timothy P. O’Sullivan
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2496; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122496 - 4 Dec 2024
Viewed by 869
Abstract
Xylella fastidiosa is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that is responsible for many plant diseases. The bacterium is the causal agent of Pierce’s disease in grapes and is also responsible for citrus variegated chlorosis, peach phony disease, olive quick decline syndrome and leaf scorches [...] Read more.
Xylella fastidiosa is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that is responsible for many plant diseases. The bacterium is the causal agent of Pierce’s disease in grapes and is also responsible for citrus variegated chlorosis, peach phony disease, olive quick decline syndrome and leaf scorches of various species. The production of biofilm is intrinsically linked with persistence and transmission in X. fastidiosa. Biofilm formation is regulated by members of the Diffusible Signal Factor (DSF) quorum sensing signalling family which are comprised of a series of long chain cis-unsaturated fatty acids. This article describes the evaluation of a library of N-acyl sulfonamide bioisosteric analogues of BDSF, XfDSF1 and XfDSF2 for their ability to control biofilm production in X. fastidiosa. The compounds were screened against both the wild-type strain Temecula and an rpfF* mutant which can perceive but not produce XfDSF. Planktonic cell abundance was measured via OD600 while standard crystal violet assays were used to determine biofilm biomass. Several compounds were found to be effective biofilm inhibitors depending on the nature of the sulfonamide substituent. The findings reported here may provide future opportunities for biocontrol of this important plant pathogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Communication)
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20 pages, 3302 KiB  
Article
Unraveling the Intertwined Effect of pH on Helicobacter pylori Motility and the Microrheology of the Mucin-Based Medium It Swims in
by Clover Su-Arcaro, Wentian Liao, Katarzyna Bieniek, Maira A. Constantino, Savannah M. Decker, Bradley S. Turner and Rama Bansil
Microorganisms 2023, 11(11), 2745; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11112745 - 10 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2529
Abstract
The gastric pathogen, Helicobacter pylori bacteria have to swim across a pH gradient from 2 to 7 in the mucus layer to colonize the gastric epithelium. Previous studies from our group have shown that porcine gastric mucin (PGM) gels at an acidic pH [...] Read more.
The gastric pathogen, Helicobacter pylori bacteria have to swim across a pH gradient from 2 to 7 in the mucus layer to colonize the gastric epithelium. Previous studies from our group have shown that porcine gastric mucin (PGM) gels at an acidic pH < 4, and H. pylori bacteria are unable to swim in the gel, although their flagella rotate. Changing pH impacts both the rheological properties of gastric mucin and also influences the proton (H+)-pumped flagellar motors of H. pylori as well as their anti-pH sensing receptors. To unravel these intertwined effects of acidic pH on both the viscoelastic properties of the mucin-based mucus as well as the flagellar motors and chemo-receptors of the bacterium, we compared the motility of H. pylori in PGM with that in Brucella broth (BB10) at different pH values using phase contrast microscopy to track the motion of the bacteria. The results show that the distribution of swimming speeds and other characteristics of the bacteria trajectories exhibit pH-dependent differences in both media. The swimming speed exhibits a peak at pH 4 in BB10, and a less pronounced peak at a higher pH of 5 in PGM. At all pH values, the bacteria swam faster and had a longer net displacement in BB10 compared to PGM. While the bacteria were stuck in PGM gels at pH < 4, they swam at these acidic pH values in BB10, although with reduced speed. Decreasing pH leads to a decreased fraction of motile bacteria, with a decreased contribution of the faster swimmers to the distributions of speeds and net displacement of trajectories. The body rotation rate is weakly dependent on pH in BB10, whereas in PGM bacteria that are immobilized in the low pH gel are capable of mechano-sensing and rotate faster. Bacteria can be stuck in the gel in various ways, including the flagella getting entangled in the fibers of the gel or the cell body being stuck to the gel. Our results show that in BB10, swimming is optimized at pH4, reflecting the combined effects of pH sensing by anti-pH tactic receptors and impact on H+ pumping of flagellar motors, while the increase in viscosity of PGM with decreasing pH and gelation below pH 4 lead to further reduction in swimming speed, with optimal swimming at pH 5 and immobilization of bacteria below pH 4. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Communication)
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17 pages, 4773 KiB  
Article
The Deciphering of Growth-Dependent Strategies for Quorum-Sensing Networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by Tereza Juříková, Hynek Mácha, Vanda Lupjanová, Tomáš Pluháček, Helena Marešová, Barbora Papoušková, Dominika Luptáková, Rutuja H. Patil, Oldřich Benada, Michal Grulich and Andrea Palyzová
Microorganisms 2023, 11(9), 2329; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092329 - 15 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1949
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among nosocomial pathogens. In respiratory infections, P. aeruginosa acts not only as a single player but also collaborates with the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. This study introduced a QS [...] Read more.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among nosocomial pathogens. In respiratory infections, P. aeruginosa acts not only as a single player but also collaborates with the opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. This study introduced a QS molecule portfolio as a potential new biomarker that affects the secretion of virulence factors and biofilm formation. The quantitative levels of QS molecules, including 3-o-C12-HSL, 3-o-C8-HSL, C4-HSL, C6-HSL, HHQ, PQS, and PYO, measured using mass spectrometry in a monoculture, indicated metabolic changes during the transition from planktonic to sessile cells. In the co-cultures with A. fumigatus, the profile of abundant QS molecules was reduced to 3-o-C12-HSL, C4-HSL, PQS, and PYO. A decrease in C4-HSL by 50% to 170.6 ± 11.8 ng/mL and an increase 3-o-C12-HSL by 30% up to 784.4 ± 0.6 ng/mL were detected at the stage of the coverage of the hyphae with bacteria. Using scanning electron microscopy, we showed the morphological stages of the P. aeruginosa biofilm, such as cell aggregates, maturated biofilm, and cell dispersion. qPCR quantification of the genome equivalents of both microorganisms suggested that they exhibited an interplay strategy rather than antagonism. This is the first study demonstrating the quantitative growth-dependent appearance of QS molecule secretion in a monoculture of P. aeruginosa and a co-culture with A. fumigatus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Communication)
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Review

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12 pages, 1137 KiB  
Review
Deciphering Bacterial Chemorepulsion: The Complex Response of Microbes to Environmental Stimuli
by Ruixin Fu and Haichao Feng
Microorganisms 2024, 12(8), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12081706 - 18 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1442
Abstract
Bacterial motility relying on flagella is characterized by several modes, including swimming, swarming, twitching, and gliding. This motility allows bacteria to adapt remarkably well to hostile environments. More than 50% of bacteria naturally contain flagella, which are crucial for bacterial chemotaxis motility. Chemotaxis [...] Read more.
Bacterial motility relying on flagella is characterized by several modes, including swimming, swarming, twitching, and gliding. This motility allows bacteria to adapt remarkably well to hostile environments. More than 50% of bacteria naturally contain flagella, which are crucial for bacterial chemotaxis motility. Chemotaxis can be either positive, where bacteria move towards a chemical source, or negative, known as chemorepulsion, where bacteria move away from the source. Although much is known about the mechanisms driving chemotaxis towards attractants, the molecular mechanisms underlying chemorepulsion remain elusive. Chemotaxis plays an important role in the colonization of the rhizosphere by rhizobacteria. Recently, researchers have systematically studied the identification and recognition mechanisms of chemoattractants. However, the mechanisms underlying chemorepellents remain unclear. Systematically sorting and analyzing research on chemorepellents could significantly enhance our understanding of how these compounds help probiotics evade harmful environments or drive away pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Communication)
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