All cellular membranes have the functionality of generating and maintaining the gradients of electrical and electrochemical potentials. Such potentials were generally thought to be an essential but homeostatic contributor to complex bacterial behaviors. Recent studies have revised this view, and we now know that bacterial membrane potential is dynamic and plays signaling roles in cell-cell interaction, adaptation to antibiotics, and sensation of cellular conditions and environments. These discoveries argue that bacterial membrane potential dynamics deserve more attention. Here, we review the recent studies revealing the signaling roles of bacterial membrane potential dynamics. We also introduce basic biophysical theories of the membrane potential to the microbiology community and discuss the needs to revise these theories for applications in bacterial electrophysiology.

中文翻译：

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微生物学家的膜势动力学指南。

所有细胞膜都具有产生和维持电势和电化学势梯度的功能。这种潜力通常被认为是复杂细菌行为的重要但稳态因素。最近的研究修正了这一观点，我们现在知道细菌膜电位是动态的，并且在细胞间相互作用、对抗生素的适应以及对细胞条件和环境的感觉中起着信号作用。这些发现表明，细菌膜电位动力学值得更多关注。在这里，我们回顾了最近的研究，揭示了细菌膜电位动力学的信号传导作用。