Bacterial Communication and New Therapy Targets
Continuing Education Credits
Objectives
- Summarize the concept and purpose of bacterial communication.
- Define quorum sensing.
- Identify the different types of cell-to-cell communication.
- List and define the benefits of bacterial communication.
- Describe the methods bacteria use to communicate.
- Discuss ways the scientific community can use this knowledge to identify new therapeutic targets.
Course Outline
- Brief History of Sociomicrobiology
- Introduction to Sociomicrobiology
- Sociomicrobiology in the 1960s and 1970s
- True or False: In 1970, the phenomenon of Aliivibrio fischeri using the enzyme lactase to coordinate growth and bioluminescence was discovered.
- Sociomicrobiology in the 1980s
- Sociomicrobiology in the 1990s
- What intercellular signal molecule was discovered to regulate luminescence in Aliivibrio fischeri?
- What technological advance in the 1990s reignited interest in bacterial communication?
- Overview of Cell Signaling
- Types of Cell Signaling: Paracrine
- Types of Cell Signaling: Autocrine
- Types of Cell Signaling: Direct Contact
- Types of Cell Signaling: Endocrine
- Match the type of signaling with its correct example:
- Understanding Bacterial Communication and Its Biological Significance
- Why Do Bacteria Communicate?
- Table 1: Advantages for Bacterial Communication
- How do pathogenic bacteria use communication to enhance virulence?
- How Do Bacteria Communicate?
- How Do Bacteria Communicate: One-Component System
- How Do Bacteria Communicate: Two-Component System
- How Do Bacteria Communicate: ECF Sigma Factors
- Match the signaling system with its key feature:
- Chemical Communication: Gram-negative versus Gram-positive
- What type of signaling molecules do Gram‑positive bacteria use?
- Why do Gram‑negative bacteria produce unique AHLs?
- Physical Communication: Nanotubes
- What type of molecule are nanotubes largely made up of?
- Physical Communication: Injectisomes
- Which part of the injectisome spans the bacterial cell membrame and anchors the entire apparatus to the cell envelope?
- Quorum Sensing and Gene Expression
- Which of the following is not an example of quorum sensing–regulated behavior?
- Quorum Sensing Inhibition as an Antimicrobial Approach
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Quorum Sensing Inhibitors
- True or False: The use of QSIs increases selective pressure on bacteria, similar to conventional antibiotics.
- Combining Therapies
- Challenges and Future Directions
- What complicates the design of broad-spectrum QSIs?
- What is a potential ecological risk of using quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs)?
- References
- References
Additional Information
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
Intended Audience: Medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, laboratory supervisors, and laboratory managers. This course is also appropriate for MLS and MLT students and pathology residents.
Author Information: Rachel M. Donner, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, has been working in the medical laboratory for thirteen years in different areas of expertise, starting as a generalist in a small hospital and eventually performing COVID-19 testing and research at Northeastern University. She has a master of science in biomedical engineering and biotechnology and has taught several medical laboratory science topics at the collegiate level. Rachel is currently a point-of-care coordinator at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Kelli M. Hiller, Ed.D., MLS (ASCP)CM, is the Program Director of Medical Laboratory Technology and Phlebotomy at Bristol Community College, where she has taught as an adjunct faculty member, full-time faculty member, led curriculum development, led shared governance, and student success initiatives in different capacities since 2008. She currently serves on the Faculty and Professional Staff Senate, where she is the longest-serving senate president in the history of the college. With a Doctorate in Education and a master’s in medical laboratory science, Kelli brings decades of clinical and academic experience to workforce development in the laboratory sciences. She has served in clinical laboratory management roles, currently works as a per-diem MLS in blood banking and microbiology, and is deeply committed to evidence-based education, service-learning, and engagement that prepares students for impactful careers in healthcare.