Small talk. Cell-to-cell communication in bacteria.

Bonnie L Bassler

Index: Cell 109(4) , 421-4, (2002)

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

In a process called quorum sensing, groups of bacteria communicate with one another to coordinate their behavior and function like a multicellular organism. A diverse array of secreted chemical signal molecules and signal detection apparatuses facilitate highly productive intra- and interspecies relationships.