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Cited by 902Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingEscherichia coli research studiesBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology

Bacteria–host communication: the language of hormones

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Sperandio, Vanessa, Torres, Alfredo G., Jarvis, Bruce, Nataro, James P., Kaper, James B.·2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1537100100PMC PMC166419
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Abstract

The interbacterial communication system known as quorum sensing (QS) utilizes hormone-like compounds referred to as autoinducers to regulate bacterial gene expression. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7 is the agent responsible for outbreaks of bloody diarrhea in several countries. We previously proposed that EHEC uses a QS regulatory system to "sense" that it is within the intestine and activate genes essential for intestinal colonization. The QS system used by EHEC is the LuxS/autoinducer 2 (AI-2) system extensively involved in interspecies communication. The autoinducer AI-2 is a furanosyl borate diester whose synthesis depends on the enzyme LuxS. Here we show that an EHEC luxS mutant, unable to produce the bacterial autoinducer, still responds to a eukaryotic cell signal to activate expression of its virulence genes. We have identified this signal as the hormone epinephrine and show that beta- and alpha-adrenergic antagonists can block the bacterial response to this hormone. Furthermore, using purified and in vitro synthesized AI-2 we showed that AI-2 is not the autoinducer involved in the bacterial signaling. EHEC produces another, previously undescribed autoinducer (AI-3) whose synthesis depends on the presence of LuxS. These results imply a potential cross-communication between the luxS/AI-3 bacterial QS system and the epinephrine host signaling system. Given that eukaryotic cell-to-cell signaling typically occurs through hormones, and that bacterial cell-to-cell signaling occurs through QS, we speculate that QS might be a "language" by which bacteria and host cells communicate.

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  • Bacteria produce noradrenaline as a quorum sensing molecule, and noradrenaline and adrenaline can promote pathogenesis and growth.

    “bacteria produce noradrenaline as a quorum sensing molecule, and noradrenaline and adrenaline can promote pathogenesis and growth (229, 230)”

    From Signalling cognition: The gut microbiota and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (2023) · cites this paper as [229]

  • Enterohemorrhagic E. coli can sense luminal norepinephrine or adrenaline to express its virulence traits.

    “Enterohemorrhagic E. coli can sense luminal norepinephrine or adrenaline to express its virulence traits.45”

    From Principles and clinical implications of the brain-gut-enteric microbiota axis (2009) · cites this paper as [45]

  • Exogenous epinephrine is an inducer of the O157:H7 virulence factor.

    “Sperandio et al. showed that exogenous epinephrine is an inducer of the 0157:H7 virulence factor.120”

    From The Gut Microbiome and the Brain (2014) · cites this paper as [120]

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Authors
Sperandio, V., Torres, A. G., Jarvis, B., Nataro, J. P., & Kaper, J. B.
Affiliations
University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2003-07-07
Volume
100
Issue
15
Pages
8951-8956
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1537100100
PMC
PMC166419
OpenAlex
W2040641257
Cited by
902
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 19 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 60
FWCI
14.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ai041325-05)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI021657, AI 41325, AI21657, R37AI021657)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Escherichia coli research studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
Keywords
quorum sensing, autoinducer-2, LuxS, Escherichia coli O157:H7, epinephrine, virulence gene expression, adrenergic antagonists, intestinal colonization
MeSH terms
Bacterial Proteins, Epinephrine, Escherichia coli Infections, Genes, Bacterial, HeLa Cells, Homoserine, Humans, Lactones, Mutation, Phosphoproteins, Carbon-Sulfur Lyases, Virulence, Signal Transduction, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Escherichia coli O157, Escherichia coli Proteins, In Vitro Techniques

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