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Article
Open AccessDynamics of cheater invasion in a cooperating population of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing (QS) regulates expression of dozens of genes in a cell density-dependent manner. Many QS-regulated genes code for production of extracellular factors, “public goods” that can...
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Article
Correction: Corrigendum: Progress in and promise of bacterial quorum sensing research
Nature 551, 313–320 (2017); doi:10.1038/nature24624 In this Review, there is an error in Fig. 1b, in which the carboxyl group of diffusible signalling factor methyl dodecenoic acid (compound number 6) was inad...
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Protocol
“Hot Stuff”: The Many Uses of a Radiolabel Assay in Detecting Acyl-Homoserine Lactone Quorum-Sensing Signals
Many Proteobacteria synthesize acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules for use as signals in cell density-dependent gene regulation known as quorum sensing (QS) and response. AHL detection protocols are essential...
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Article
Progress in and promise of bacterial quorum sensing research
This Review highlights how we can build upon the relatively new and rapidly develo** field of research into bacterial quorum sensing (QS). We now have a depth of knowledge about how bacteria use QS signals t...
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Article
Plan B for quorum sensing
Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses several intertwined cell-cell communication systems, called quorum sensing (QS) systems, to control gene expression. A QS signal–dependent transcription factor called LasR is at the to...
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Chapter
Ironing Out the Biofilm Problem:The Role of Iron in Biofilm Formation
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes chronic biofilm-associated infections in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients that cannot be eradicated by antibiotics. Like most other pathogens, P. aeru...
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Article
Open AccessEarly activation of quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals the architecture of a complex regulon
Quorum-sensing regulation of gene expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is complex. Two interconnected acyl-homoserine lactone (acyl-HSL) signal-receptor pairs, 3-oxo-dodecanoyl-HSL-LasR and butanoyl-HSL-RhlR, reg...
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Article
The superficial life of microbes
The social activities and organization of bacteria are crucial to their ecological success. But it is only in recent years that we have begun to study these secret societies.
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Article
Bacterial communication: Tiny teamwork
Recognition that bacterial cells can communicate and organize into groups has led to new ways of thinking about chronic infections.
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Article
Listening in on bacteria: acyl-homoserine lactone signalling
Bacteria can communicate with each other using diffusible chemical signals and can co-ordinate their behaviour to function as a group. Interbacterial signalli...
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Article
A component of innate immunity prevents bacterial biofilm development
Antimicrobial factors form one arm of the innate immune system, which protects mucosal surfaces from bacterial infection1,2,3. These factors can rapidly kill bacteria deposited on mucosal surfaces and prevent acu...
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Article
Pump up the versatility
Pseudomonas aeruginosais a versatile bacterium that colonizes the lungs of most people with cystic fibrosis. Its genome sequence provides clues to the origins of its versatility and its resistance to antibiotics.
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Article
The intracellular polyglucose storage granules of Spirochaeta aurantia
Extracts of Spirochaeta aurantia contained granules approximately 36 nm in diameter. These granules were purified by isopycnic centrifugation on CsCl gradients and shown on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic...
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Article
The basis of silver staining of bacterial lipopolysaccharides in polyacrylamide gels
When cast in a polyacrylamide gel, whole lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the lipid A fraction of LPS fromSalmonella typhimurium andEscherichia coli O111∶B4 reacted with the silver stain described by Tsai and Frasch ...
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Article
Rifampin as a selective agent for the enumeration and isolation of spirochetes from salt marsh habitats
Spirochetes from a variety of salt marsh sediments were enumerated and isolated directly by using a prereduced complex medium containing rifampin as a selective agent. Based on cell morphology, the spirochetal...