Klein, gefährlich und gesprächig — Quorum sensing bei Vibrio cholerae

Abstract

To efficiently interact with their environment, bacteria often work in groups to solve complex tasks. Coordination of collective functions requires communication among the members of the group, a process typically referred to as quorum sensing (QS). Marine Vibrio species, including the major human pathogen Vibrio cholerae, have become a model to study the regulatory architecture underlying QS. In this review we summarize how V. cholerae employs QS to regulate virulence, biofilm formation, type-6-secretion, and phage interactions.