Communication between bacteria, belonging to the same species or to different species, is mediated through different chemical signals that are synthesized and secreted by bacteria. These signals can either be cell-density related (autoinducers) or be produced by bacteria at different stages of growth, and they allow bacteria to monitor their environment and alter gene expression to derive a competitive advantage. The properties of these signals and the response elicited by them are important in ensuring bacterial survival and propagation in natural environments (e.g., human oral cavity) where hundreds of bacterial species coexist. First, the interaction between a signal and its receptor is very specific, which underlies intraspecies communication and quorum sensing. Second, when multiple signals are synthesized by the same bacterium, the signaling circuits utilized by the different signals are coordinately regulated with distinct overall circuit architecture so as to maximize the overall response. Third, the recognition of a universal communication signal synthesized by different bacterial species (interspecies communication), as well that of signals produced by eukaryotic cells (interkingdom communication), is also integral to the formation of multispecies biofilm communities that are important in infection and disease. The focus of this review is on the principles underlying signal-mediated bacterial communication, with specific emphasis on the potential for using them in two applications-development of synthetic biology modules and circuits, and the control of biofilm formation and infection.

中文翻译：

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细菌群体感应：信号，电路以及对生物膜和疾病的影响。

属于同一物种或不同物种的细菌之间的交流是通过细菌合成和分泌的不同化学信号介导的。这些信号可能与细胞密度有关（自动诱导物），也可能由细菌处于不同生长阶段产生，它们使细菌能够监测其环境并改变基因表达以获得竞争优势。这些信号的性质以及它们引起的响应对于确保细菌在数百种细菌共存的自然环境（例如人口腔）中的存活和繁殖很重要。首先，信号与其受体之间的相互作用非常特殊，这是种内通信和群体感应的基础。其次，当同一细菌合成多个信号时，通过不同的整体电路架构来协调调节不同信号所利用的信令电路，以使整体响应最大化。第三，识别由不同细菌物种合成的通用通信信号（种间通信）以及由真核细胞产生的信号（种间通信），对于形成对感染和疾病很重要的多物种生物膜群落也必不可少。这篇综述的重点是信号介导的细菌传播的基本原理，特别着重于在合成生物学模块和电路开发以及生物膜形成和感染控制这两个应用中使用它们的潜力。